Summary:
ZIP code 01104 in Springfield, Massachusetts contains two middle schools — Van Sickle Academy and Van Sickle Prep — both serving grades 6 through 8 at the same Carew Street campus, both part of the Springfield district, and together enrolling 468 students.
Neither school is a high performer by state standards. Both sit in the bottom decile of Massachusetts middle schools, below the Springfield district average and far below the statewide proficiency baseline of roughly 40% in every subject. Within this ZIP, however, Van Sickle Academy consistently outperforms Van Sickle Prep — in ELA (17.5% vs 15.34%), math (8.75% vs 6.88%), and science (12.94% vs 6.67%) in 2025-26, and in nearly every grade-level comparison. Academy does this while spending $18,846 per student, compared with Prep's $24,105 — 28% more per pupil for lower measured proficiency, even though both schools share an identical 11.4 student-to-teacher ratio. That contrast is worth noting, though the spending figure dates to 2020-21 and higher spending often reflects higher student need.
Math is the weakest area for both schools, with gaps to the state of 32–34 points versus 22–25 in ELA. Prep's 7th grade math rate of 1.52% proficient stands out as an acute outlier, far below the district's 9.14% and near zero. Civics is the one clear bright spot: both schools exceeded the district in both years, with Academy at 17.86% and Prep at 17.54% against a district rate of 13.49% in 2025-26. Eighth grade ELA is also comparatively strong, led by Academy at 25%. Because enrollment is small, single-year swings can reflect cohort changes rather than instruction, but the pattern of Academy out-performing Prep is consistent.
Thank you for your feedback!