Summary:
Middle schools in North Lawrence Com Schools serve grades 7 and 8 at a single campus, Bedford Middle School, which enrolls 518 students. Because it is the only middle school in the district, it defines the entire middle-level profile for the area, so the most useful comparisons are to district and state figures rather than to other local middle schools. The school ranks 178 of 374, placing it in the 52nd percentile with 3 stars. About 59.07% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, per-student spending is $10,205, and the student-teacher ratio is 16:1.
Bedford's clearest academic strength is 8th grade Math, where proficiency is 36.06% — about 1.86 percentage points above Indiana's 34.2%, and the only grade-and-subject result here that beats the state. The school's ranking has climbed steadily: from 281 of 491 (43rd percentile, 2 stars) in 2023–2024, to 258 of 480 in 2024–2025, to 241 of 486 (50th percentile, 3 stars) in 2025–2026 — a 40-position gain and a move from 2 stars to 3. All-grade Math proficiency rose 4.01 percentage points year over year, from 29.92% to 33.93%, narrowing the gap to the district's 40.76% from 8.47 points to 6.83.
The most urgent concern is chronic absenteeism at 20.4% — 8.4 percentage points above the district's 12.0% and 3.7 points above the state's 16.7%. ELA is the weaker subject: 7th grade ELA is 27.31%, 14.39 points below the state's 41.7%, and 8th grade ELA is 36.43%, 7.57 points below the state's 44.0%. All-grade ELA also slipped 0.60 percentage points, from 32.75% to 32.15%. Overall, families are looking at an improving school with a real 8th grade Math strength, but one where reading and attendance deserve close attention.
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