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Alexander B Bruce

Public Grades 3-8
412th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools
Better than 14% of Massachusetts middle schools
Summary

Alexander B Bruce is a public school in Lawrence, Massachusetts, serving grades 3–8 with 462 students. One thing to know up front: most Lawrence middle schools serve grades 5–8, so Bruce's results include 3rd and 4th graders that neighboring schools do not test. In 2025–2026 the school ranked 412th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools — the 14th percentile, or 1 star — while the Lawrence district ranked 337th of 351 districts statewide. The school's percentile has mostly hovered between 12 and 20 in recent years, with no sustained improvement since a high point of 28 in 2016–2017.

Proficiency rates are low across the board. In 2025–2026, Bruce students scored 15.38% proficient in ELA, 16.75% in math, 19.05% in science, and 11.25% in 8th-grade civics, compared with roughly 40–41% statewide in each subject. Within Lawrence, Bruce is in the lower-middle tier: it clearly outperforms Francis M Leahy Middle and Arlington Middle School, and beats Henry K. Oliver Middle School in math and science, but trails Spark Academy, Parthum Middle School, Frost Middle School, and Guilmette Middle School in most core subjects. A few miles away, Andover West Middle and Wood Hill Middle School in Andover post proficiency rates roughly three times higher, and North Andover Middle runs about 30 points ahead in ELA and math.

The clearest bright spot is the school's English Language Learner program, which ranked in the 88th percentile statewide with 4 stars in 2025–2026, up from the 60th percentile two years earlier — remarkable for a school ranking in the 14th percentile overall. Weak points include 5th-grade ELA (5.97% versus the district's 14.18%), 6th-grade math (10.53% versus 18.22%), and 8th-grade civics (11.25%). Notably, Bruce spends more per student and has a lower (more favorable) student-teacher ratio than several nearby Lawrence schools that outperform it, so resources alone do not explain the results.

462
Students ?
11.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
$24,293
Per pupil spending ?
93.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 135 Butler Street
       Lawrence, MA  01841

(978) 975-5935

District: Lawrence


Students who attend Alexander B Bruce usually attend:

High:    Lawrence High School

Feeder schools for Alexander B Bruce:

Elementary:    James F Hennessey
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
94.8%
African American:
2.6%
White:
1.5%
more
 See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

 Compare Alexander B Bruce to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 13th percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026
Strengths
✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Massachusetts average (16% vs 41% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)
!Civics scores 29 pts below the Massachusetts average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school16%
District avg17%
Massachusetts avg41%
Elementary school
834th of 899
Massachusetts public elementary schools ?
Bottom 7%▼ down 8 pts since 2016
From bottom 15% (2016) to bottom 7% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
412th of 478
Massachusetts public middle schools ?
Bottom 14%▲ up 1 pts since 2016
See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
5th of 8Middle Schools in the Lawrence
337th of 351Lawrence 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)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202610.5834 of 8997.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202510.6843 of 9067.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202411.9836 of 9168.7%☆☆☆☆☆
202310.8860 of 9287.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20228.0894 of 9324.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202110.1871 of 9366.9%☆☆☆☆☆
201912.6861 of 9428.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201812.2849 of 9349.1%☆☆☆☆☆
201715.5827 of 93811.8%★☆☆☆☆
201619.1793 of 93214.9%★☆☆☆☆
201514.2813 of 91411.1%★☆☆☆☆
20148.5875 of 9265.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20137.7875 of 9285.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20127.6876 of 9305.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20117.0887 of 9244.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20106.7871 of 9205.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20095.5876 of 9093.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20085.4874 of 9083.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20074.2886 of 9112.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20065.0888 of 9112.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20054.0868 of 8872.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20042.9869 of 8821.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20033.0868 of 8841.8%☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202218.5619 of 6727.9%☆☆☆☆☆
202114.3625 of 6321.1%☆☆☆☆☆
201930.5471 of 66529.2%★☆☆☆☆
201821.7575 of 65612.3%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202640.6155 of 29146.7%★★☆☆☆
202538.5169 of 28139.9%★★☆☆☆
202441.0154 of 28245.4%★★☆☆☆
202351.278 of 26470.5%★★★★☆
202236.4170 of 26736.3%★★☆☆☆
202132.1192 of 24020.0%★☆☆☆☆
201931.7178 of 25831.0%★★☆☆☆
201836.8144 of 24441.0%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202611.1806 of 8697.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202512.0799 of 8698.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202412.5815 of 8868.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202312.7803 of 8879.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202210.2848 of 9015.9%☆☆☆☆☆
202110.7837 of 8986.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201914.0816 of 9029.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201816.8785 of 89312.1%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202629.4363 of 47523.6%★☆☆☆☆
202532.0333 of 45827.3%★☆☆☆☆
202435.5288 of 44635.4%★★☆☆☆
202331.1310 of 42026.2%★☆☆☆☆
202222.9354 of 40111.7%★☆☆☆☆
202128.5294 of 37922.4%★☆☆☆☆
201937.2265 of 39833.4%★★☆☆☆
201835.7259 of 37931.7%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202622.6639 of 74213.9%★☆☆☆☆
202521.8647 of 73612.1%★☆☆☆☆
202423.0653 of 76014.1%★☆☆☆☆
202321.9647 of 75714.5%★☆☆☆☆
202216.7720 of 7726.7%☆☆☆☆☆
202123.1602 of 70514.6%★☆☆☆☆
201928.3560 of 70020.0%★☆☆☆☆
201832.9523 of 68523.6%★☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202612.4808 of 8798.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202512.5812 of 8848.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202413.3807 of 8919.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202312.4825 of 8967.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20228.1876 of 9083.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202110.9839 of 9047.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201912.8832 of 9078.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20189.5847 of 8985.7%☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202619.6648 of 7098.6%☆☆☆☆☆
202524.4583 of 71718.7%★☆☆☆☆
202436.1453 of 73138.0%★★☆☆☆
202323.4583 of 70317.1%★☆☆☆☆
202214.4858 of 9055.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202119.6798 of 89410.7%★☆☆☆☆
201926.4741 of 89617.3%★☆☆☆☆
201827.0727 of 88617.9%★☆☆☆☆

Tested In Person

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202110.1864 of 9256.6%☆☆☆☆☆

Tested Remotely

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202118.5346 of 39913.3%★☆☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202615.3412 of 47813.8%★☆☆☆☆
202516.1415 of 48414.3%★☆☆☆☆
202414.6432 of 49312.4%★☆☆☆☆
202317.4416 of 50117.0%★☆☆☆☆
202216.2424 of 49714.7%★☆☆☆☆
202114.1436 of 50113.0%★☆☆☆☆
201920.9398 of 49820.1%★☆☆☆☆
201817.5401 of 48417.1%★☆☆☆☆
201728.0350 of 48728.1%★☆☆☆☆
201615.6421 of 48212.7%★☆☆☆☆
20159.7408 of 4417.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201410.6412 of 4559.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20135.9431 of 4555.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20127.5424 of 4556.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20119.3404 of 44910.0%★☆☆☆☆
20108.1404 of 4346.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20096.4387 of 4095.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20087.1386 of 4075.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20077.6379 of 3995.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20066.6376 of 3995.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20056.0338 of 3565.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20044.3334 of 3442.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20035.1328 of 3393.2%☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202220.6408 of 4458.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202118.5415 of 4313.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201916.3407 of 4244.0%☆☆☆☆☆
201824.3341 of 41718.2%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202660.724 of 19387.6%★★★★☆
202552.443 of 18176.2%★★★★☆
202442.672 of 18060.0%★★★☆☆
202332.6137 of 15511.6%★☆☆☆☆
202238.4104 of 15432.5%★★☆☆☆
202132.1126 of 1356.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201933.799 of 13828.3%★☆☆☆☆
201855.229 of 12777.2%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202616.1407 of 46813.0%★☆☆☆☆
202519.4391 of 47317.3%★☆☆☆☆
202414.1430 of 48110.6%★☆☆☆☆
202319.0403 of 48917.6%★☆☆☆☆
202216.4417 of 49415.6%★☆☆☆☆
202114.1426 of 48311.8%★☆☆☆☆
201919.2400 of 47816.3%★☆☆☆☆
201816.6400 of 46313.6%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202629.8277 of 38327.7%★☆☆☆☆
202531.3258 of 37631.4%★★☆☆☆
202429.4267 of 37829.4%★☆☆☆☆
202333.5235 of 36435.4%★★☆☆☆
202232.3246 of 36833.2%★★☆☆☆
202129.4245 of 33526.9%★☆☆☆☆
201943.8169 of 32247.5%★★☆☆☆
201840.6189 of 30938.8%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202627.2353 of 46123.4%★☆☆☆☆
202524.5369 of 46420.5%★☆☆☆☆
202423.7378 of 46919.4%★☆☆☆☆
202327.6374 of 48122.2%★☆☆☆☆
202227.4375 of 48923.3%★☆☆☆☆
202130.0345 of 46225.3%★☆☆☆☆
201935.8305 of 45232.5%★★☆☆☆
201835.6305 of 43830.4%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202615.3409 of 47013.0%★☆☆☆☆
202515.0416 of 47312.1%★☆☆☆☆
202415.5419 of 48313.3%★☆☆☆☆
202316.9418 of 48914.5%★☆☆☆☆
202216.0430 of 49713.5%★☆☆☆☆
202115.1428 of 48511.8%★☆☆☆☆
201921.9381 of 47820.3%★☆☆☆☆
201819.5385 of 46617.4%★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202626.6329 of 43624.5%★☆☆☆☆
202523.5364 of 43516.3%★☆☆☆☆
202429.8299 of 44132.2%★★☆☆☆
202321.1402 of 4449.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202228.2379 of 50324.7%★☆☆☆☆
202127.6381 of 48922.1%★☆☆☆☆
201936.5317 of 48434.5%★★☆☆☆
201837.6309 of 46733.8%★★☆☆☆

Tested In Person

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
20217.7471 of 4914.1%☆☆☆☆☆

Tested Remotely

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202128.9242 of 33928.6%★☆☆☆☆
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)
Elementary school
English Language Learner (2026)47th percentile+40 vs school
Hispanic (2026)24th percentile+16 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)14th percentile+7 vs school
Tested Remotely (2021)13th percentile+6 vs school
Special Education (2026)9th percentile~ school
Male (2026)8th percentile~ school
Disabled (2022)8th percentile+4 vs school
Female (2026)7th percentile~ school
Tested In Person (2021)7th percentile~ school
Middle school
English Language Learner (2026)88th percentile+74 vs school
Tested Remotely (2021)29th percentile+16 vs school
Hispanic (2026)28th percentile+14 vs school
Special Education (2026)25th percentile+11 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)23rd percentile+10 vs school
Female (2026)13th percentile~ school
Male (2026)13th percentile~ school
Disabled (2022)8th percentile-6 vs school
Tested In Person (2021)4th percentile-9 vs school
By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?
Science19%-22 vs state
Mathematics17%-24 vs state
English Language Arts15%-25 vs state
Civics11%-29 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Alexander B Bruce

In the 2024-25 school year, 462 students attended Alexander B Bruce.

Alexander B Bruce ranks in the bottom 13.8% of Massachusetts middle schools.

Students at Alexander B Bruce are 95% Hispanic, 3% African American, 2% White.

Students who attend Alexander B Bruce usually go on to attend Lawrence High 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.

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