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Paul R Baird Middle

Q: Is Paul R Baird Middle a good school?

Paul R Baird Middle ranks 306 th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

306^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 36% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Paul R Baird Middle is a public middle school in Ludlow, Massachusetts serving grades 6–8 with 513 students, part of the Ludlow district, which ranks 262 of 351 districts statewide (25th percentile, 1 star). The school itself ranks 306 of 478 Massachusetts middle schools in 2025–2026 — 36th percentile, 2 stars. It sits below the state average in every tested subject: ELA 20.68%, math 32.77%, science 35.76%, and 8th-grade civics 29.59%, against state averages near 40% in each. The school has improved modestly, from the 29th percentile in 2020–2021 to the 36th percentile today.

Locally, Paul R Baird Middle is a relative bright spot. Its math, science, and civics results beat nearby Bellamy Middle and Dupont Middle in Chicopee, and far exceed every nearby Springfield middle school, including Kiley Academy, STEM Middle Academy, and the Van Sickle schools. The closest high-performing comparison is Wilbraham Middle in Hampden-Wilbraham, just 2.69 miles away, which ranks 124 of 478 (74th percentile, 4 stars) and outperforms Paul R Baird by roughly 29 points in ELA, 18 in math, 11 in science, and 15 in civics.

Grade by grade, 6th-grade math is the standout at 43.29%, above both district and state, but math slips below state in grades 7 and 8. ELA is the persistent weakness: 11.52% in 6th grade, 18.18% in 7th, and 31.93% in 8th, and it has stayed near 21% school-wide for several years. Students from low-income families rank at the 38th percentile, essentially matching the school overall, while special education students rank at the 28th percentile. Per-pupil spending was $18,374, and the student-teacher ratio was 11.1 — more spending than Wilbraham or Chicopee, but less than most Springfield schools, so resources alone don't explain the results.

513

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,339

Per pupil spending ?

32.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1 Rooney Road
Ludlow, MA 01056-2595

(413) 583-5685

District: Ludlow

Students who attend Paul R Baird Middle usually attend:

High:

Ludlow Senior High

Feeder schools for Paul R Baird Middle:

Elementary:

East Street Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.5%

Hispanic:

20.3%

Two or more races:

2.5%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Paul R Baird Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 27th percentile in 2016 → 36th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Massachusetts average (28% vs 41% meeting standards)

!English Language Arts scores 19 pts below the Massachusetts average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg26%

Massachusetts avg41%

306^th of 478

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Bottom 36%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

262^nd of 351Ludlow 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	33.2	306 of 478	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.7	300 of 484	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.9	292 of 493	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.2	335 of 501	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.3	339 of 497	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.2	355 of 501	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.9	320 of 498	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.7	339 of 484	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.7	316 of 487	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	30.4	352 of 482	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	47.4	233 of 441	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	49.1	247 of 455	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	50.0	243 of 455	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.5	241 of 455	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	51.7	237 of 449	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	40.3	285 of 434	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	50.8	223 of 409	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	50.3	220 of 407	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	52.1	215 of 399	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.7	223 of 399	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.2	249 of 356	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	38.9	228 of 344	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2003	35.1	238 of 339	29.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	25.7	346 of 445	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.1	294 of 431	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.1	340 of 424	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	258 of 417	38.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	27.6	328 of 468	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.9	276 of 473	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.0	287 of 481	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.5	314 of 489	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.1	335 of 494	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.6	353 of 483	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.5	297 of 478	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.6	306 of 463	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	30.0	275 of 383	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.5	209 of 376	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.6	214 of 378	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.8	199 of 364	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.1	304 of 368	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.4	266 of 335	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.6	177 of 322	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.3	227 of 309	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	37.3	287 of 461	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.1	289 of 464	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.5	302 of 469	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.4	352 of 481	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.4	283 of 489	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.7	358 of 462	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.9	296 of 452	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.9	360 of 438	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	38.7	267 of 470	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.2	315 of 473	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.8	293 of 483	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.0	350 of 489	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.5	334 of 497	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.0	342 of 485	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.3	324 of 478	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.4	346 of 466	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	28.1	312 of 436	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.2	313 of 435	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.5	305 of 441	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.4	378 of 444	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.6	332 of 503	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.3	405 of 489	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.9	364 of 484	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.7	411 of 467	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	31.7	330 of 491	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	22.2	278 of 339	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	24.6	301 of 393	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.8	308 of 386	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.0	292 of 392	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	339 of 403	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.0	335 of 404	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.8	350 of 401	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.7	325 of 396	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.0	335 of 395	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2026)43rd percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)33rd percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)30th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)28th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)28th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2022)22nd percentile-10 vs school

Tested Remotely (2021)18th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science36%-5 vs state

Mathematics33%-8 vs state

Civics30%-10 vs state

English Language Arts21%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Paul R Baird Middle

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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 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 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Civics 8th Grade	Total
Paul R Baird Middle	Public	6-8	1 Rooney Road	Ludlow	01056	Hampden County	Ludlow	No	No	No	No	(413) 583-5685	513	46	11.1	32.5%	377 (73.5%)	12 (2.3%)	104 (20.3%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.5%)	33.2	306^th of 478 public middle schools	36.0%		33.7	300^th of 484 public middle schools	38.0%	6	11.5	18.2	31.9	20.7	43.3	28.5	26.2	32.8	35.8	35.8	29.6	$19,339
Wilbraham Middle	Public	6-8	466 Stony Hill Road	Wilbraham	01095	Hampden County	Hampden-Wilbraham	No	No	No	No	(413) 596-9061	613	47	13.0	16.3%	490 (79.9%)	19 (3.1%)	56 (9.1%)	19 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	26 (4.2%)	70	124^th of 478 public middle schools	74.1%		67.4	139^th of 484 public middle schools	71.3%	15	49.5	51.1	47.9	49.5	52.4	52.0	49.2	51.2	46.3	46.3	44.9	$18,845
John F Kennedy Middle	Public	6-8	1385 Berkshire Avenue	Springfield	01151	Hampden County	Springfield	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 787-7510	366	39	9.3	82.1%	19 (5.2%)	76 (20.8%)	260 (71.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	6.1	470^th of 478 public middle schools	1.7%		11.2	443^rd of 484 public middle schools	8.5%	27	10.0	6.5	10.1	8.8	6.6	2.9	3.5	4.4	4.6	4.6	3.6	$29,260
Kiley Academy	Public	6-8	180 Cooley Street	Springfield	01128	Hampden County	Springfield	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 787-7240	268	24	11.0		30 (11.2%)	54 (20.1%)	166 (61.9%)	5 (1.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.5%)	15.9	407^th of 478 public middle schools	14.9%		8.2	464^th of 484 public middle schools	4.1%	57	18.0	26.4	29.0	24.3	20.0	8.2	14.3	14.2	6.4	6.4	9.1	$30,424
Kiley Prep	Public	6-8	180 Cooley Street	Springfield	01128	Hampden County	Springfield	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 787-7240	298	25	11.8		28 (9.4%)	76 (25.5%)	177 (59.4%)	6 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.4%)	7.9	459^th of 478 public middle schools	4.0%		7.2	474^th of 484 public middle schools	2.1%	15	12.8	13.3	12.6	12.9	4.6	5.1	5.9	5.2	7.2	7.2	6.1	$27,431
STEM Middle Academy	Public	6-8	60 Alton Street	Springfield	01109	Hampden County	Springfield	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 787-6750	269	24	11.1	79.8%	38 (14.1%)	36 (13.4%)	176 (65.4%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.1%)	13.4	424^th of 478 public middle schools	11.3%		13	430^th of 484 public middle schools	11.2%	6	25.3	22.2	20.5	22.7	8.0	10.1	8.6	8.9	10.1	10.1	8.6	$24,980
Van Sickle Academy	Public	6-8	1170 Carew Street	Springfield	01104	Hampden County	Springfield	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 750-2887	262	23	11.4		21 (8.0%)	24 (9.2%)	205 (78.2%)	6 (2.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	12.7	430^th of 478 public middle schools	10.0%		20.5	387^th of 484 public middle schools	20.0%	43	13.3	13.6	25.0	17.5	5.6	10.6	10.7	8.8	12.9	12.9	17.9	$30,154
Van Sickle Prep	Public	6-8	1170 Carew Street	Springfield	01104	Hampden County	Springfield	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 750-2887	206	18	11.4		16 (7.8%)	40 (19.4%)	146 (70.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	10.3	445^th of 478 public middle schools	6.9%		14.8	424^th of 484 public middle schools	12.4%	21	12.5	16.7	17.0	15.3	7.8	1.5	11.9	6.9	6.7	6.7	17.5	$46,489
Bellamy Middle	Public	6-8	314 Pendleton Avenue	Chicopee	01020	Hampden County	Chicopee	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 594-3527	776	81	9.5	69.6%	367 (47.3%)	45 (5.8%)	321 (41.4%)	20 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.0%)	31.7	317^th of 478 public middle schools	33.7%		27.7	335^th of 484 public middle schools	30.8%	18	23.5	29.7	26.1	26.3	28.3	30.0	30.5	29.6	33.9	33.9	23.5	$21,555
Dupont Middle	Public	6-8	650 Front Street	Chicopee	01013	Hampden County	Chicopee	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 594-1881	683	72	9.5	63.1%	291 (42.6%)	42 (6.1%)	316 (46.3%)	14 (2.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.6%)	27	338^th of 478 public middle schools	29.3%		30	324^th of 484 public middle schools	33.1%	14	28.5	17.8	29.9	25.5	27.1	15.2	26.8	23.1	32.9	32.9	23.1	$22,637

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul R Baird Middle

How many students attend Paul R Baird Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 513 students attended Paul R Baird Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Paul R Baird Middle?

Students at Paul R Baird Middle are 73% White, 20% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What district is Paul R Baird Middle in?

Ludlow

Is Paul R Baird Middle a good school?

Paul R Baird Middle ranks 306^th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Paul R Baird Middle attend?

Students who attend Paul R Baird Middle usually go on to attend Ludlow Senior High

Rate Paul R Baird Middle!

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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.