Middle Schools in Waltham

Waltham, Massachusetts is home to two middle schools: John F. Kennedy Middle School and John W. McDevitt Middle School. Based on the available data, John F. Kennedy Middle School appears to be the standout performer, consistently outpacing the Waltham district and Massachusetts state averages on MCAS Next Generation assessments.

John F. Kennedy Middle School has seen its statewide ranking improve from 167th out of 501 Massachusetts middle schools in 2022-2023 to 142nd out of 484 in 2024-2025, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Civics are all higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, John F. Kennedy Middle School has a higher student-teacher ratio of 10.4, suggesting more individualized attention for students compared to the 8.6 ratio at John W. McDevitt Middle School.

While the data does not provide information on the free/reduced lunch rates at the two schools, the higher per-student spending of $23,907 at John F. Kennedy Middle School, compared to $23,117 at John W. McDevitt Middle School, may be a contributing factor to the school's stronger academic performance. Overall, the data indicates that John F. Kennedy Middle School is the standout middle school in the Waltham area, with consistently high achievement and an improving statewide ranking.