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Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 19601

At a glance

School

821

Students

Top rankedNorthwest Middle School771^st of 873 Pennsylvania middle schools

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Biggest riser

Northwest Middle School up 18 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

The 19601 zip code area is served by a single middle school, Northwest Middle School, which is part of the Reading School District. This school faces significant challenges, with a declining performance ranking, low academic achievement, and a high-poverty student population.

Northwest Middle School has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger and its statewide ranking has dropped from 810 out of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools in 2022-2023 to 771 out of 873 in 2024-2025. The school's academic performance is well below state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 6.7% of students proficient or better in Math in 2024-2025, compared to the state average of 41.7%. The school also has a high dropout rate of 1.4% for the 2023-2024 school year.

Despite the high spending per student of $16,742 and a low student-teacher ratio of 15:1, the data suggests that these resources are not translating into improved academic outcomes for the students. The school serves a 100% free or reduced-price lunch population, indicating a high-poverty community. Addressing the systemic issues facing Northwest Middle School will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for the students in this area.

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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)				PSSA Math (2025)					PSSA English Language Arts (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	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	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwest Middle School	Public	5-8	1000 N Front St	Reading	19601	Berks County	Reading School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 371-5772	821	59	13.9	100.7%	32 (3.9%)	51 (6.2%)	727 (88.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.1%)	11.3	771^st of 873 public middle schools	11.7%		10.5	789^th of 891 public middle schools	11.4%	18	3.9	8.8	8.9	4.9	6.7	9.9	20.5	20.0	14.4	16.2	$20,894	$2,551	$18,343

Cities Near Zip Code 19601

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Reading	0.28 mi	32	690^th
West Reading	1.06 mi	1
Wyomissing	2.29 mi	3	264^th
Mount Penn	2.85 mi	1	663^rd
Shillington	3.28 mi	5	629^th

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