Summary:
Zip code 01851 in Lowell is home to two middle schools — James S Daley Middle School, which serves grades 5–8 with 669 students, and Laura Lee Therapeutic Day School, which serves grades K–8 with just 15 students. Both belong to the Lowell district, which is ranked 273 of 351 in Massachusetts — the 22nd percentile, with a 1-star rating. That low district baseline makes the differences between these two schools especially worth noting.
James S Daley Middle School is the clear academic standout, performing far above its district's profile. Its state rank climbed from 175th of 493 (65th percentile, 3 stars) in 2023–2024 to 112th of 478 (77th percentile, 4 stars) in 2025–2026. Daley beats the district in every reported subject and beats the state in ELA and math; science is its relative weak spot, below the state in both years. Math is the strongest area, at 50.76 in 2025–2026 and 51.94 in 2024–2025, with standout grade-level results of 63.75 in 6th grade and 61.96 in 8th grade. Eighth-grade civics is also strong at 53.37, versus 39.77 statewide. One pattern to watch: 5th-grade scores lag behind the upper grades, especially in science, while 8th-grade science (49.69) is above the state (38.93).
Laura Lee Therapeutic Day School is structurally very different: 15 students, a 2.7 student-teacher ratio, and $40,596 in per-student spending, compared with Daley's 13.2 ratio and $15,927. Its reported proficiency is 0% in ELA in both years, 0% in math in 2025–2026, and 8.33% in math in 2024–2025 — figures that should be read in the context of a therapeutic setting, where a handful of students can shift a percentage dramatically. Free/reduced lunch data is not reported for either school, and Laura Lee has no rank history or science and civics results, which limits comparisons. For typical academic outcomes, Daley is the standout; Laura Lee offers a specialized, small-scale model.
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