Boston’s Best Schools 2012: Top of the Class 

By Patrick Doyle (ed) | Boston Magazine | September 2012

Highest Per-Pupil Spending (by District) 

1. Minuteman High School $28,962
2. Cambridge Rindge & Latin School $25,737
3. Blue Hills Regional Technical School $20,948
4. Norfolk County Agricultural High School $20,380
5. Waltham High School     $18,960 

Bold is my emphasis.

The old educational equation was simple: Spend more money—on teacher salaries, technology, administration, sports, clubs—and students will perform better. But after reviewing the data from Massachusetts high schools, our statistician, George Recck, found no significant correlation between a school’s level of spending and its final ranking. In other words, it seems likely that higher spending doesn’t automatically equal better results.

Highest Percentage of Students Achieving Proficiency (Scoring 3-5) on AP Exams 

1. Concord-Carlisle Regional High School 98.7%
2. Acton-Boxborough Regional High School 97.4%
3. Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School 95.8%
4. Lexington High School 95.2%
4. Newton South High School 95.2% 

... Still, when students ace AP tests, it shows that the teachers are strong and the kids are motivated—great indicators of a high-performing school.

By the way, it's easy to confuse Cambridge Rindge & Latin School with Boston Latin, the famous entrance exam-only school. In reality, despite its imposing name, Cambridge Ridnge & Latin is just Cambridge's regular high school, open to all students who happen to live in Cambridge.

Lowest Student-Teacher Ratio 

1. North Shore Technical High School 8.7 : 1
1. Minuteman High School 8.7 : 1
1. Salem Academy Charter School 8.7 : 1
4. Greater Lawrence Technical High School 9.1 : 1
5. Cambridge Rindge & Latin School 9.4 : 1

Thanks, suckers! See you in Hell.