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Public middle school · Peabody · Peabody, Massachusetts

J Henry Higgins Middle

J Henry Higgins Middle rates 4.7, right at the middle of Peabody's middle schools, whose rated median is 4.7.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.7this school

4.7 on a one-to-ten scale; the Peabody median is 4.7.

#1,449 of 1,793 schools in Massachusetts · Peabody: 1 middle schools rated, median 4.7

The brief

A Peabody middle school where students score 28 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,449 of 1,793 schools in Massachusetts and 5 of 11 in Peabody.

J Henry Higgins Middle is listed in Peabody, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math29%13 points below the Massachusetts average of 42%Grades 6–8 · 1,203 students tested · 2026 MCAS
Reading27%15 points below the Massachusetts average of 42%Grades 6–8 · 1,187 students tested · 2026 MCAS
Proficiency has fallen 6 points since 2023, to 28% in 2026, across a 9-year record (2018–2026).2026 MCAS; 83 test records from MA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.6
40% of the rating
Academics
4.7
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.8
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 37% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 43% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 MCAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 MCAS. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 MCAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 MCAS. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 01960; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
J Henry Higgins Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

Open the Boston school map to see school quality against home prices across the metro.

The area

Median income
$95,173
Median home value
$566,700
Median rent
$1,902/mo
College educated
33.7%
Homeownership
65.4%
Poverty rate
6.5%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 01960; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
43
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
40
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
919/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Peabody. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Peabody), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Beverly Middle School3.8 mi
    7.1Compare →
  2. Swampscott Middle4.1 mi
    6.9Compare →
  3. Holten Richmond Middle School3.0 mi
    6.7Compare →
  4. Kipp Academy Lynn Charter School4.0 mi · charter
    6.2Compare →
  5. Collins Middle2.0 mi
    5.7Compare →
  6. J Henry Higgins Middlethis school
    4.7
  7. Thurgood Marshall Mid3.8 mi
    4.0Compare →
  8. Pickering Middle2.8 mi
    3.6Compare →
  9. Peabody Personalized Remote Education Program0.7 mi
    2.4Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and five rate higher than J Henry Higgins Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does J Henry Higgins Middle serve?

J Henry Higgins Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend J Henry Higgins Middle?

J Henry Higgins Middle has an enrollment of approximately 1,283 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at J Henry Higgins Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at J Henry Higgins Middle is 11.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does J Henry Higgins Middle rank in MA?

J Henry Higgins Middle ranks #1,449 of 1,793 schools in MA.

What is J Henry Higgins Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

J Henry Higgins Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at J Henry Higgins Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, J Henry Higgins Middle has 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 43% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is J Henry Higgins Middle a charter school?

No, J Henry Higgins Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is J Henry Higgins Middle a Title I school?

No, J Henry Higgins Middle is not currently a Title I school.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
1,283
Student-teacher ratio
11.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
110
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Essex County
Phone
(978) 536-4800
Rank in district
#5 of 11
Schools in district
11
District spending per student
$19,315
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
10.0%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 01960)
53,961
Area average commute
27.3 min
Area median age
46.4

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Mass. Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.