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How has Athol-Royalston Middle School changed in the last five years, for better or worse?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
446
Middle
DISTRICT 401 · STATE 547
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ATHOL-ROYALSTON·NCES 250216000176
Athol-Royalston Middle School
1062 Pleasant Street, Athol, MA 01331 · (978) 249-2430 · Worcester County
GRADES 05–08MIDDLE41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL446 STUDENTS
C-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 16% of Massachusetts public middle schools
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- B-Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Massachusetts public middle schools
Student : Teacher
12.9:1
35 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.7:1 · STATE 11.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | 87 | 20% |
| Grade 6 | 116 | 26% |
| Grade 7 | 113 | 25% |
| Grade 8 | 130 | 29% |
Student demographics
44%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 40% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Athol-Royalston Middle School→Athol High
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Athol-Royalston. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MCAS 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
20.0%
MA avg 43.8% . -8.0pp since 2016
Math
19.0%
MA avg 42.2% . -8.0pp since 2016
What this means: On the MCAS, Massachusetts's statewide test, about 20 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 19 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Massachusetts schools, those numbers are about 44 and 42. Reading and writing scores are down about 8 points since 2016, while math scores are down about 8 points.
MCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 20.0% | 19.0% |
| 2023-24 | 22.0% | 16.0% |
| 2022-23 | 27.0% | 21.0% |
| 2021-22 | 19.0% | 18.0% |
| 2020-21 | 24.0% | 15.0% |
| 2018-19 | 31.0% | 35.0% |
| 2017-18 | 37.0% | 32.0% |
| 2016-17 | 28.0% | 27.0% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Athol-Royalston Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Massachusetts | In Worcester County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 19.0% | #252 of 304 ▲ 12 | #37 of 45 ▲ 4 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 20.0% | #266 of 304 ▼ 22 | #42 of 45 ▼ 3 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +1.0pp | #155 of 299 | #20 of 44 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 446 | #202 of 310 | #29 of 45 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.9:1 | #223 of 296 | #23 of 44 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 43.9% | #169 of 296 | #25 of 44 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +14.1% | #20 of 82 | #4 of 11 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
446
+29 (+7%) vs 2020
-21% since 2000-01, when it was 564
Student : Teacher
12.9:1
was 12.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 446 | 34.6 | 12.9:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 463 | 34.7 | 13.4:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 429 | 31 | 13.8:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 417 | 33 | 12.6:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 391 | 30.1 | 13.0:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 407 | 28 | 14.5:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 456 | 36 | 12.7:1 | 54% (244) |
| 2000-01 | 564 | N/A | N/A | 32% (180) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Athol-Royalston Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students up 14% (391 to 446); teachers up 15% (30.1 to 34.6).
About Athol-Royalston Middle School
Federal records list Athol-Royalston Middle School as a middle school in Athol, Massachusetts. Enrolled students number 446 students, in grades 5 through 8.
Athol-Royalston is made up of 4 schools with 1,604 students in all.
A majority of students at Athol-Royalston Middle School, 72%, are White. Next come 20% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, and 3% Black. County-wide, about 73% of residents are White. The chance that two students picked at random at Athol-Royalston Middle School belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 44%.
The teaching staff at Athol-Royalston Middle School is 34.6 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 12.9:1. The average ratio among middle schools in Massachusetts is 11.5:1, lower than at this school.
Athol-Royalston Middle School is graded C- by allk12, scoring above 16% of Massachusetts public middle schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
Among Worcester County residents, median household income is about $95,939, roughly 40% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Federal data list 257 public schools in Worcester County, with a combined enrollment of about 121,490.
The closest public school to Athol-Royalston Middle School is Athol Community Elementary School, about 0.2 miles away. Other public schools within five miles number 3.
NCES assigns Athol-Royalston Middle School the locale Rural: Fringe, meaning in rural territory close to an urban area.
From 2020-21 to 2024-25, Athol-Royalston Middle School went from 417 students to 446.
Questions about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes can be posted here. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Worcester County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
867,788
Census ACS
Median income
$95,939
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
40%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
257
121,490 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Athol-Royalston
- Athol Community Elementary SchoolElementary · 589 students
- Athol HighHigh · 417 students
- Royalston Community SchoolElementary · 152 students
Other schools in Athol
- Athol Community Elementary SchoolElementary · 589 students
- Athol HighHigh · 417 students
Nearby schools
- Athol Community Elementary School0.2 mi · 589
- Athol High0.8 mi · 417
- Ralph C Mahar Regional4.7 mi · 509
- Fisher Hill School5.4 mi · 494
- Petersham Center6.2 mi · 142
- Narragansett Regional High7.0 mi · 492
Frequently asked questions
About Athol-Royalston Middle SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Athol-Royalston Middle School?
Athol-Royalston Middle School enrolls approximately 446 students in grades 05-08.
What age range does Athol-Royalston Middle School serve?
Athol-Royalston Middle School serves students from grade 05 through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at Athol-Royalston Middle School?
Approximately 12.9:1 students per teacher at Athol-Royalston Middle School.
What is the student diversity at Athol-Royalston Middle School?
Student demographics at Athol-Royalston Middle School are roughly 72% White, 20% Hispanic, 3% Black, 0% Asian, 5% Two or more.
What district is Athol-Royalston Middle School in?
Athol-Royalston Middle School is part of Athol-Royalston.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.