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Northern Middle School

Public Grades 6-8
67th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 342 Maryland Middle Schools
Better than 80% of Maryland middle schools
Summary

Northern Middle School in Accident, MD, serves 305 students in grades 6-8 within the Garrett County Public Schools district, and it stands out as a high-performing school with a strong upward trend in state rankings, currently in the 80th percentile. The school excels in English Language Arts, with a 66.7% proficiency rate that significantly outpaces the state average, and its advanced math program is exceptional—79.2% of students taking Algebra I were proficient, compared to just 20% statewide. However, math proficiency in 6th and 7th grades (around 26%) lags behind, creating a "math cliff" that the school is working to address. Notably, Northern is particularly effective at supporting students from low-income backgrounds, ranking in the 80th percentile for this group, which is a remarkable achievement given that over half of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

When compared to nearby Westmar Middle in Allegany County, the differences are striking. Northern’s overall math proficiency of 30% is over six times higher than Westmar’s 4.7%, and its ELA proficiency of 66.7% far exceeds Westmar’s 45.6%. In 8th-grade science, Northern’s 36.4% proficiency nearly doubles Westmar’s 19.6%. Northern also spends significantly less per student ($18,655 vs. $25,944 at Westmar) while achieving dramatically better outcomes, pointing to highly efficient use of resources and effective instruction. Chronic absenteeism at Northern (24.1%) is a concern but is notably lower than Westmar’s 32.5%, suggesting better student engagement.

Northern’s performance reflects the strength of the Garrett County district, which ranks 9th out of 25 in Maryland, while Westmar’s Allegany County district ranks 12th. Despite rising chronic absenteeism—from 14.4% in 2020-2021 to 24.1% in 2024-2025—Northern maintains strong test scores, though this trend could threaten future gains. Overall, Northern Middle School is a model of academic excellence and resource efficiency, with a clear focus on supporting all students, especially those from economically diverse backgrounds.

305
Students ?
12.7
Student/teacher ratio ?
$18,655
Per pupil spending ?
55.1%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 371 Pride Pkwy
       Accident, MD  21520-2007

(301) 746-8165

District: Garrett County Public Schools


Students who attend Northern Middle School usually attend:

High:    Northern Garrett High School

Feeder schools for Northern Middle School:

Elementary:    Accident Elementary
    Friendsville Elementary
    Grantsville Elementary
    Route 40 Elementary
Racial breakdown:

White:
93.8%
Two or more races:
3.3%
Hispanic:
3.0%
 See top rated Maryland middle schools

 Compare Northern Middle School to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 85th percentile in 2023 → 80th in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Maryland average (47% vs 39% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 20% of Maryland middle schools
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped from its 85th-percentile peak (2023) to 80th (2026)
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school47%
District avg42%
Maryland avg39%
67th of 342
Maryland public middle schools ?
Top 20%▲ up 9 pts since 2016
From top 29% (2016) to top 20% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
9th of 24Garrett County Public Schools among Maryland 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMaryland percentileRating
202679.567 of 34280.4%★★★★☆
202574.877 of 33777.2%★★★★☆
202475.864 of 32880.5%★★★★☆
202381.947 of 32285.4%★★★★☆
202284.249 of 33385.3%★★★★☆
202151.1130 of 30357.1%★★★☆☆
201969.787 of 31672.5%★★★★☆
201860.9122 of 32862.8%★★★☆☆
201750.0154 of 31751.4%★★★☆☆
201667.491 of 31471.0%★★★★☆
201573.173 of 31576.8%★★★★☆
201472.4102 of 33969.9%★★★★☆
201373.885 of 31673.1%★★★★☆
201273.690 of 31471.3%★★★★☆
201166.8117 of 30962.1%★★★☆☆
201073.994 of 32471.0%★★★★☆
200963.7128 of 30157.5%★★★☆☆
200878.065 of 28377.0%★★★★☆
200747.7140 of 26447.0%★★☆☆☆
200644.9143 of 25443.7%★★☆☆☆
200542.5153 of 25540.0%★★☆☆☆
200445.3140 of 25244.4%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMaryland percentileRating
202158.5103 of 30366.0%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMaryland percentileRating
202165.655 of 27379.9%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMaryland percentileRating
202142.4152 of 28847.2%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMaryland percentileRating
202124.4165 of 21021.4%★☆☆☆☆
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)
Low Socio Economic Status (2021)80th percentile+23 vs school
Female (2021)66th percentile+9 vs school
Male (2021)47th percentile-10 vs school
White (2021)21st percentile-36 vs school
By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts67%+15 vs state
Science36%+6 vs state
Mathematics30%+3 vs state

5.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
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What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, September 4, 2014

Open Quote What a great place for kids! The teachers are very professional and care about their students. There are many social and academic opportunities for everyone. It's a beautiful new building too! I LOVE this school. Close Quote


Facebook Profile Picture by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Open Quote My oldest son started playing band in 6th grade. His band teacher calls him a natural. All the teachers that I have dealt with from 6th grade and up in this school have been awesome. Close Quote




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Frequently Asked Questions about Northern Middle School

In the 2024-25 school year, 305 students attended Northern Middle School.

Students at Northern Middle School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

Students who attend Northern Middle School usually go on to attend Northern Garrett High School

Northern Middle School ranks 67th of 342 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Northern Middle School!



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MDMaryland Middle School Rankings

MDMaryland District Rankings

Schools in Accident, MD

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Latest Maryland data All new data »
2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 28, 2026
2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026
2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026
2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025


SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of 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.

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