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Does Pollard Middle have enough mental health and stress support?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
867
Middle
DISTRICT 654 · STATE 547
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NEEDHAM·NCES 250837001308
Pollard Middle
200 Harris Avenue, Needham, MA 02492 · (781) 455-0480 · Norfolk County
GRADES 07–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL867 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.0:1
79 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.4:1 · 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 7 | 442 | 51% |
| Grade 8 | 425 | 49% |
Student demographics
46%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 47% · 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
Pollard Middle→Needham High
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Needham. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MCAS 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
76.0%
MA avg 43.8% . -2.0pp since 2016
Math
78.0%
MA avg 42.2% . -3.0pp since 2016
What this means: On the MCAS, Massachusetts's statewide test, about 76 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 78 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 2 points since 2016, while math scores are down about 3 points.
MCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 76.0% | 78.0% |
| 2023-24 | 74.0% | 79.0% |
| 2022-23 | 71.0% | 76.0% |
| 2021-22 | 74.0% | 76.0% |
| 2020-21 | 71.0% | 71.0% |
| 2018-19 | 82.0% | 85.0% |
| 2017-18 | 82.0% | 82.0% |
| 2016-17 | 78.0% | 81.0% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Pollard Middle ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Massachusetts | In Norfolk County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 78.0% | #7 of 304 ▼ 2 | #2 of 33 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 76.0% | #9 of 304 ▼ 3 | #3 of 33 ▼ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +2.0pp | #131 of 299 | #19 of 32 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 867 | #30 of 310 | #5 of 34 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.0:1 | #106 of 296 | #11 of 34 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 45.6% | #153 of 296 | #22 of 34 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +1.5% | #66 of 82 | #9 of 9 |
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
867
-34 (-4%) vs 2020
+8% since 1990-91, when it was 801
Student : Teacher
11.0:1
was 11.7:1
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 | 867 | 79.1 | 11.0:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 880 | 80.9 | 10.9:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 818 | 75 | 10.9:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 901 | 77 | 11.7:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 854 | 74 | 11.5:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 839 | 69 | 12.2:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 829 | 57 | 14.5:1 | 6% (52) |
| 2000-01 | 1,051 | N/A | N/A | 5% (54) |
| 1990-91 | 801 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Pollard Middle.
Since 2017-18: students up 2% (854 to 867); teachers up 7% (74 to 79.1).
About Pollard Middle
Among the schools in Needham, Massachusetts, is Pollard Middle, a large middle-grades school. The school serves 867 students in grades 7 through 8 in 2024-25. The average among middle schools in Massachusetts is roughly 547 students; this school is 59% larger than that.
Needham enrolls 5,493 students, and its 8 schools include Pollard Middle.
At Pollard Middle, White students make up 72% of the student body. The school is also 12% Asian, 6% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, and 4% Black. For comparison, Norfolk County is about 70% White. Pollard Middle's diversity index is 46%, against a US figure of 70%.
Its 79.1 full-time-equivalent teachers give the school a ratio of 11.0:1. That matches the 11.5:1 average for middle schools in Massachusetts fairly closely.
Within Norfolk County, the median household income is $130,739, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 59% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 4%. In all, Norfolk County has 198 public schools and roughly 101,300 students.
Needham High is the public school closest to Pollard Middle, about 0.7 miles away. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles.
Pollard Middle is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more, a location NCES labels Suburb: Large.
The school enrolled 867 students in 2024-25, 34 fewer than the 901 it had in 2020-21.
Discussion on this page can cover science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Norfolk County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
730,082
Census ACS
Median income
$130,739
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
59%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
198
101,300 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Needham
- Needham HighHigh · 1,633 students
- Newman ElementaryElementary · 696 students
- Sunita L. Williams ElementaryElementary · 533 students
- BroadmeadowElementary · 502 students
- High Rock SchoolMiddle · 441 students
- William MitchellElementary · 424 students
Other schools in Needham
- Needham HighHigh · 1,633 students
- Newman ElementaryElementary · 696 students
- Sunita L. Williams ElementaryElementary · 533 students
- BroadmeadowElementary · 502 students
- High Rock SchoolMiddle · 441 students
- William MitchellElementary · 424 students
Nearby schools
- Needham High0.7 mi · 1,633
- William Mitchell0.9 mi · 424
- High Rock School0.9 mi · 441
- Broadmeadow0.9 mi · 502
- Newman Elementary1.5 mi · 696
- Sunita L. Williams Elementary1.9 mi · 533
Frequently asked questions
About Pollard MiddleHow large is Pollard Middle?
Pollard Middle enrolls approximately 867 students in grades 07-08.
What age range does Pollard Middle serve?
Pollard Middle serves students from grade 07 through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at Pollard Middle?
Approximately 11.0:1 students per teacher at Pollard Middle.
How diverse is Pollard Middle?
Pollard Middle reports a student body of 72% White, 6% Hispanic, 4% Black, 12% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Is Pollard Middle public or private?
Pollard Middle is a public K-12 school, overseen by Needham.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.