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Northwest Middle School

Public Grades 5-8

771^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 873 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Better than 12% of Pennsylvania middle schools

Summary

Northwest Middle School is a public middle school located in Reading, Pennsylvania, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 827 students. The school is part of the Reading School District, which is ranked 571 out of 606 school districts in Pennsylvania and is rated 0 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Northwest Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Pennsylvania middle schools, with only 6.7% of students proficient or better in PSSA Math and 16.2% proficient or better in PSSA English Language Arts, significantly below the state and district averages. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with particularly low rankings for its White and low-socioeconomic status (SES) students. Additionally, Northwest Middle School has experienced relatively high dropout rates, ranging from 1.4% to 5.0% over the past few years, which are higher than the state average.

In contrast, nearby schools like Governor Mifflin Middle School and Exeter Township Junior High School, which are in different school districts, demonstrate significantly higher academic performance, with proficiency rates on PSSA tests that are more than double the levels of the Reading School District schools. Despite Northwest Middle School's relatively high spending per student and low student-teacher ratio, these factors do not appear to translate into improved academic outcomes for the school.

821

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,894

Per pupil spending ?

100.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1000 N Front St
Reading, PA 19601-1442

(610) 371-5772

District: Reading School District

Students who attend Northwest Middle School usually attend:

High:

Reading Senior High School

Feeder schools for Northwest Middle School:

Elementary:	Glenside Elementary School
	Riverside Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

88.6%

African American:

6.2%

White:

3.9%

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Compare Northwest Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 10th percentile in 2014 → 12th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (11% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Math scores 35 pts below the Pennsylvania average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school11%

District avg14%

Pennsylvania avg45%

771^st of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Middle Schools in the Reading School District

571^st of 606Reading School District among Pennsylvania districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	11.3	771 of 873	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.5	789 of 891	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.0	810 of 893	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.6	778 of 883	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.4	737 of 797	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.4	803 of 891	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.0	760 of 861	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	11.0	748 of 877	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	8.7	768 of 870	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	7.2	655 of 728	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	5.1	692 of 758	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	12.1	743 of 834	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	25.8	680 of 825	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.7	625 of 805	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	31.2	608 of 770	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	20.2	639 of 753	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	21.5	630 of 749	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	19.7	627 of 736	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	18.9	589 of 687	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	17.7	571 of 663	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	14.1	560 of 643	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	25.0	307 of 393	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.7	269 of 408	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.7	315 of 421	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	23.8	531 of 643	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.9	621 of 672	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	628 of 660	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	30.6	110 of 145	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	141 of 150	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	29.7	109 of 143	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	10.2	751 of 835	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.7	767 of 860	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	21.1	288 of 348	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	305 of 362	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	326 of 362	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	16.2	729 of 843	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	773 of 877	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.6	799 of 874	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	12.8	730 of 839	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.4	782 of 870	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	9.2	637 of 673	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2025)24th percentile+12 vs school

African American (2025)22nd percentile+10 vs school

Disabled (2025)17th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)17th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)14th percentile~ school

Male (2025)13th percentile~ school

Female (2025)10th percentile~ school

White (2024)5th percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts16%-32 vs state

Math7%-35 vs state

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Schools Near Northwest Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)						PSSA English Language Arts (2025)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwest Middle School	Public	5-8	1000 N Front St	Reading	19601	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5772	821	59	13.9	100.7%	32 (3.9%)	51 (6.2%)	727 (88.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.1%)	11.3	771^st of 873 public middle schools	11.7%		10.5	789^th of 891 public middle schools	11.4%	18		3.9	8.8	8.9	4.9	6.7		9.9	20.5	20.0	14.4	16.2	$20,894	$2,551	$18,343
Northeast Middle School	Public	5-8	1216 N 13th St	Reading	19604	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5774	868	67	12.9	106.3%	50 (5.8%)	35 (4.0%)	767 (88.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.5%)	14.4	738^th of 873 public middle schools	15.5%		13.1	758^th of 891 public middle schools	14.9%	20		13.5	9.5	5.3	4.3	8.2		13.6	29.4	20.1	27.8	22.8	$21,360	$2,390	$18,971
West Reading Elementary Center	Public	5-6	421 Chestnut St	West Reading	19611	Berks County	Wyomissing Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 374-0739	310	22	14.1	39.7%	181 (58.4%)	13 (4.2%)	91 (29.4%)	9 (2.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)								(n/a)		61.6	45.3			54.0		75.0	70.1			72.7	$18,559	$570	$17,989
Southwest Middle School	Public	5-8	300 Chestnut St	Reading	19602	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5934	574	48	12.0	113.6%	29 (5.1%)	42 (7.3%)	498 (86.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	12.8	754^th of 873 public middle schools	13.6%		9.4	804^th of 891 public middle schools	9.8%	50		13.3	10.0	2.5	4.1	7.0		14.4	26.2	24.2	22.8	21.9	$22,294	$2,812	$19,482
Central Middle School	Public	5-8	215 North 12th St	Reading	19604	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 258-7365	1,785	116	15.4	95.7%	93 (5.2%)	102 (5.7%)	1,567 (87.8%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (1.0%)	8.7	812^th of 873 public middle schools	7.0%		9.1	810^th of 891 public middle schools	9.1%	2		9.7	4.8	3.1	1.8	5.0		10.4	16.4	13.7	21.7	15.3	$20,260	$2,271	$17,989
Southern Middle School	Public	5-8	931 Chestnut St	Reading	19602	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5803	661	53	12.5	105.6%	28 (4.2%)	52 (7.9%)	569 (86.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.8%)	7.9	826^th of 873 public middle schools	5.4%		7.6	836^th of 891 public middle schools	6.2%	10		7.9	3.8	2.8	2.2	4.2		14.4	13.5	13.4	18.8	15.0	$21,428	$3,134	$18,294
Muhlenberg Junior High School	Public	7-9	801 E Bellevue Ave	Reading	19605	Berks County	Muhlenberg School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 921-8034	1,016	65	15.7	99.0%	204 (20.1%)	84 (8.3%)	648 (63.8%)	11 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	66 (6.5%)	29	606^th of 873 public middle schools	30.6%		29.2	624^th of 891 public middle schools	30.0%	18				20.3	18.6	19.4				26.5	34.1	30.3	$15,650	$703	$14,947
Kerry C. Hoffman Intermediate School	Public	4-8	2310 Cumberland Ave	Mount Penn	19606	Berks County	Antietam School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 779-3547	434	38	11.4	59.7%	122 (28.1%)	30 (6.9%)	254 (58.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.0%)								(n/a)	37.0	28.9	17.7	21.8	3.3	22.7	35.6	26.5	38.0	38.5	35.0	34.4	$31,665	$3,861	$27,804
C E Cole Intermediate School	Public	4-6	801 Bellevue Avenue	Reading	19605	Berks County	Muhlenberg School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 921-8000	986	60	16.4	96.3%	214 (21.7%)	78 (7.9%)	578 (58.6%)	13 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	101 (10.2%)								(n/a)	26.5	18.2	18.9			20.9	23.7	28.8	32.4			28.5	$14,501	$1,528	$12,973
Governor Mifflin Middle School	Public	7-8	130 East Lancaster Avenue	Shillington	19607	Berks County	Governor Mifflin School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 775-1465	631	39	16.3	94.5%	329 (52.1%)	35 (5.5%)	229 (36.3%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.6%)	47.6	466^th of 873 public middle schools	46.6%		44.4	522^nd of 891 public middle schools	41.4%	56				27.9	23.9	25.9				44.9	42.1	43.5	$17,020	$349	$16,671

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest Middle School

What district is Northwest Middle School in?

Reading School District

How many students attend Northwest Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 821 students attended Northwest Middle School.

Is Northwest Middle School a good school?

Northwest Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.7% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Northwest Middle School attend?

Students who attend Northwest Middle School usually go on to attend Reading Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Northwest Middle School?

Students at Northwest Middle School are 89% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% White, 1% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.