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J F Kennedy Middle School

Q: Is J F Kennedy Middle School a good school?

J F Kennedy Middle School ranks 50 th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

50^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 90% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

J F Kennedy Middle School is a public school in Natick, MA serving grades 5–8 with 911 students, part of the Natick district, which ranks 45th of 351 districts statewide. In 2025–2026 it ranked 50th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools — the 90th percentile, with 4 stars. That is up from 61st the year before, but below its 5-star peak in 2021–2022 through 2023–2024, when it ranked around 44th–45th.

Academically, JFK is above the state in all three subjects: ELA 63.75%, Math 70.76%, and Science 60.14%. It beats its district in ELA and Math, while Science sits essentially at the district average (60.31%) and slightly below it. Math is the strongest subject, but Science has slipped steadily — from 65.22% in 2022–2023 to 66.38%, then 63.37%, and now 60.14%. Results also vary by grade: 7th grade is a standout (ELA 71.62%, Math 75.00%), while 5th grade ELA is a relative weak point at 52.45%, below the district's 57.52%. Compared with neighbors, JFK edges out Wilson Middle in ELA and Math, is above Ashland Middle in both, but trails Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle School, Wellesley Middle, Weston Middle, and Wayland Middle School — especially in Science. Its proficiency rates run roughly two to three times higher than Cameron Middle School, Walsh Middle, and Fuller Middle, and clearly above Christa McAuliffe Charter School.

JFK is a high-value performer. It spends $15,962 per student (2020–2021 data), less than Wilson Middle and most of the higher-spending nearby schools, yet it substantially outperforms the Framingham middle schools. Its student-teacher ratio of 11.1 is higher than Wilson's 9.9, which may be worth asking about on a tour. Effectiveness rankings are strong for English language learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students (around the 87th–88th percentile), with low-income student effectiveness improving recently. Overall, JFK is a solid, above-district choice with strong Math and ELA, an excellent 7th grade, and Science plus 5th grade ELA as the areas to watch.

911

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,451

Per pupil spending ?

13.9%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

165 Mill Street
Natick, MA 01760

(508) 647-6650

District: Natick

Students who attend J F Kennedy Middle School usually attend:

High:

Natick High

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.5%

Asian:

10.8%

Hispanic:

10.0%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare J F Kennedy Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 93rd percentile in 2016 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (66% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of Massachusetts middle schools

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg63%

Massachusetts avg41%

50^th of 478

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Top 10%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 7% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Natick

45^th of 351Natick 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	90.9	50 of 478	89.5%	★★★★☆
2025	88.9	61 of 484	87.4%	★★★★☆
2024	91.5	44 of 493	91.1%	★★★★★
2023	91.8	45 of 501	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	91.6	44 of 497	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	84.8	65 of 501	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	84.9	71 of 498	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	84.6	64 of 484	86.8%	★★★★☆
2017	82.6	70 of 487	85.6%	★★★★☆
2016	87.2	34 of 482	92.9%	★★★★★
2015	84.1	54 of 441	87.8%	★★★★☆
2014	82.1	72 of 455	84.2%	★★★★☆
2013	84.6	52 of 455	88.6%	★★★★☆
2012	82.4	74 of 455	83.7%	★★★★☆
2011	86.3	39 of 449	91.3%	★★★★★
2010	84.7	56 of 434	87.1%	★★★★☆
2009	80.8	73 of 409	82.2%	★★★★☆
2008	82.4	74 of 407	81.8%	★★★★☆
2007	78.9	86 of 399	78.4%	★★★★☆
2006	76.4	91 of 399	77.2%	★★★★☆
2005	66.1	120 of 356	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	75.6	89 of 344	74.1%	★★★★☆
2003	58.5	145 of 339	57.2%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	70.7	45 of 131	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.3	50 of 127	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.1	56 of 120	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.6	47 of 134	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.7	33 of 135	75.6%	★★★★☆
2021	81.3	15 of 123	87.8%	★★★★☆
2019	57.5	67 of 128	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	67.0	45 of 119	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	82.5	43 of 445	90.3%	★★★★★
2021	73.4	62 of 431	85.6%	★★★★☆
2019	66.4	104 of 424	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	54.9	140 of 417	66.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	60.5	25 of 193	87.0%	★★★★☆
2025	88.6	5 of 181	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	42.4	73 of 180	59.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	90.4	45 of 468	90.4%	★★★★★
2025	86.6	67 of 473	85.8%	★★★★☆
2024	90.6	41 of 481	91.5%	★★★★★
2023	90.3	44 of 489	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	90.3	42 of 494	91.5%	★★★★★
2021	83.2	66 of 483	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	82.5	78 of 478	83.7%	★★★★☆
2018	81.2	78 of 463	83.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	77.5	63 of 383	83.6%	★★★★☆
2025	74.6	66 of 376	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	82.4	44 of 378	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	78.7	50 of 364	86.3%	★★★★☆
2022	67.0	84 of 368	77.2%	★★★★☆
2021	70.6	66 of 335	80.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	78.0	59 of 461	87.2%	★★★★☆
2025	67.4	111 of 464	76.1%	★★★★☆
2024	74.3	76 of 469	83.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.4	58 of 481	87.9%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	65 of 489	86.7%	★★★★☆
2021	69.2	100 of 462	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	77.3	65 of 452	85.6%	★★★★☆
2018	78.0	61 of 438	86.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	89.6	50 of 470	89.4%	★★★★☆
2025	88.9	55 of 473	88.4%	★★★★☆
2024	90.7	42 of 483	91.3%	★★★★★
2023	91.3	40 of 489	91.8%	★★★★★
2022	90.5	41 of 497	91.8%	★★★★★
2021	84.6	67 of 485	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	85.0	65 of 478	86.4%	★★★★☆
2018	85.8	54 of 466	88.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	89.4	9 of 112	92.0%	★★★★★
2025	78.7	25 of 116	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	84.9	16 of 98	83.7%	★★★★☆
2023	72.9	33 of 110	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	73.9	27 of 102	73.5%	★★★★☆
2021	61.1	31 of 92	66.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	79.5	52 of 436	88.1%	★★★★☆
2025	72.8	76 of 435	82.5%	★★★★☆
2024	71.3	79 of 441	82.1%	★★★★☆
2023	87.2	30 of 444	93.2%	★★★★★
2022	73.6	73 of 503	85.5%	★★★★☆
2021	64.1	116 of 489	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	61.7	133 of 484	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	62.4	129 of 467	72.4%	★★★★☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	84.1	67 of 491	86.4%	★★★★☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	89.9	31 of 339	90.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	84.0	54 of 393	86.3%	★★★★☆
2025	81.8	64 of 386	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	86.3	45 of 392	88.5%	★★★★☆
2023	88.1	40 of 403	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	86.5	44 of 404	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	75.3	70 of 401	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	80.1	65 of 396	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	76.1	72 of 395	81.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Multi-racial (2026)92nd percentile~ school

Tested Remotely (2021)91st percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)90th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)90th percentile~ school

Male (2026)89th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)88th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)87th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)87th percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)86th percentile~ school

White (2026)86th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)84th percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2026)66th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics71%+30 vs state

Civics65%+25 vs state

English Language Arts64%+24 vs state

Science60%+19 vs state

3.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Huge

by a citizen
Wednesday, January 30, 2019

My cousin attends Kennedy, and he frequently vents to me about his seemingly incessant issues with racism and bullying at the school. On an almost weekly basis, he complains about one of his peers making some derogatory reference to his race or black people in general. Naturally, you would expect this to infuriate him, but it doesn't. Rather, he has grown resigned to the idea that no matter how often this is brought to the attention of the administration, nothing happens. There is neither a concerted effort at conflict resolution/remediation, nor are the offenders punished accordingly. I think black men everywhere who have been raised in predominantly white communities will have experienced how toxic and hostile an environment it can seem at times -- particularly those of us who were privileged enough to attend schools with relatively rigorous academic programs. It is especially disappointing because here you have a talented young mind who is capable of doing GREAT things, but day after day of relentless harassment will teach him not only to hate going to school, but can possibly even teach him to hate white people, or society in general. Kennedy Middle School fails to realize their role as educators of the mind, body and spirit of their students. Their negligence has resulted in numerous physical altercations, but more pressingly, threatens to result in an overtly hostile, aggressive, and intolerant community. Close Quote

Schools Near J F Kennedy 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
J F Kennedy Middle School	Public	5-8	165 Mill Street	Natick	01760	Middlesex County	Natick	No	No	No	No	(508) 647-6650	911	82	11.1	13.9%	642 (70.5%)	19 (2.1%)	91 (10.0%)	98 (10.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (6.6%)	90.9	50^th of 478 public middle schools	89.5%		88.9	61^st of 484 public middle schools	87.4%	11	52.5	68.2	71.6	61.6	63.8	70.0	71.8	75.0	65.9	70.8	64.5	55.9	60.1	64.9	$19,451
Christa McAuliffe Charter School	Public, Charter	6-8	139 Newbury Street	Framingham	01701	Middlesex County	Christa McAuliffe Charter School (District)	Yes	No	No	Yes	(508) 879-9000	284	29	9.7	47.9%	122 (43.0%)	23 (8.1%)	99 (34.9%)	5 (1.8%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (9.2%)	36.9	282^nd of 478 public middle schools	41.0%		41.6	257^th of 484 public middle schools	46.9%	25		22.4	25.0	41.4	28.6		28.8	17.6	37.7	27.9		29.4	29.4	52.9	$23,053
Wilson Middle	Public	5-8	22 Rutledge Rd	Natick	01760	Middlesex County	Natick	No	No	No	No	(508) 647-6670	727	73	9.9	12.7%	503 (69.2%)	27 (3.7%)	66 (9.1%)	83 (11.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (6.5%)	88.8	59^th of 478 public middle schools	87.7%		90.7	52^nd of 484 public middle schools	89.3%	7	66.3	62.1	57.5	62.8	62.1	73.3	73.5	66.9	66.3	69.9	70.3	54.7	62.1	69.6	$21,613
Fuller Middle	Public	6-8	31 Flagg Drive	Framingham	01701	Middlesex County	Framingham	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 620-4956	592	69	8.5	68.6%	168 (28.4%)	37 (6.3%)	338 (57.1%)	16 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.6%)	21.8	377^th of 478 public middle schools	21.1%		18.8	396^th of 484 public middle schools	18.2%	19		22.0	23.6	25.6	23.9		18.9	18.3	14.8	17.2		20.5	20.5	28.0	$27,199
Wayland Middle School	Public	6-8	201 Main Street	Wayland	01778	Middlesex County	Wayland	No	No	No	No	(508) 358-3801	662	59	11.2	7.4%	475 (71.8%)	26 (3.9%)	40 (6.0%)	80 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (6.0%)	97.1	9^th of 478 public middle schools	98.1%		97.3	3^rd of 484 public middle schools	99.4%	6		69.3	75.5	79.0	74.9		80.6	75.5	84.1	80.4		78.5	78.5	81.5	$21,767
Cameron Middle School	Public	6-8	215 Elm Street	Framingham	01701	Middlesex County	Framingham	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 879-2290	592	54	11.0	63.7%	227 (38.3%)	54 (9.1%)	264 (44.6%)	18 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.9%)	17.3	400^th of 478 public middle schools	16.3%		15.9	416^th of 484 public middle schools	14.0%	16		12.4	17.0	21.7	17.4		11.0	17.1	24.1	17.9		16.1	16.1	22.0	$25,448
Walsh Middle	Public	6-8	301 Brook Street	Framingham	01701	Middlesex County	Framingham	No	No	No	No	(508) 626-9180	785	74	10.6	45.5%	304 (38.7%)	48 (6.1%)	357 (45.5%)	34 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.1%)	37.4	278^th of 478 public middle schools	41.8%		42.2	251^st of 484 public middle schools	48.1%	27		30.8	28.8	31.2	30.2		25.3	31.0	35.1	30.5		35.8	35.8	33.5	$24,464
Wellesley Middle	Public	6-8	50 Kingsbury Street	Wellesley	02481	Norfolk County	Wellesley	No	No	No	No	(781) 446-6235	919	102	8.9	7.7%	559 (60.8%)	42 (4.6%)	64 (7.0%)	180 (19.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (7.9%)	97.2	7^th of 478 public middle schools	98.5%		96.2	12^th of 484 public middle schools	97.5%	5		72.5	72.1	81.4	75.4		82.9	78.5	81.5	81.0		78.6	78.6	77.6	$29,465
Weston Middle	Public	6-8	456 Wellesley Street	Weston	02493	Middlesex County	Weston	No	No	No	No	(781) 786-5600	451	41	11.0	8.6%	242 (53.7%)	27 (6.0%)	35 (7.8%)	122 (27.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.1%)	97.2	8^th of 478 public middle schools	98.3%		96	14^th of 484 public middle schools	97.1%	6		81.0	78.0	75.6	78.2		79.6	76.2	77.9	77.9		77.9	77.9	77.2	$32,580
Ashland Middle	Public	6-8	87 West Union Street	Ashland	01721	Middlesex County	Ashland	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 881-0167	685	59	11.6	23.4%	377 (55.0%)	26 (3.8%)	139 (20.3%)	110 (16.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (4.4%)	84.4	72^nd of 478 public middle schools	84.9%		84.8	74^th of 484 public middle schools	84.7%	2		51.2	47.3	70.5	56.5		60.2	59.9	66.4	62.3		64.3	64.3	62.7	$15,841

Frequently Asked Questions about J F Kennedy Middle School

What high school do graduates of J F Kennedy Middle School attend?

Students who attend J F Kennedy Middle School usually go on to attend Natick High

What district is J F Kennedy Middle School in?

Natick

How many students attend J F Kennedy Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 911 students attended J F Kennedy Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of J F Kennedy Middle School?

Students at J F Kennedy Middle School are 70% White, 11% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Is J F Kennedy Middle School a good school?

J F Kennedy Middle School ranks 50^th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate J F Kennedy 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.