High Schools in North Reading

North Reading has one public high school: North Reading High, located at 189 Park Street and serving grades 9–12 with 652 students. It is part of the North Reading district, which is rated 33rd of 351 districts in Massachusetts — the 91st percentile, with 5 stars. Because there is only one high school in this area, there is no in-town comparison to make; the most useful comparison is against the district and the state.

On MCAS Next Generation tests in 2025–2026, the school exceeded the state in every reported subject: English Language Arts at 61.96% proficient versus 45.48% statewide, Mathematics at 69.94% versus 43.73%, Science at 68.79% versus 40.50%, and Biology at 69.93% versus 37.68%. Science and Biology are the clearest strengths, running roughly 28–33 percentage points above the state. The school also sits slightly above its own district in each subject, by 1.27 to 1.61 percentage points, suggesting strong performance across the district rather than in one building alone. Outcomes are strong as well: a 98.8% graduation rate versus 97.6% district-wide, a 0.6% dropout rate for both, a 10.1:1 student-teacher ratio, and $19,065 in per-student spending (2020–2021). The school ranks 47th of 353 high schools, placing it in the top 13%, with 4 stars.

The most recent year is softer than the two before it. From 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, 10th grade proficiency fell by 10.15 points in ELA, 4.21 points in Math, and 10.52 points in Science. The district and the state also declined, though the school's ELA and Science drops were larger than the state's. The school's rank moved from 33rd (2023–2024, 5 stars) to 47th (2025–2026, 4 stars). A few data notes matter for parents: the free/reduced-lunch percentage is blank, so socioeconomic context is unavailable rather than zero; spending figures are from 2020–2021; the 2024–2025 Biology result covers all grades while 2025–2026 is End of Course, so those two should not be compared directly; and year-to-year test changes involve different cohorts.