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Alumni: what's one memory from J Henry Higgins Middle that still sticks with you?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,320
Middle
DISTRICT 525 · STATE 547
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PEABODY·NCES 250936001495
J Henry Higgins Middle
85 Perkins Street, Peabody, MA 01960 · (978) 536-4800 · Essex County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL1,320 STUDENTS
C-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 23% of Massachusetts public middle schools
- CTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- DThree-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
12.4:1
107 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.5:1 · 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 6 | 458 | 35% |
| Grade 7 | 406 | 31% |
| Grade 8 | 456 | 35% |
Student demographics
51%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 56% · 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
J Henry Higgins Middle→Peabody Veterans Memorial High
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Peabody. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MCAS 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
28.0%
MA avg 43.8% . -22.0pp since 2016
Math
30.0%
MA avg 42.2% . -10.0pp since 2016
What this means: On the MCAS, Massachusetts's statewide test, about 28 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 30 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 22 points since 2016, while math scores are down about 10 points.
MCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 28.0% | 30.0% |
| 2023-24 | 28.0% | 32.0% |
| 2022-23 | 36.0% | 33.0% |
| 2021-22 | 33.0% | 32.0% |
| 2020-21 | 36.0% | 28.0% |
| 2018-19 | 44.0% | 43.0% |
| 2017-18 | 46.0% | 44.0% |
| 2016-17 | 50.0% | 40.0% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where J Henry Higgins Middle ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Massachusetts | In Essex County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 30.0% | #204 of 304 ▼ 17 | #23 of 40 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 28.0% | #222 of 304 ▼ 8 | #25 of 40 ▼ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -3.5pp | #52 of 299 | #10 of 40 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,320 | #2 of 310 | #2 of 40 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.4:1 | #192 of 296 | #25 of 37 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 50.7% | #121 of 296 | #9 of 37 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -3.4% | #181 of 204 | #27 of 29 |
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
1,320
-123 (-9%) vs 2020
+6% since 1990-91, when it was 1,250
Student : Teacher
12.4:1
was 19.8:1
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 | 1,320 | 106.7 | 12.4:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 1,283 | 110 | 11.7:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 1,346 | 102.5 | 13.1:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 1,443 | 73 | 19.8:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 1,366 | 94 | 14.5:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 1,283 | 94 | 13.7:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 1,397 | 91 | 15.3:1 | 30% (416) |
| 2000-01 | 1,580 | N/A | N/A | 13% (207) |
| 1990-91 | 1,250 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for J Henry Higgins Middle.
Since 2017-18: students down 3% (1,366 to 1,320); teachers up 14% (94 to 106.7).
About J Henry Higgins Middle
J Henry Higgins Middle is a high-enrollment middle-grades school in Peabody, Massachusetts. Its grade span covers grades 6 through 8, with 1,320 students on the rolls. Across middle schools in Massachusetts, the average enrollment is about 547.
Federal data list 11 schools in Peabody, with 5,774 students enrolled.
The share of White students at J Henry Higgins Middle is 65%, a majority. After that, the student body is 26% Hispanic, 5% Black, and 2% multiracial. Census estimates put Essex County at about 68% White, close to the school's figure. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 51, compared with 70 nationally.
A staff of 106.7 full-time-equivalent teachers puts the student-to-teacher ratio at 12.4:1. Compared with the 11.5:1 average for middle schools in Massachusetts, this school's ratio is higher.
J Henry Higgins Middle holds a C- allk12 Grade, placing it above 23% of Massachusetts public middle schools.
The school is in Essex County, where median household income comes to about $101,883, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Essex County counts 221 public schools with about 113,427 students.
A public school about 0.3 miles away, Center, is the closest to J Henry Higgins Middle. J Henry Higgins Middle has at least 8 other public schools within five miles.
Federal data place J Henry Higgins Middle in the Suburb: Large locale, which means it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
From 1,443 students in 2020-21, enrollment decreased to 1,320 by 2024-25. By 2024-25, the school had 12.4 students per teacher, compared with 19.8 in 2020-21.
On allk12, people connected to J Henry Higgins Middle can post about special education services, counseling, and support programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Essex County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
813,054
Census ACS
Median income
$101,883
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
221
113,427 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Peabody
- Peabody Veterans Memorial HighHigh · 1,333 students
- Thomas CarrollElementary · 645 students
- South MemorialElementary · 506 students
- William A Welch SrElementary · 408 students
- John E. McCarthyElementary · 385 students
- Captain Samuel BrownElementary · 369 students
Other schools in Peabody
- Peabody Veterans Memorial HighHigh · 1,333 students
- Thomas CarrollElementary · 645 students
- South MemorialElementary · 506 students
- William A Welch SrElementary · 408 students
- John E. McCarthyElementary · 385 students
- Captain Samuel BrownElementary · 369 students
Nearby schools
- Center0.3 mi · 123
- William A Welch Sr0.8 mi · 408
- South Memorial0.8 mi · 506
- Witchcraft Heights1.2 mi · 455
- Thomas Carroll1.3 mi · 645
- Captain Samuel Brown1.4 mi · 369
Frequently asked questions
About J Henry Higgins MiddleWhat is the total enrollment at J Henry Higgins Middle?
J Henry Higgins Middle enrolls approximately 1,320 students in grades 06-08.
Is J Henry Higgins Middle an elementary, middle, or high school?
J Henry Higgins Middle is a middle school covering grades 06-08.
How many teachers does J Henry Higgins Middle have?
J Henry Higgins Middle employs 107 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.4:1.
How diverse is J Henry Higgins Middle?
J Henry Higgins Middle reports a student body of 65% White, 26% Hispanic, 5% Black, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more.
Is J Henry Higgins Middle public or private?
J Henry Higgins Middle is a public K-12 school, overseen by Peabody.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.