Salaries and Class sizes: Reasons or excuses?

Following is a look at how local school districts compare in terms of student-teacher ratios (S/T Ratio), average teacher salary (Salary), and amount of money spent per pupil (Per Pupil). Also charted is how they rank on the "Kelly Scale" for average SAT score -- combined verbal and math -- in 1998 ('Kelly' rating). Figures for teacher salaries and cost per student are in thousands of dollars.

District S/T Ratio Salary Per Pupil 'Kelly' rating

State average 18.0    $38.3    $4.7    Weak

Newton 17.0    $46.8    5.6    Good

Winchester 16.9    $40.9    5.6    Good

Newburyport 15.3    $38.8    5.3    Fair

Marblehead 16.0    $38.5    5.3    Fair

Rockport 16.4    $37.4    4.2    Fair

Swampscott 15.7    $41.0    4.9    Fair

Hamilton/Wenham 16.9    $38.5    5.2    Fair

Beverly 16.9    $39.1    4.2    Weak

Danvers 19.0    $41.6    5.1    Weak

Peabody 18.0    $37.9    5.6    Weak

Gloucester 17.3    $37.6    4.6    Weak

Salem 17.0    $35.7    5.3    Poor

Lynn 18.1    $34.4    4.1    Poor

Source of data -- "School District Profiles," Mass. Department of Education.