On the one hand, I was thinking that maybe despite relatively high revenue, that those towns might be underspending on their public schools.

Or, it's also possible that the money being spent on the schools, however much it is, just is not being spent wisely or effectively.

...

For example, I went to HS in Dracut, and while I was there, the athletic teams got a larger chunk of the school's budget than some entire academic departments.