Summary:
Rochester School District has two public high schools in Rochester, New Hampshire—both serving grades 9–12—with a combined enrollment of about 1,394 students: the large comprehensive Spaulding High School and the much smaller Bud Carlson Academy.
Spaulding High School is the stronger option across nearly every reported measure and serves about 93% of the district’s high-school students. It has a 90.4% graduation rate, a 2.2% dropout rate, and a 2025–26 SchoolDigger ranking of 51st out of 89 New Hampshire high schools. Reading is its clearest academic strength: 59% of students reached proficiency on the NH SAS, above both the district and state rates. Mathematics is the main area needing improvement, with 21% proficiency, although math, reading, and science scores all increased from the previous year. The school’s ranking also improved substantially, rising from 74th to 51st.
Bud Carlson Academy is a small school of 96 students with substantially weaker reported outcomes: a 17.0% graduation rate, a 14.6% dropout rate, and a last-place ranking of 89th out of 89 schools. Reported proficiency was 36% in reading and 0% in mathematics. These figures warrant careful attention, but direct comparisons should be made cautiously because the academy is much smaller and may serve students with different needs or have a specialized mission. Overall, parents seeking a traditional high-school experience will find the strongest reported graduation, attendance-related, and academic results at Spaulding High School, while families considering Bud Carlson Academy should ask about its programs, student supports, and graduation pathways.
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