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Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

John F Kennedy Middle

Q: Is John F Kennedy Middle a good school?

John F Kennedy Middle ranks 142 nd of 484 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

142^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 484 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 71% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

John F Kennedy Middle is a public middle school located in Waltham, MA, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 628. The school is part of the Waltham school district, which is ranked 240 out of 348 districts in Massachusetts and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

John F Kennedy Middle consistently ranks in the top half of Massachusetts middle schools, with a ranking between 142-235 out of 484-501 schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on MCAS Next Generation assessments is notably higher than the Waltham district and Massachusetts state averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, 54.53% of all students at John F Kennedy Middle were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 40.87% for Waltham and 41.53% for Massachusetts. In Mathematics, 46.45% of all students at John F Kennedy Middle were proficient or better, compared to 39.19% for Waltham and 40.74% for Massachusetts.

John F Kennedy Middle has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.9 to 10.4 students per teacher over the past few years, which is lower than the nearby schools like John W. McDevitt Middle School. The school's strong performance for certain student subgroups, such as male students, African American students, White students, and special education students, indicates that it is effectively addressing the needs of diverse learners and providing equitable educational opportunities. While there are areas for potential improvement, such as the performance of English Language Learner (ELL) students, John F Kennedy Middle is a standout school within its local context and provides a quality education for its diverse student population.

635

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,123

Per pupil spending ?

46.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

655 Lexington St
Waltham, MA 02452

(781) 314-5563

District: Waltham

Students who attend John F Kennedy Middle usually attend:

High:

Waltham Senior High

Feeder schools for John F Kennedy Middle:

Elementary:	Douglas MacArthur Elementary School
	Northeast Elementary School
	Thomas R Plympton Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.4%

Hispanic:

33.7%

African American:

11.0%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare John F Kennedy Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 33rd percentile in 2015 → 71st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (47% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 38 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Massachusetts median (71st percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg38%

Massachusetts avg41%

142^nd of 484

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Top 29%▲ up 38 pts since 2015

From bottom 33% (2015) to top 29% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Waltham

240^th of 348Waltham 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	67.1	142 of 484	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	62.9	168 of 493	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.6	167 of 501	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.0	151 of 497	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.3	149 of 501	70.3%	★★★★☆
2019	52.7	235 of 498	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.6	199 of 484	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.3	212 of 487	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	64.5	170 of 482	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	35.7	296 of 441	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	47.4	256 of 455	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.0	282 of 455	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.9	271 of 455	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	51.6	238 of 449	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.9	199 of 434	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	51.4	220 of 409	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.7	198 of 407	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	53.9	207 of 399	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	55.6	184 of 399	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.3	157 of 356	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	46.7	198 of 344	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2003	44.0	204 of 339	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	71.1	42 of 206	79.6%	★★★★☆
2024	62.6	51 of 202	74.8%	★★★★☆
2023	57.4	75 of 209	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.6	83 of 212	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.4	83 of 193	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.2	40 of 195	79.5%	★★★★☆
2018	64.8	43 of 172	75.0%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	64.4	57 of 127	55.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	44.2	195 of 445	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.5	159 of 431	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.7	283 of 424	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.9	312 of 417	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	71 of 181	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.5	91 of 180	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.2	155 of 155	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	40.7	86 of 154	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.5	68 of 138	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.9	92 of 127	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	62.6	161 of 473	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.0	170 of 481	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.6	158 of 489	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.7	138 of 494	72.1%	★★★★☆
2021	68.2	138 of 483	71.4%	★★★★☆
2019	56.1	210 of 478	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.0	194 of 463	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	51.2	151 of 376	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.2	143 of 378	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.9	144 of 364	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.6	108 of 368	70.7%	★★★★☆
2021	53.3	130 of 335	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.3	208 of 322	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.4	150 of 309	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	46.7	221 of 464	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.3	251 of 469	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.7	232 of 481	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.6	161 of 489	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.3	162 of 462	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.2	213 of 452	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.4	197 of 438	55.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	69.0	126 of 473	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	61.4	161 of 483	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.7	176 of 489	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	160 of 497	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.0	162 of 485	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.3	242 of 478	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.1	210 of 466	54.9%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	60.5	48 of 116	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.2	48 of 98	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	68.9	91 of 435	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	59.5	123 of 441	72.1%	★★★★☆
2023	50.2	164 of 444	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.6	173 of 503	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.2	162 of 489	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.8	265 of 484	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.3	257 of 467	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	68.2	139 of 491	71.7%	★★★★☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	58.5	114 of 339	66.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	79.1	73 of 386	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	71.7	90 of 392	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	72.2	85 of 403	78.9%	★★★★☆
2022	69.4	97 of 404	76.0%	★★★★☆
2021	71.0	93 of 401	76.8%	★★★★☆
2019	64.4	132 of 396	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.0	126 of 395	68.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2025)81st percentile+10 vs school

African American (2025)80th percentile+9 vs school

Special Education (2025)79th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)73rd percentile+3 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)72nd percentile~ school

Tested Remotely (2021)66th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)66th percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)61st percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2025)60th percentile-11 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)59th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2022)56th percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2025)55th percentile-16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)52nd percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts55%+13 vs state

Mathematics46%+6 vs state

Civics39%~ state avg

Science37%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near John F Kennedy 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 (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 (2015)	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 4th Grade	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 4th Grade	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
John F Kennedy Middle	Public	6-8	655 Lexington St	Waltham	02452	Middlesex County	Waltham	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 314-5563	635	61	10.3	46.8%	282 (44.4%)	70 (11.0%)	214 (33.7%)	34 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.4%)	67.1	142^nd of 484 public middle schools	70.7%		62.9	168^th of 493 public middle schools	65.9%	26			48.7	60.4	54.2	54.5			46.0	44.2	49.3	46.5		37.4	37.4	38.8	$24,123
John W. McDevitt Middle School	Public	6-8	75 Church Street	Waltham	02453	Middlesex County	Waltham	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 314-5595	618	65	9.5	51.6%	145 (23.5%)	42 (6.8%)	383 (62.0%)	23 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.7%)	47.3	223^rd of 484 public middle schools	53.9%		47.4	236^th of 493 public middle schools	52.1%	13			46.0	34.5	42.3	40.7			31.0	36.9	35.2	34.5		28.5	28.5	35.9	$26,768
Jonas Clarke Middle	Public	6-8	17 Stedman Rd	Lexington	02421	Middlesex County	Lexington	No	No	No	No	(781) 861-2450	796	85	9.4	5.2%	314 (39.4%)	42 (5.3%)	41 (5.2%)	338 (42.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (7.5%)	98.1	1^st of 484 public middle schools	99.8%		98	2^nd of 493 public middle schools	99.6%	1			84.1	79.9	84.5	82.8			87.0	82.2	76.5	81.8		81.1	81.1	78.4	$19,067
Watertown Middle	Public	6-8	68 Waverley Avenue	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 926-7783	583	54	10.8	33.8%	317 (54.4%)	24 (4.1%)	145 (24.9%)	47 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.9%)	64.4	160^th of 484 public middle schools	66.9%		62.9	167^th of 493 public middle schools	66.1%	7			40.8	39.7	59.2	46.5			43.4	47.5	44.8	45.2		47.5	47.5	45.1	$25,768
F A Day Middle	Public	6-8	21 Minot Place	Newtonville	02460	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	No	(617) 559-9100	860	80	10.8	11.8%	493 (57.3%)	43 (5.0%)	80 (9.3%)	137 (15.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	100 (11.6%)	93.4	31^st of 484 public middle schools	93.6%		91.6	43^rd of 493 public middle schools	91.3%	12			62.1	71.2	75.8	69.8			62.7	75.4	75.1	71.1		69.8	69.8	73.1	$24,602
Winthrop L Chenery Upper Elementary	Public	4-6	95 Washington Street	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	No	No	No	(617) 993-5800	1,023	74	13.8	7.5%	579 (56.6%)	37 (3.6%)	57 (5.6%)	256 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (8.6%)								(n/a)	67.6	58.8	70.8			65.5	64.1	66.8	69.6			66.9	75.6		75.6		$17,771
Ottoson Middle	Public	7-8	63 Acton Street	Arlington	02476	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	No	(781) 316-3745	963	85	11.3	11.9%	651 (67.6%)	28 (2.9%)	82 (8.5%)	132 (13.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (6.4%)	97.2	4^th of 484 public middle schools	99.2%		96.4	12^th of 493 public middle schools	97.6%	8				77.6	81.6	79.7				75.7	75.7	75.7		75.3	75.3	79.1	$20,016
Belmont Middle School	Public	7-8	225 Concord Ave	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(617) 993-2000	742	48	15.5		436 (58.8%)	26 (3.5%)	30 (4.0%)	179 (24.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	65 (8.8%)	97.1	6^th of 484 public middle schools	98.8%		97.9	4^th of 493 public middle schools	99.2%	2				71.6	79.2	75.4				74.0	80.6	77.2		84.2	84.2	83.1	$19,126
Bigelow Middle	Public	6-8	42 Vernon St	Newton	02458	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	No	(617) 559-6800	434	44	9.9	16.9%	220 (50.7%)	21 (4.8%)	76 (17.5%)	71 (16.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.4%)	91.8	48^th of 484 public middle schools	90.1%		88.4	60^th of 493 public middle schools	87.8%	12			71.6	59.4	83.2	71.1			64.8	58.4	73.6	65.3		64.0	64.0	75.2	$26,379
Gibbs School	Public	6	41 Foster Street	Arlington	02474	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	No	(781) 316-9003	529	43	12.4		354 (66.9%)	24 (4.5%)	37 (7.0%)	56 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (10.4%)								(n/a)			70.6			70.6			70.4			70.4					$20,737

Frequently Asked Questions about John F Kennedy Middle

How many students attend John F Kennedy Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 635 students attended John F Kennedy Middle.

What is the racial makeup of John F Kennedy Middle?

Students at John F Kennedy Middle are 44% White, 34% Hispanic, 11% African American, 5% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of John F Kennedy Middle attend?

Students who attend John F Kennedy Middle usually go on to attend Waltham Senior High

What district is John F Kennedy Middle in?

Waltham

Is John F Kennedy Middle a good school?

John F Kennedy Middle ranks 142^nd of 484 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate John F Kennedy 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.