Middle Schools in Manchester School District

The Manchester School District in New Hampshire is home to 4 middle schools serving grades 5-8. While the district's middle schools face significant academic challenges, Southside Middle School stands out as the relative top performer.

Southside Middle School has the highest proficiency rates in Math (19%), Reading (30%), and Science (23%) compared to the other 3 middle schools in the district. It is the only school to receive a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, while the others are rated 0 stars. Southside Middle School's statewide ranking has also improved from 131st out of 134 schools in 2022-2023 to 118th out of 132 schools in 2024-2025, though it still remains in the bottom quarter of New Hampshire middle schools. The school has a relatively lower free/reduced lunch rate of 47.5% compared to the other middle schools in the district.

Overall, the Manchester School District middle schools significantly underperform the state averages in core academic subjects. The schools have high percentages of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 44-55%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student populations. While the student-teacher ratios are relatively low, the schools' statewide rankings have remained stagnant or even declined over the past 3 school years, pointing to systemic challenges that need to be addressed.