Wendell, Massachusetts
The Wendell Schools by the Numbers
A snapshot of the New Salem-Wendell district, which Wendell shares with New Salem and which educates about 140 students, and of the regional district its older students join. Detailed figures come from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
District Snapshot
Sources: Massachusetts DESE, school and district profiles.
High needs is a state count, not a score. It includes every student who is from a low income household, learning English, or receiving special education services, and counts each one only once. The median across all 396 Massachusetts districts is 46.7 percent.
District Overview
| District | New Salem-Wendell |
| Enrollment | 140 |
| Schools | 1 (Swift River School) |
| Grades 7 to 12 | Ralph C. Mahar Regional, Orange |
Student Population
For the precise current breakdown, see the DESE district profile.
| English learners | 0.0% |
| Low income | 32.9% |
| High needs | 45.7% |
| Per-pupil spending (in-district) | $27,551.16 |
Academic Performance & Context
The New Salem-Wendell district is a pre-kindergarten through grade 6 district, so it has no graduation rate of its own. Its graduates continue to Ralph C. Mahar Regional in Orange, a district of about 548 students shared with New Salem, Orange, and Petersham, with a four-year graduation rate of 80.7 percent. MCAS results and accountability data for both districts are published and updated each year by DESE, so this guide links to the live state profile rather than reprinting numbers that quickly go stale.
Sources
MA DESE, Wendell Student Profile (code 07280000). Accessed 2026.