Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Hawthorne Brook

Q: Is Hawthorne Brook a good school?

Hawthorne Brook ranks 256 th of 484 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

256^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 484 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 47% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Hawthorne Brook is a public middle school located in Townsend, MA, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 452 students. It is part of the North Middlesex school district, which is ranked 182 out of 348 districts in Massachusetts and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hawthorne Brook's performance on MCAS Next Generation assessments is generally below the state and district averages across all grades and subjects, particularly in Mathematics, where proficiency rates range from 20% in 7th grade to 39.05% in 8th grade, compared to the state average of 38.88% to 38.24%. However, the school performs better in Science, with a proficiency rate of 43.33% in 2024-2025, slightly higher than the state and district averages. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Hawthorne Brook ranking highly for Special Education and Low Socioeconomic Status students but much lower for White students.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Nissitissit Middle School, which is part of the same district, Hawthorne Brook generally underperforms in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency rates. The school's per-student spending has increased over the years, but its statewide ranking has dropped from 142 out of 497 middle schools in 2021-2022 to 256 out of 484 in 2024-2025, suggesting that the school may need to focus on improving its curriculum, instructional practices, and support for struggling students to address these challenges.

449

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,261

Per pupil spending ?

21%

Free/discounted lunch ?

64 Brookline Rd
Townsend, MA 01469

(978) 597-6914

District: North Middlesex

Students who attend Hawthorne Brook usually attend:

High:

North Middlesex Regional

Feeder schools for Hawthorne Brook:

Elementary:	Ashby Elementary
	Spaulding Memorial
	Squannacook Early Childhood Center

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.3%

Hispanic:

8.9%

African American:

3.3%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Hawthorne Brook to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2015 → 47th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Massachusetts average (34% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg38%

Massachusetts avg41%

256^th of 484

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Bottom 47%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to bottom 47% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the North Middlesex

182^nd of 348North 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
2025	41.6	256 of 484	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.0	263 of 493	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.9	210 of 501	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.2	142 of 497	71.4%	★★★★☆
2021	65.0	158 of 501	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.9	196 of 498	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.1	160 of 484	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.9	171 of 487	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	38.4	302 of 482	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	54.6	199 of 441	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.0	184 of 455	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.2	247 of 455	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	60.3	189 of 455	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	59.9	186 of 449	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.8	188 of 434	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	55.4	207 of 409	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.9	192 of 407	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.6	150 of 399	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	72.6	106 of 399	73.4%	★★★★☆
2005	64.7	125 of 356	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	75.0	94 of 344	72.7%	★★★★☆
2003	68.5	108 of 339	68.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	65.4	92 of 445	79.3%	★★★★☆
2021	62.4	101 of 431	76.6%	★★★★☆
2019	77.2	63 of 424	85.1%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	59 of 417	85.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	43.9	246 of 473	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.6	262 of 481	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.3	211 of 489	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.0	164 of 494	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.2	159 of 483	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.5	248 of 478	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	65.4	157 of 463	66.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	51.4	197 of 464	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.8	134 of 469	71.4%	★★★★☆
2023	72.7	92 of 481	80.9%	★★★★☆
2022	72.3	93 of 489	81.0%	★★★★☆
2021	62.1	136 of 462	70.6%	★★★★☆
2019	65.7	119 of 452	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	64.6	131 of 438	70.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	37.6	269 of 473	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	264 of 483	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.2	207 of 489	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.0	114 of 497	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	65.5	151 of 485	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.4	162 of 478	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.0	172 of 466	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	60.7	122 of 435	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	50.3	159 of 441	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.6	191 of 444	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.4	80 of 503	84.1%	★★★★☆
2021	60.0	141 of 489	71.2%	★★★★☆
2019	56.3	176 of 484	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.2	168 of 467	64.0%	★★★☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	67.5	143 of 491	70.9%	★★★★☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	50.7	140 of 339	58.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	26.7	282 of 386	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	284 of 392	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.2	223 of 403	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.5	162 of 404	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	179 of 401	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.1	225 of 396	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.2	176 of 395	55.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)79th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2025)72nd percentile+25 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)71st percentile~ school

Tested Remotely (2021)59th percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)58th percentile+10 vs school

Female (2025)48th percentile~ school

Male (2025)43rd percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)27th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2024-2025) ?

Science43%~ state avg

English Language Arts38%-4 vs state

Civics29%-11 vs state

Mathematics27%-13 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Hawthorne Brook and help other families decide.

Rate Hawthorne Brook

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Hawthorne Brook

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2025)					MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2025)					MCAS Next Generation Science (2025)			MCAS Next Generation Civics (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Hawthorne Brook	Public	5-8	64 Brookline Rd	Townsend	01469	Middlesex County	North Middlesex	No	No	No	No	(978) 597-6914	449	37	12.0		374 (83.3%)	15 (3.3%)	40 (8.9%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.9%)	41.6	256^th of 484 public middle schools	47.1%		42	263^rd of 493 public middle schools	46.7%	7	37.1	36.9	37.1	40.6	37.9	25.7	25.2	20.0	39.1	27.5	48.6	38.1	43.3	28.6	$19,261
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%)	71.3	123^rd of 484 public middle schools	74.6%		67.2	142^nd of 493 public middle schools	71.2%	19		46.7	51.9	55.3	50.8		50.7	47.2	41.7	46.9		47.8	47.8	59.1	$17,054
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		384 (77.7%)	13 (2.6%)	57 (11.5%)	13 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (4.7%)	49.9	217^th of 484 public middle schools	55.2%		44.7	248^th of 493 public middle schools	49.7%	31	30.9	40.5	42.4	45.5	39.8	28.5	38.8	33.6	34.2	33.8	47.2	38.7	43.0	28.1	$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		586 (79.3%)	12 (1.6%)	31 (4.2%)	71 (9.6%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	34 (4.6%)	83	79^th of 484 public middle schools	83.7%		82.3	82^nd of 493 public middle schools	83.4%	3	51.7	60.9	65.0	60.5	59.6	42.8	55.0	59.6	60.5	54.6	63.0	57.1	60.0	47.8	$20,944
Arthur M Longsjo Middle School	Public	6-8	98 Academy Street	Fitchburg	01420	Worcester County	Fitchburg	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 343-2146	614	54	11.3		111 (18.1%)	59 (9.6%)	379 (61.7%)	19 (3.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.2%)	16.2	413^th of 484 public middle schools	14.7%		17.8	408^th of 493 public middle schools	17.2%	5		18.4	17.8	21.9	19.4		22.3	14.4	13.3	16.8		14.5	14.5	14.5	$22,390
Memorial Middle School	Public	6-8	615 Rollstone Street	Fitchburg	01420	Worcester County	Fitchburg	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 345-3295	601	46	13.0		163 (27.1%)	35 (5.8%)	334 (55.6%)	24 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.5%)	33.4	306^th of 484 public middle schools	36.8%		41.8	267^th of 493 public middle schools	45.8%	39		29.7	44.5	41.3	37.7		25.0	24.2	21.1	23.6		22.2	22.2	22.0	$21,176
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		328 (37.7%)	84 (9.7%)	389 (44.8%)	28 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.4%)	47.2	224^th of 484 public middle schools	53.7%		43.4	253^rd of 493 public middle schools	48.7%	29		38.3	39.2	39.4	38.9		27.6	34.6	43.8	35.1		25.0	25.0	43.4	$17,200
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		286 (69.8%)	29 (7.1%)	62 (15.1%)	9 (2.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (5.1%)	64.1	162^nd of 484 public middle schools	66.5%		56.3	194^th of 493 public middle schools	60.6%	32		43.0	37.6	56.3	45.6		45.1	36.0	38.5	40.0		62.6	62.6	52.5	$18,922
Overlook Middle School	Public	6-8	10 Oakmont Drive	Ashburnham	01430	Worcester County	Ashburnham-Westminster	No	No	No	No	(978) 827-1425	576	39	14.7		497 (86.3%)	11 (1.9%)	48 (8.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	56.3	190^th of 484 public middle schools	60.7%		59.8	181^st of 493 public middle schools	63.3%	9		27.2	52.5	53.7	43.4		42.7	42.1	29.6	38.4		40.9	40.9	44.8	$16,097
Blanchard Middle	Public	6-8	14 West Street	Westford	01886	Middlesex County	Westford	No	No	No	No	(978) 692-5582	541	45	12.0		304 (56.2%)	11 (2.0%)	22 (4.1%)	200 (37.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	93.9	29^th of 484 public middle schools	94.0%		95.5	17^th of 493 public middle schools	96.6%	12		64.9	60.5	75.6	67.0		77.1	69.2	76.5	74.3		72.0	72.0	78.3	$18,034

Frequently Asked Questions about Hawthorne Brook

What high school do graduates of Hawthorne Brook attend?

Students who attend Hawthorne Brook usually go on to attend North Middlesex Regional

What district is Hawthorne Brook in?

North Middlesex

Is Hawthorne Brook a good school?

Hawthorne Brook ranks 256^th of 484 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Hawthorne Brook?

In the 2024-25 school year, 449 students attended Hawthorne Brook.

What is the racial makeup of Hawthorne Brook?

Students at Hawthorne Brook are 83% White, 9% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Rate Hawthorne Brook!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MAMassachusetts Middle School Rankings

MAMassachusetts District Rankings

Schools in Townsend, MA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hawthorne Brook!

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.