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Justus C. Richardson Middle School

Q: Is Justus C. Richardson Middle School a good school?

Justus C. Richardson Middle School ranks 195 th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

195^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 59% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Justus C. Richardson Middle School is the public middle school for Dracut, Massachusetts, located at 1570 Lakeview Ave and serving grades 6 through 8 with 916 students — the largest enrollment of any middle school in this comparison group, and roughly 2.3 times the size of Tyngsborough Middle.

Academically, Richardson performs right at the state average: 40.59% proficient in ELA and 40.79% in math in 2025-2026, essentially matching Massachusetts (40.03 and 41.11). That places it clearly ahead of most Lowell middle schools, including James Sullivan Middle School, Henry J Robinson Middle and B.F. Butler Middle School, but behind both Chelmsford schools, Col Moses Parker School and McCarthy Middle School. Science is the clear weak spot — about 9 points below the state average and well behind Tyngsborough Middle — with no measurable improvement over four years. Eighth-grade civics is a relative strength at 43.52, third among the nearby schools reporting. Within grades, 7th-grade math (33.88, below the state) is the softest spot, while 6th-grade math and 7th-grade ELA sit above state averages.

The school's defining feature is efficiency: it spends $12,345 per pupil, thousands less than every comparable nearby school, and carries one of the highest student-teacher ratios in the group at 14.5 to 1 — yet still matches the state in reading and math. Richardson has climbed from the 28th percentile in 2015-2016 to the 59th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026, its best mark since 2016-2017, and it outperforms its own district's standing — Dracut ranks at the 40th percentile of districts — by roughly 19 percentile points. Its strongest relative results come among English language learners and low-income students.

916

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,649

Per pupil spending ?

32.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1570 Lakeview Ave
Dracut, MA 01826

(978) 957-3330

District: Dracut

Students who attend Justus C. Richardson Middle School usually attend:

High:

Dracut Senior High

Feeder schools for Justus C. Richardson Middle School:

Elementary:	Brookside Elementary
	George H. Englesby Elementary School
	Greenmont Avenue
	Joseph A Campbell Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.4%

Hispanic:

15.7%

Asian:

12.0%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Justus C. Richardson Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 28th percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Massachusetts median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 11 pts below the Massachusetts average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Massachusetts avg41%

195^th of 478

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Top 41%▲ up 31 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to top 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

212^th of 351Dracut 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	52.9	195 of 478	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.6	208 of 484	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.2	246 of 493	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.1	264 of 501	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.4	255 of 497	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.2	239 of 501	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.7	240 of 498	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.6	224 of 484	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	58.8	193 of 487	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	31.9	345 of 482	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	43.2	259 of 441	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	33.9	320 of 455	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	30.5	335 of 455	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	26.8	345 of 455	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.1	330 of 449	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	32.9	316 of 434	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	31.6	298 of 409	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	33.9	283 of 407	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	43.3	255 of 399	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	44.0	248 of 399	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	37.9	239 of 356	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2004	37.1	236 of 344	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2003	33.6	242 of 339	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	82.0	21 of 215	90.2%	★★★★★
2025	49.0	91 of 206	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.1	66 of 202	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.2	121 of 209	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	73.6	32 of 212	84.9%	★★★★☆
2021	61.2	50 of 193	74.1%	★★★★☆
2019	68.3	43 of 195	77.9%	★★★★☆
2018	86.3	12 of 172	93.0%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	111 of 131	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.6	104 of 127	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.4	106 of 120	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.3	118 of 134	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.1	102 of 135	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	108 of 123	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.3	88 of 128	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.2	94 of 119	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	37.7	235 of 445	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.7	254 of 431	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	205 of 424	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.7	215 of 417	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	87.3	5 of 193	97.4%	★★★★★
2025	63.0	19 of 181	89.5%	★★★★★
2024	69.4	17 of 180	90.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	55.2	186 of 468	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.2	208 of 473	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.6	228 of 481	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.8	238 of 489	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.6	233 of 494	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.2	244 of 483	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.6	240 of 478	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.2	229 of 463	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	55.2	135 of 383	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.9	147 of 376	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.9	184 of 378	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.2	106 of 364	70.9%	★★★★☆
2022	50.1	140 of 368	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.5	82 of 335	75.5%	★★★★☆
2019	52.0	140 of 322	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.5	143 of 309	53.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	58.9	149 of 461	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.5	164 of 464	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.5	227 of 469	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.6	267 of 481	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.2	248 of 489	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.9	152 of 462	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.2	201 of 452	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.1	220 of 438	49.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	49.8	207 of 470	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.1	210 of 473	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.7	260 of 483	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.5	283 of 489	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.8	271 of 497	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.9	221 of 485	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.5	234 of 478	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.7	229 of 466	50.9%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	25.3	76 of 112	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	41.0	214 of 436	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.3	175 of 435	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.3	220 of 441	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.0	255 of 444	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.1	286 of 503	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.6	240 of 489	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.0	275 of 484	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.5	245 of 467	47.5%	★★☆☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	54.0	205 of 491	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	25.3	259 of 339	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	228 of 393	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.6	215 of 386	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.7	249 of 392	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.9	277 of 403	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.1	277 of 404	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.9	257 of 401	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.4	268 of 396	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.0	270 of 395	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2026)97th percentile+38 vs school

African American (2026)90th percentile+31 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)68th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)65th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)60th percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)58th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)56th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2026)51st percentile-8 vs school

Disabled (2022)47th percentile~ school

White (2026)42nd percentile-17 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)32nd percentile-27 vs school

Tested Remotely (2021)24th percentile-29 vs school

Asian (2026)15th percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Civics44%+4 vs state

Mathematics41%~ state avg

English Language Arts41%~ state avg

Science30%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Justus C. Richardson 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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2015)	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
Justus C. Richardson Middle School	Public	6-8	1570 Lakeview Ave	Dracut	01826	Middlesex County	Dracut	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 957-3330	916	63	14.5	32.9%	581 (63.4%)	65 (7.1%)	144 (15.7%)	110 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.7%)	52.9	195^th of 478 public middle schools	59.2%		51.6	208^th of 484 public middle schools	57.0%	13		37.3	45.5	38.9	40.6		45.1	33.9	43.5	40.8		30.1	30.1	43.5	$14,649
Dr An Wang School	Public	5-8	365 West Meadow Road	Lowell	01854	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-7683	663	43	15.3	69.7%	175 (26.4%)	47 (7.1%)	270 (40.7%)	141 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.4%)	36.3	285^th of 478 public middle schools	40.4%		33.2	307^th of 484 public middle schools	36.6%	22	23.0	26.2	34.3	32.7	29.2	25.6	33.8	35.8	31.8	31.8	25.0	20.8	22.9	28.6	$20,690
Henry J Robinson Middle	Public	5-8	110 June Street	Lowell	01850	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-8974	600	53	11.4	80.9%	120 (20.0%)	67 (11.2%)	326 (54.3%)	62 (10.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.8%)	16.5	402^nd of 478 public middle schools	15.9%		20.8	385^th of 484 public middle schools	20.5%	17	8.5	14.1	17.3	23.0	16.0	10.8	11.0	13.6	25.0	15.2	13.9	17.9	15.9	16.8	$21,307
Kathryn P. Stoklosa Middle School	Public	5-8	560 Broadway Street	Lowell	01854	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 275-6330	613	48	12.7	88.9%	73 (11.9%)	38 (6.2%)	226 (36.9%)	259 (42.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.4%)	45.8	229^th of 478 public middle schools	52.1%		38.2	281^st of 484 public middle schools	41.9%	52	33.3	31.9	35.8	37.6	34.7	43.2	37.8	38.3	52.3	42.6	26.5	18.5	22.5	34.9	$21,519
Laura Lee Therapeutic Day School	Public	K-8	235 Powell Street	Lowell	01851	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-7655	15	6	2.7	81.3%	5 (33.3%)	1 (6.7%)	7 (46.7%)	1 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.7%)								(n/a)					0.0					0.0					$61,065
James S Daley Middle School	Public	5-8	150 Fleming Street	Lowell	01851	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-8981	669	51	13.2	64.9%	137 (20.5%)	38 (5.7%)	132 (19.7%)	337 (50.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.7%)	73.1	112^th of 478 public middle schools	76.6%		66.3	147^th of 484 public middle schools	69.6%	35	31.6	45.6	44.7	50.0	42.9	34.1	63.8	44.4	62.0	50.8	25.9	49.7	37.5	53.4	$21,507
Tyngsborough Middle	Public	6-8	50 Norris Rd	Tyngsborough	01879	Middlesex County	Tyngsborough	No	No	No	No	(978) 649-3115	395	35	11.3	12.7%	273 (69.1%)	23 (5.8%)	41 (10.4%)	42 (10.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.8%)	57.8	176^th of 478 public middle schools	63.2%		58.7	184^th of 484 public middle schools	62.0%	8		35.1	42.8	40.2	39.7		38.1	47.3	46.2	44.4		52.2	52.2	35.3	$19,905
James Sullivan Middle School	Public	5-8	150 Draper Street	Lowell	01852	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-8993	625	50	12.4	69.3%	189 (30.2%)	34 (5.4%)	309 (49.4%)	72 (11.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.7%)	19.3	393^rd of 478 public middle schools	17.8%		25.8	352^nd of 484 public middle schools	27.3%	41	18.9	20.3	21.0	15.8	19.1	29.7	20.2	23.7	29.3	25.6	26.8	12.7	19.5	12.3	$21,916
B.F. Butler Middle School	Public	5-8	1140 Gorham Street	Lowell	01852	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-8973	516	39	13.1	76.2%	94 (18.2%)	35 (6.8%)	213 (41.3%)	154 (29.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.7%)	37.8	274^th of 478 public middle schools	42.7%		33.5	304^th of 484 public middle schools	37.2%	30	18.9	16.4	31.5	42.5	27.3	26.1	33.6	20.3	52.8	32.5	25.2	33.0	29.0	22.6	$21,153
McCarthy Middle School	Public	7-8	250 North Rd	Chelmsford	01824	Middlesex County	Chelmsford	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 251-5122	808	65	12.4	11.6%	509 (63.0%)	36 (4.5%)	63 (7.8%)	164 (20.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (4.2%)	79.8	88^th of 478 public middle schools	81.6%		77.8	97^th of 484 public middle schools	80.0%	9			48.4	58.2	53.3			51.0	59.6	55.2		62.8	62.8	52.5	$17,715

Frequently Asked Questions about Justus C. Richardson Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Justus C. Richardson Middle School?

Students at Justus C. Richardson Middle School are 63% White, 16% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 7% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Is Justus C. Richardson Middle School a good school?

Justus C. Richardson Middle School ranks 195^th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Justus C. Richardson Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 916 students attended Justus C. Richardson Middle School.

What district is Justus C. Richardson Middle School in?

Dracut

What high school do graduates of Justus C. Richardson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Justus C. Richardson Middle School usually go on to attend Dracut Senior High

Rate Justus C. Richardson Middle School!

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 MCAS Next Generation test scoresSep 29, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataMay 8, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 1, 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.