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Nissitissit Middle School

Q: Is Nissitissit Middle School a good school?

Nissitissit Middle School ranks 203 rd of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

203^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 58% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Nissitissit Middle School is a grades 5–8 school in Pepperell, MA, serving 494 students as part of the North Middlesex district. In 2025–2026 it ranks 203rd of 478 Massachusetts middle schools (58th percentile, 3 stars), placing it well above its district's overall standing — the district ranks 229th of 351 (35th percentile, 2 stars). It is the stronger of the district's two middle schools.

Its subject profile is unusual. Science is the relative strength: 43.95% of students met expectations, above the district (36.57%) and the state (40.98%). ELA is near the state average (40.82% vs. 40.03%). Math is a clear weakness at 35.58%, below the state's 41.11% and essentially tied with the district. Civics is the weakest area at 29.57% — more than 10 points below the state's 39.77% and below nearly every nearby school with civics data. Compared with neighbors, Nissitissit far outperforms Hawthorne Brook in the same district by roughly 11–14 points in every subject, and edges Sky View Middle School in ELA and science. But it trails Tyngsborough Middle, Ayer Shirley Regional Middle School, Lunenburg Middle School, Groton Dunstable Regional Middle, Littleton Middle School, Blanchard Middle, and Stony Brook School in most or all subjects.

The trend is positive but incomplete: the school fell from the 84th percentile in 2017–2018 to the 50th in 2023–2024, then rebounded to 55th and now 58th. ELA scores climb by grade (36.09% in 5th to 47.83% in 8th), and 6th-grade math (44.17%) beats the state, while grades 5, 7, and 8 lag. Resources are favorable — a 10.5 student–teacher ratio, the lowest among nearby schools, and $17,368 per-student spending in 2020–2021. Female students (61st percentile) and low-socioeconomic-status students (65th) rank above the school overall; special education results hold steady near the 52nd percentile. Free/reduced-price lunch data is not reported. Note that Nissitissit includes 5th grade while several comparison schools start at 6th, which can slightly lower its all-grade averages.

494

Students ?

10.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,755

Per pupil spending ?

18.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

33 Chace Avenue
Pepperell, MA 01463

(978) 743-1007

District: North Middlesex

Students who attend Nissitissit Middle School usually attend:

High:

North Middlesex Regional

Feeder schools for Nissitissit Middle School:

Elementary:

Varnum Brook

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.7%

Hispanic:

11.5%

Two or more races:

4.7%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Nissitissit Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 63rd percentile in 2016 → 58th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Massachusetts median (58th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

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

!Civics scores 10 pts below the Massachusetts average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg35%

Massachusetts avg41%

203^rd of 478

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Top 42%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the North Middlesex

229^th of 351North Middlesex 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	51.7	203 of 478	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.9	217 of 484	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.7	248 of 493	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.3	170 of 501	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.2	159 of 497	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.7	140 of 501	72.1%	★★★★☆
2019	75.9	122 of 498	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	81.5	79 of 484	83.7%	★★★★☆
2017	75.4	115 of 487	76.4%	★★★★☆
2016	64.1	177 of 482	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.1	158 of 441	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	65.0	164 of 455	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.1	187 of 455	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.5	165 of 455	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.8	198 of 449	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.5	145 of 434	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	68.7	135 of 409	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.3	149 of 407	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.7	129 of 399	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	69.3	120 of 399	69.9%	★★★★☆
2005	77.6	81 of 356	77.2%	★★★★☆
2004	70.7	105 of 344	69.5%	★★★★☆
2003	73.9	90 of 339	73.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	47.0	171 of 445	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.7	213 of 431	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.8	64 of 424	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	86.7	31 of 417	92.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	55.8	182 of 468	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.4	250 of 473	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.6	279 of 481	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.2	203 of 489	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.0	171 of 494	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.3	142 of 483	70.6%	★★★★☆
2019	75.8	110 of 478	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	81.8	74 of 463	84.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	57.6	128 of 383	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.3	203 of 376	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.4	152 of 378	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.1	98 of 364	73.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	162 of 461	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.3	254 of 464	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	246 of 469	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	66.2	122 of 481	74.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.8	89 of 489	81.8%	★★★★☆
2021	74.3	67 of 462	85.5%	★★★★☆
2019	71.0	87 of 452	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	74.4	75 of 438	82.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	47.2	218 of 470	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.7	194 of 473	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.1	217 of 483	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.7	143 of 489	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	64.6	152 of 497	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.1	134 of 485	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	73.0	123 of 478	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	80.7	78 of 466	83.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	59.7	35 of 102	65.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	41.5	210 of 436	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.3	213 of 435	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.9	217 of 441	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.5	221 of 444	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.3	180 of 503	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.4	192 of 489	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.2	161 of 484	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.2	97 of 467	79.2%	★★★★☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	65.6	152 of 491	69.0%	★★★☆☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	78.2	65 of 339	80.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	36.4	234 of 393	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.6	241 of 386	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.7	266 of 392	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.4	193 of 403	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.8	190 of 404	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.5	166 of 401	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.8	130 of 396	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.9	79 of 395	80.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Tested Remotely (2021)81st percentile+9 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)69th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)67th percentile+9 vs school

Multi-racial (2022)66th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)65th percentile+7 vs school

Disabled (2022)62nd percentile-6 vs school

Female (2026)61st percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)54th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2026)52nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)40th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science44%+3 vs state

English Language Arts41%~ state avg

Mathematics36%-6 vs state

Civics30%-10 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, October 18, 2012

Best middle school in the world. Great teachers, great students, great building, and you learn a lot there, too. The technology in the building is great, it being a fairly new school (10 years old). Anyone even considering going to Nissitissit should definitely go there, or at least look into it more. I recently graduated from NMS and would give anything to go back. NMS you rock! Close Quote

Schools Near Nissitissit 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
Nissitissit Middle School	Public	5-8	33 Chace Avenue	Pepperell	01463	Middlesex County	North Middlesex	No	No	No	No	(978) 743-1007	494	47	10.5	18.5%	384 (77.7%)	13 (2.6%)	57 (11.5%)	13 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (4.7%)	51.7	203^rd of 478 public middle schools	57.5%		49.9	217^th of 484 public middle schools	55.2%	14	36.1	37.2	43.0	47.8	40.8	31.6	44.2	33.1	33.9	35.6	45.1	42.6	44.0	29.6	$18,755
Groton Dunstable Regional Middle	Public	5-8	346 Main Street	Groton	01450	Middlesex County	Groton-Dunstable	No	No	No	No	(978) 448-6155	739	57	12.8	7.4%	586 (79.3%)	12 (1.6%)	31 (4.2%)	71 (9.6%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	34 (4.6%)	76.7	98^th of 478 public middle schools	79.5%		83	79^th of 484 public middle schools	83.7%	19	44.9	50.0	56.5	52.9	51.1	50.6	47.1	66.7	54.9	55.0	65.0	59.2	62.1	46.8	$20,944
Hawthorne Brook	Public	4-8	64 Brookline Rd	Townsend	01469	Middlesex County	North Middlesex	No	No	No	No	(978) 597-6914	449	37	12.0	21.0%	374 (83.3%)	15 (3.3%)	40 (8.9%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.9%)	29.6	328^th of 478 public middle schools	31.4%		41.6	256^th of 484 public middle schools	47.1%	72	24.4	29.5	19.4	35.2	27.1	23.5	6.7	32.3	37.0	24.8	34.2	26.2	30.3	18.9	$19,261
Blanchard Middle	Public	6-8	14 West Street	Westford	01886	Middlesex County	Westford	No	No	No	No	(978) 692-5582	541	45	12.0	7.1%	304 (56.2%)	11 (2.0%)	22 (4.1%)	200 (37.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	89	58^th of 478 public middle schools	87.9%		93.9	29^th of 484 public middle schools	94.0%	29		54.2	60.8	65.9	60.2		58.4	71.9	71.2	67.2		71.6	71.6	67.9	$18,034
Stony Brook School	Public	6-8	9 Farmer Way	Westford	01886	Middlesex County	Westford	No	No	No	No	(978) 692-2708	546	42	12.9	6.0%	353 (64.7%)	8 (1.5%)	17 (3.1%)	160 (29.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.1%)	91.2	48^th of 478 public middle schools	90.0%		92.6	39^th of 484 public middle schools	91.9%	9		62.6	56.0	63.2	60.6		71.3	75.4	76.3	74.3		68.9	68.9	67.2	$17,676
Lunenburg Middle School	Public	6-8	1079 Massachusetts Avenue	Lunenburg	01462	Worcester County	Lunenburg	No	No	No	No	(978) 582-4710	382	25	15.2		306 (80.1%)	18 (4.7%)	39 (10.2%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.1%)	64.3	148^th of 478 public middle schools	69.0%		71.3	123^rd of 484 public middle schools	74.6%	25		41.0	44.6	46.2	43.9		48.7	45.3	41.0	45.1		47.1	47.1	53.3	$17,054
Ayer Shirley Regional Middle School	Public	6-8	1 Hospital Road	Shirley	01464	Middlesex County	Ayer Shirley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 772-8600	410	33	12.4	32.8%	286 (69.8%)	29 (7.1%)	62 (15.1%)	9 (2.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (5.1%)	56.8	180^th of 478 public middle schools	62.3%		64.1	162^nd of 484 public middle schools	66.5%	18		42.7	44.7	37.1	41.5		36.5	41.0	38.7	38.6		47.2	47.2	46.8	$18,922
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
Littleton Middle School	Public	6-8	55 Russell Street	Littleton	01460	Middlesex County	Littleton	No	No	No	No	(978) 486-8938	373	29	12.9	9.0%	280 (75.1%)	3 (0.8%)	18 (4.8%)	57 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	11 (2.9%)	88.2	62^nd of 478 public middle schools	87.0%		91.6	50^th of 484 public middle schools	89.7%	12		65.4	76.3	67.7	69.6		55.9	65.8	59.1	60.1		70.1	70.1	56.7	$17,336
Sky View Middle School	Public	6-8	500 Kennedy Way	Leominster	01453	Worcester County	Leominster	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 534-7780	869	56	15.4	49.4%	328 (37.7%)	84 (9.7%)	389 (44.8%)	28 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.4%)	50.9	208^th of 478 public middle schools	56.5%		47.2	224^th of 484 public middle schools	53.7%	16		33.5	42.9	40.2	38.7		33.1	38.2	51.9	40.8		29.2	29.2	42.4	$17,200

Frequently Asked Questions about Nissitissit Middle School

What district is Nissitissit Middle School in?

North Middlesex

How many students attend Nissitissit Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 494 students attended Nissitissit Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Nissitissit Middle School attend?

Students who attend Nissitissit Middle School usually go on to attend North Middlesex Regional

Is Nissitissit Middle School a good school?

Nissitissit Middle School ranks 203^rd of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Nissitissit Middle School?

Students at Nissitissit Middle School are 78% White, 12% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American, 3% Asian.

Rate Nissitissit Middle School!

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Schools in Pepperell, MA

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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.