Can I use Strafford County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Strafford County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Strafford County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Strafford County?

Start with the 39 listed public schools and 11 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Strafford County Schools & Education

Name: Strafford County, New Hampshire Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Strafford County, New Hampshire

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

57/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

84.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

84.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 87.2%

Per-Pupil Spending

$11,471

National avg $13,239

State avg $12,649

School Score

57/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 66/100

State Score Position

of 10 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Strafford County

Measured School Summary

Strafford County has midrange measured school signals (score: 57/100) with a graduation rate of 84.0%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

Strafford County spends $11,471 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 14% below the New Hampshire average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 3.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Strafford County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

39 public schools and 11 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

57/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #9 of 10 New Hampshire counties with school score data.

Completion

84.0%

3.2 pts below the state average

Funding context

$11,471

$1,178 below the state average

School coverage

11 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Strafford County has 39 public schools across 11 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Strafford County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Mixed school landscape

Strafford County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

of 10 New Hampshire counties with school score data. The county score is 9 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Rochester School District

Elementary to high school visible

3,891 students

Elementary 8Middle 1High 2Other 0

11 listed schools in this county slice.

Dover School District

Elementary to high school visible

3,743 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 1Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Oyster River Coop School District

Elementary to high school visible

2,141 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 1

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Somersworth School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,328 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Rochester School District is the largest listed district slice, with 11 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Strafford County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Strafford County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Strafford County, New Hampshire

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Broad Educational Network in Strafford County

Strafford County manages a robust network of 39 public schools across 11 districts, serving 14,488 total students. The infrastructure supports a diverse age range with 24 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, and 7 high schools.

Investment and Academic Results

The county's 84% graduation rate sits below the New Hampshire state average of 87.2% and the national benchmark of 87%. Local districts invest $11,471 per pupil, which is lower than the state’s average expenditure of $12,649.

Rochester and Dover Lead the Way

Rochester School District is the county's largest with 11 schools and 3,891 students, while Dover School District follows with 3,743 students. One charter school operates within the county, representing 2.6% of the total public school options.

Suburban Focus with Scalable Learning

Education here has a suburban feel, with 28 schools in suburban locales and 11 in rural settings. While the average school size is 371 students, enrollment varies significantly between smaller rural sites and the 1,505-student Dover Senior High School.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Strafford County

Reported Enrollment

14,488

39 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

3% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary24

Middle7

High7

Other1

11 School Districts in Strafford County

Rochester School District

Dover School District

Oyster River Coop School District

5 schools

2,141 students

Somersworth School District

4 schools

1,328 students

Barrington School District

3 schools

947 students

Farmington School District

3 schools

792 students

Milton School District

3 schools

504 students

Strafford School District

1 school

403 students

Seacoast Charter School

1 school

299 students

Middleton School District

1 school

153 students

39 Public Schools in Strafford County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 39 matching schools

Public schools in Strafford County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Dover Senior High School	Profile	Dover School District	Dover, 03820Suburb: Small	9–12	High	1,505
Spaulding High School	Profile	Rochester School District	Rochester, 03867Suburb: Small	9–12	High	1,301
Dover Middle School	Profile	Dover School District	Dover, 03820Suburb: Small	5–8	Middle	1,018
Rochester Middle School	Record	Rochester School District	Rochester, 03867Suburb: Small	6–8	Middle	847
Oyster River High School	Record	Oyster River Coop School District	Durham, 03824Suburb: Small	9–UG	High	844
Oyster River Middle School	Record	Oyster River Coop School District	Durham, 03824Suburb: Small	5–8	Middle	643
Woodman Park School	Record	Dover School District	Dover, 03820Suburb: Small	PK–4	Primary	436
Barrington Elementary School	Record	Barrington School District	Barrington, 03825Rural: Fringe	1–4	Primary	424
Strafford School	Record	Strafford School District	Strafford, 03884Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	403
Somersworth High School	Record	Somersworth School District	Somersworth, 03878Suburb: Small	9–12	High	394
Frances G. Hopkins Elementary School at Horne Street	Record	Dover School District	Dover, 03820Suburb: Small	KG–4	Primary	393
Garrison School	Record	Dover School District	Dover, 03820Suburb: Small	KG–4	Primary	391
Barrington Middle School	Record	Barrington School District	Barrington, 03825Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	382
McClelland School	Record	Rochester School District	Rochester, 03867Suburb: Small	KG–5	Primary	346
Somersworth Middle School	Record	Somersworth School District	Somersworth, 03878Suburb: Small	6–8	Middle	342
Mast Way School	Record	Oyster River Coop School District	Lee, 03861Rural: Fringe	KG–4	Primary	327
Idlehurst Elementary School	Record	Somersworth School District	Somersworth, 03878Suburb: Small	PK–2	Primary	311
Seacoast Charter School	Record	Seacoast Charter School	Dover, 03820Suburb: Small	PK–8	Charter	299
Chamberlain Street School	Record	Rochester School District	Rochester, 03867Suburb: Small	KG–5	Primary	298
Moharimet School	Record	Oyster River Coop School District	Madbury, 03823Rural: Fringe	KG–4	Primary	297

Dover Senior High School

Dover School District

Dover, 03820 / Suburb: Small

Profile9–12High1,505 students

Spaulding High School

Rochester School District

Rochester, 03867 / Suburb: Small

Profile9–12High1,301 students

Dover Middle School

Dover School District

Dover, 03820 / Suburb: Small

Profile5–8Middle1,018 students

Rochester Middle School

Rochester School District

Rochester, 03867 / Suburb: Small

Record6–8Middle847 students

Oyster River High School

Oyster River Coop School District

Durham, 03824 / Suburb: Small

Record9–UGHigh844 students

Oyster River Middle School

Oyster River Coop School District

Durham, 03824 / Suburb: Small

Record5–8Middle643 students

Woodman Park School

Dover School District

Dover, 03820 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–4Primary436 students

Barrington Elementary School

Barrington School District

Barrington, 03825 / Rural: Fringe

Record1–4Primary424 students

Strafford School

Strafford School District

Strafford, 03884 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary403 students

Somersworth High School

Somersworth School District

Somersworth, 03878 / Suburb: Small

Record9–12High394 students

Frances G. Hopkins Elementary School at Horne Street

Dover School District

Dover, 03820 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–4Primary393 students

Garrison School

Dover School District

Dover, 03820 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–4Primary391 students

Barrington Middle School

Barrington School District

Barrington, 03825 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Middle382 students

McClelland School

Rochester School District

Rochester, 03867 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–5Primary346 students

Somersworth Middle School

Somersworth School District

Somersworth, 03878 / Suburb: Small

Record6–8Middle342 students

Mast Way School

Oyster River Coop School District

Lee, 03861 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–4Primary327 students

Idlehurst Elementary School

Somersworth School District

Somersworth, 03878 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–2Primary311 students

Seacoast Charter School

Dover, 03820 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–8Charter299 students

Chamberlain Street School

Rochester School District

Rochester, 03867 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–5Primary298 students

Moharimet School

Oyster River Coop School District

Madbury, 03823 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–4Primary297 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$11,471

State avg $12,649

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Strafford County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which New Hampshire counties have the highest graduation rates?

Rockingham County (91.6%), Grafton County (91.3%), and Carroll County (91.0%) currently lead New Hampshire among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in New Hampshire?

Across New Hampshire counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $12,649. The highest current county values are Grafton County ($14,898), Carroll County ($14,666), and Sullivan County ($13,257). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Strafford County?

Strafford County has a school score of 57/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Strafford County?

The high school graduation rate in Strafford County is 84.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Strafford County spend per student?

Strafford County spends $11,471 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Strafford County, New Hampshire — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Strafford County, New Hampshire?

How do schools in Strafford County perform academically?

What are the major school districts in Strafford County, New Hampshire?

What is the school experience like in Strafford County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Coos County

New Hampshire

0 pts

57/100

School score

Hillsborough County

New Hampshire

+0 pts

57/100

School score

Belknap County

New Hampshire

-1 pts

56/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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