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Athol-Royalston Middle School

Public Grades 5-8

371^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 22% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Athol-Royalston Middle School is a grades 5–8 school in Athol, MA, with 446 students, part of the Athol-Royalston district. In 2025–2026 it ranks 371st of 478 Massachusetts middle schools, at the 22nd percentile with 1 star, while its district ranks 316th of 351. Its rank history has been stable but low: after a 5th-percentile low in 2015–2016, it has mostly hovered in the low-to-high 20s, drifting slightly from 27 to 22 between 2022–2023 and 2025–2026.

Academically, Athol-Royalston Middle is far below state averages in every core subject. All-grade MCAS proficiency is 21.94% in ELA versus 40.03% statewide, 17.32% in math versus 41.11%, and 15.05% in science versus 40.98%. Among nine nearby middle schools, science is the lowest, math is essentially tied with Murdock Middle School for the lowest, and ELA is above only Great Falls Middle and Gardner Middle School. The closest comparable school, Narragansett Middle, is higher at the 33rd percentile, while Central Tree Middle and Overlook Middle School rank much higher. Grade-level results show major weaknesses in 5th-grade math (6.32%), ELA (13.54%), and science (12.90%), plus 7th-grade math (12.04%); 8th-grade math is a relative bright spot at 33.33%, but 8th-grade civics is 17.05%, lower than every nearby school reporting it.

Other factors are mixed. Its 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio is 12.9, better than most nearby schools, and its 2020–2021 per-pupil spending of $16,076 is mid-to-high locally. Its relative effectiveness for low-income students is stronger than its overall rank—42nd percentile with improvement over three years—but special education students are at the 12th percentile and have declined. Overall, this is a 1-star school in a low-ranked district: it is above only Gardner Middle School among the nearest schools, and its most pressing needs are science, 5th-grade math/science, 7th-grade math, and 8th-grade civics.

446

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,365

Per pupil spending ?

62.1%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

1062 Pleasant Street
Athol, MA 01331

(978) 249-2430

District: Athol-Royalston

Students who attend Athol-Royalston Middle School usually attend:

High:

Athol High

Feeder schools for Athol-Royalston Middle School:

Elementary:

Athol Community Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.0%

Hispanic:

20.0%

Two or more races:

4.7%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Athol-Royalston Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 27th percentile in 2019 → 22nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Massachusetts average (19% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped from its 27th-percentile peak (2019) to 22nd (2026)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school19%

District avg19%

Massachusetts avg41%

371^st of 478

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Bottom 22%▲ up 17 pts since 2016

From bottom 5% (2016) to bottom 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

316^th of 351Athol-Royalston among Massachusetts 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	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	22.6	371 of 478	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.4	373 of 484	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.6	367 of 493	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	366 of 501	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.7	404 of 497	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.8	384 of 501	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.2	362 of 498	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.2	369 of 484	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.6	371 of 487	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	7.9	456 of 482	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	15.7	384 of 441	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	15.9	389 of 455	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	26.8	346 of 455	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	27.0	344 of 455	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	39.9	295 of 449	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	33.6	312 of 434	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	26.8	317 of 409	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	16.4	350 of 407	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	26.1	315 of 399	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.3	305 of 399	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	34.5	255 of 356	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	29.3	268 of 344	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	23.3	273 of 339	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	25.6	347 of 445	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.8	326 of 431	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.8	226 of 424	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.2	252 of 417	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	25.3	345 of 468	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.4	348 of 473	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	332 of 481	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.1	362 of 489	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.7	395 of 494	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.4	409 of 483	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.8	361 of 478	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.2	347 of 463	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	239 of 383	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.1	270 of 376	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.8	330 of 378	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.6	309 of 364	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.2	268 of 368	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.6	142 of 335	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.3	211 of 322	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	267 of 461	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.8	304 of 464	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.4	342 of 469	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.4	344 of 481	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.2	376 of 489	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.9	346 of 462	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.3	298 of 452	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.6	336 of 438	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	21.2	374 of 470	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.8	381 of 473	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.3	396 of 483	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.3	349 of 489	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.2	407 of 497	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.0	336 of 485	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.9	331 of 478	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.1	381 of 466	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	21.6	383 of 436	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.2	352 of 435	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.1	352 of 441	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.3	240 of 444	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.2	391 of 503	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.2	357 of 489	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.4	329 of 484	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.0	365 of 467	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	22.5	378 of 491	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	31.0	234 of 339	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	10.7	377 of 393	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.2	366 of 386	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.7	362 of 392	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.7	364 of 403	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.4	381 of 404	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.2	374 of 401	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.4	348 of 396	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.6	358 of 395	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)42nd percentile+20 vs school

Hispanic (2026)38th percentile+15 vs school

Tested Remotely (2021)31st percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)26th percentile+4 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)23rd percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)22nd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)20th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)12th percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)4th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts22%-18 vs state

Mathematics17%-24 vs state

Civics17%-23 vs state

Science15%-26 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, October 2, 2012

My son has been going there for three years, because he gets epileptic-seizures he was placed on special education. The teachers don't even try to help him understand the materials given. I know as parent we must do all we can to help our children get the best education they need and yes because I get seizures and was never able to finish school myself Im not the best at it. But I be Damn if I let another year of his life go to waste because of this institution. I placed my trust and my Childs education on this school to help him but he comes home dissatisfied and sad most of the time because they show very little interest in teaching him and because they lack the teaching tools and experience to help him understand the material or homework. I so want to make a difference in my Childs life so that he can excel in school, he is a bright child and talented and he feels like I feel a big let down. Im putting all efforts to bring him to where he wants to be in life not because I see more in him but because he sees more in him then they can. If anyone is having the same issues please write something about your experience maybe is not our children failing school but the school failing our children. Close Quote

Schools Near Athol-Royalston Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2026)					MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2026)					MCAS Next Generation Science (2026)			MCAS Next Generation Civics (2026)	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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Civics 8th Grade	Total
Athol-Royalston Middle School	Public	5-8	1062 Pleasant Street	Athol	01331	Worcester County	Athol-Royalston	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 249-2430	446	35	12.9	62.1%	321 (72.0%)	14 (3.1%)	89 (20.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.7%)	22.6	371^st of 478 public middle schools	22.4%		22.4	373^rd of 484 public middle schools	22.9%	2	13.5	28.1	29.6	17.4	21.9	6.3	20.0	12.0	33.3	17.3	12.9	17.2	15.1	17.1	$17,365
Narragansett Middle	Public	5-7	460 Baldwinville Rd	Baldwinville	01436	Worcester County	Narragansett	No	No	No	No	(978) 939-5928	366	25	14.4	34.2%	304 (83.1%)	7 (1.9%)	40 (10.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	30.6	322^nd of 478 public middle schools	32.6%		34.1	297^th of 484 public middle schools	38.6%	25	35.3	25.9	33.9		31.6	29.4	24.3	25.4		26.3	34.3		34.3		$16,659
Gardner Middle School	Public	5-7	297 Catherine Street	Gardner	01440	Worcester County	Gardner	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 632-1603	514	39	13.2	65.8%	293 (57.0%)	22 (4.3%)	163 (31.7%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.3%)	15.5	410^th of 478 public middle schools	14.2%		16.2	414^th of 484 public middle schools	14.5%	4	21.4	12.7	14.9		16.4	19.8	22.2	19.1		20.4	19.2		19.2		$18,864
Murdock Middle School	Public	6-8	3 Memorial Drive	Winchendon	01475	Worcester County	Winchendon	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 297-1256	281	19	14.5	52.7%	230 (81.9%)	6 (2.1%)	28 (10.0%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.2%)	29.5	329^th of 478 public middle schools	31.2%		30.8	322^nd of 484 public middle schools	33.5%	7		39.8	21.4	32.5	31.0		17.1	16.1	18.8	17.3		30.8	30.8	32.5	$16,923
Quabbin Regional Middle School	Public	6-8	800 South Street	Barre	01005	Worcester County	Quabbin	No	No	No	No	(978) 355-4651	510	35	14.7	34.9%	435 (85.3%)	12 (2.4%)	38 (7.5%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.9%)	26.3	343^rd of 478 public middle schools	28.2%		35.2	290^th of 484 public middle schools	40.1%	53		30.8	19.2	25.9	25.2		27.9	24.1	23.6	25.2		25.2	25.2	22.4	$19,175
Overlook Middle School	Public	6-8	10 Oakmont Drive	Ashburnham	01430	Worcester County	Ashburnham-Westminster	No	No	No	No	(978) 827-1425	576	39	14.7	24.3%	497 (86.3%)	11 (1.9%)	48 (8.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	59.7	171^st of 478 public middle schools	64.2%		56.3	190^th of 484 public middle schools	60.7%	19		46.0	45.7	45.0	45.6		44.7	39.8	39.1	41.0		42.2	42.2	42.2	$16,097
Great Falls Middle	Public	6-8	224 Turnpike Rd	Montague	01351	Franklin County	Gill-Montague	No	No	No	No	(413) 863-7300	228	23	9.7	53.1%	174 (76.3%)	4 (1.8%)	36 (15.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.8%)	25.7	349^th of 478 public middle schools	27.0%		18.4	402^nd of 484 public middle schools	16.9%	53		24.1	22.6	19.0	21.5		3.8	25.8	32.1	22.5		23.5	23.5	30.4	$23,937
Central Tree Middle	Public	6-8	99 Rutland Heights Way	Rutland	01543	Worcester County	Wachusett	No	No	No	No	(508) 886-0073	369	27	13.7	18.7%	301 (81.6%)	21 (5.7%)	29 (7.9%)	9 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	75	102^nd of 478 public middle schools	78.7%		70.4	129^th of 484 public middle schools	73.3%	27		43.1	38.8	53.2	44.9		58.2	48.3	62.4	56.1		64.2	64.2	62.6	$16,347
Greenfield Middle	Public	5-7	195 Federal Street	Greenfield	01301	Franklin County	Greenfield	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 772-1360	325	29	11.3	62.8%	221 (68.0%)	19 (5.8%)	65 (20.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.6%)	25.2	356^th of 478 public middle schools	25.5%		27.3	338^th of 484 public middle schools	30.2%	18	28.0	25.0	30.4		27.7	21.7	22.0	20.0		21.3	30.5		30.5		$25,120

Frequently Asked Questions about Athol-Royalston Middle School

Is Athol-Royalston Middle School a good school?

Athol-Royalston Middle School ranks in the bottom 22.4% of Massachusetts middle schools.

What district is Athol-Royalston Middle School in?

Athol-Royalston

What high school do graduates of Athol-Royalston Middle School attend?

Students who attend Athol-Royalston Middle School usually go on to attend Athol High

What is the racial makeup of Athol-Royalston Middle School?

Students at Athol-Royalston Middle School are 72% White, 20% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

How many students attend Athol-Royalston Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 446 students attended Athol-Royalston Middle School.

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2013–14 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 20, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 MCAS Next Generation test scoresSep 29, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataMay 8, 2025

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