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

New rankings! Massachusetts test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Hawthorne Brook

Q: Is Hawthorne Brook a good school?

Hawthorne Brook ranks 328 th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 4-8

328^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 31% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Hawthorne Brook is a grades 4–8 middle school with 449 students in Townsend, MA, a small town in north-central Massachusetts, and it is one of two middle schools in the North Middlesex district. In 2025–2026 it ranked 328th of 478 middle schools statewide — the 31st percentile, or 2 stars, the lowest position in its 10-year rank history and a steep drop from the 71st percentile and 4 stars it reached in 2021–2022.

Proficiency is now below the district and the state in every core subject: 27.08% in ELA, 24.77% in math, 30.32% in science, and 18.87% in 8th-grade civics. That is roughly 9–13 points behind the district and 13–16 points behind the state. The closest comparison is Nissitissit Middle School, the district's other middle school about 5.6 miles away, which outperforms Hawthorne Brook in every subject by about 11–14 points and ranks at the 58th percentile. Grade-level results show where the problems concentrate: 6th-grade math at 6.67% proficient, 7th-grade ELA at 19.42%, and 8th-grade civics at 18.87%. Science, a relative strength in 2024–2025, also fell sharply.

Declines span most student groups. Female and male students both sit at the 31st percentile, special education students fell from the 72nd percentile to the 49th, and students from low-income families fell from the 71st to the 36th. There are a few positives: 8th-grade math (37.04%) is above the district average, and 7th-grade math is close to it. Notably, spending ($17,000 per student) and a 12.0 student–teacher ratio are more favorable than at several higher-performing nearby schools, such as Lunenburg Middle School and Sky View Middle School — so spending and class size alone do not explain the outcome gap.

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

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 — 37th percentile in 2016 → 31st in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Massachusetts average (26% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg35%

Massachusetts avg41%

Elementary school

698^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Bottom 22%

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

328^th of 478

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 37% (2016) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	328 of 478	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	29.6	323 of 468	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
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%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	159 of 383	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	36.2	295 of 461	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	29.3	325 of 470	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	39.7	223 of 436	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	17.0	337 of 393	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
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)

Elementary school

Special Education (2026)61st percentile+39 vs school

Male (2026)25th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)19th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)8th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)5th percentile-17 vs school

Middle school

Disabled (2022)79th percentile+8 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)71st percentile~ school

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

Hispanic (2026)58th percentile+27 vs school

Special Education (2026)49th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)36th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)31st percentile~ school

Male (2026)31st percentile~ school

White (2026)14th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science30%-11 vs state

English Language Arts27%-13 vs state

Mathematics25%-16 vs state

Civics19%-21 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

Load more schools when map is moved

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
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
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
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
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	100.0%	111 (18.1%)	59 (9.6%)	379 (61.7%)	19 (3.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.2%)	13.8	423^rd of 478 public middle schools	11.5%		16.2	413^th of 484 public middle schools	14.7%	10		10.8	18.0	19.8	16.0		11.5	10.9	16.1	12.7		19.9	19.9	15.6	$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	100.0%	163 (27.1%)	35 (5.8%)	334 (55.6%)	24 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.5%)	27.5	337^th of 478 public middle schools	29.5%		33.4	306^th of 484 public middle schools	36.8%	31		25.3	29.5	34.5	29.5		28.1	21.0	22.5	23.9		19.9	19.9	23.0	$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	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
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
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	24.2%	497 (86.3%)	11 (1.9%)	48 (8.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	59.7	171^st of 478 public middle schools	64.2%		56.3	190^th of 484 public middle schools	60.7%	19		46.0	45.7	45.0	45.6		44.7	39.8	39.1	41.0		42.2	42.2	42.2	$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	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Hawthorne Brook

What district is Hawthorne Brook in?

North Middlesex

What high school do graduates of Hawthorne Brook attend?

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

Is Hawthorne Brook a good school?

Hawthorne Brook ranks 328^th of 478 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!

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.