Gardner Middle School

Summary:

Gardner Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 5-7 in Gardner, MA, with a student population of 489. The school is part of the Gardner school district, which is ranked 314 out of 351 districts in Massachusetts and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Gardner Middle School has a more diverse student population compared to many nearby schools, with 59.1% White, 28.22% Hispanic, and 6.34% two or more races, its academic performance consistently underperforms the state average on MCAS Next Generation assessments across all grades and subjects. In 2023-2024, only 21.85% of Gardner students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 39.17%, and 23.54% were proficient in math, compared to 40.91% statewide. The school has been ranked in the bottom quartile of Massachusetts middle schools for the past several years, consistently ranking between 330-430 out of 500+ schools.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Overlook Middle School, which ranked 181 out of 493 Massachusetts middle schools in 2023-2024 and had much higher proficiency rates in ELA, math, and science, Gardner Middle School significantly underperforms. While socioeconomic factors may contribute to the school's lower academic performance, nearby schools with similar populations of economically disadvantaged students still outperform Gardner Middle School, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving the school's outcomes.


Detail:

Public 5-7

 297 Catherine Street
       Gardner, MA  01440


(978) 632-1603

District: Gardner

SchoolDigger Rank:
331st of 493 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,148 Help


Students who attend Gardner Middle School usually attend:

High:    Gardner High

Feeder schools for Gardner Middle School:

Elementary:    Gardner Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.9 Help
Number of students:  489

Racial breakdown:

White:
59.1%
Hispanic:
28.2%
Two or more races:
6.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  59.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Gardner Middle School ranks worse than 67.1% of middle schools in Massachusetts. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.75. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (59.1%), Hispanic (28.2%), two or more races (6.3%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gardner Middle School is 12.9. (See more...)
Help
Compare Gardner Middle School employs 37.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gardner Middle School is $15,148.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gardner Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Gardner Middle School 331st of 493 Massachusetts public middle schools. (See Gardner Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Gardner:

SchoolDigger ranks Gardner 314th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Gardner Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 17.07 290th 339 14.5%
2004 18.21 295th 344 14.2%
2005 21.13 294th 356 17.4%
2006 21.32 321st 399 19.5%
2007 45.09 247th 399 38.1%
2008 42.16 259th 407 36.4%
2009 46.60 241st 409 41.1%
2010 40.86 282nd 434 35.0%
2011 40.21 294th 449 34.5%
2012 24.95 352nd 455 22.6%
2013 24.65 356th 455 21.8%
2014 19.25 373rd 455 18.0%
2015 22.78 350th 441 20.6%
2016 13.80 429th 482 11.0%
2017 11.27 441st 487 9.4%
2018 17.22 403rd 484 16.7%
2019 14.32 430th 498 13.7%
2021 22.91 383rd 501 23.6%
2022 24.60 380th 497 23.5%
2023 23.05 381st 501 24.0%
2024 29.75 331st 493 32.9%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.13 70th 84 16.7%
2019 8.62 84th 87 3.4%
2021 20.19 78th 92 15.2%
2022 20.52 84th 102 17.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 62.29 15th 154 90.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.49 421st 467 9.9%
2019 17.11 436th 484 9.9%
2021 27.75 378th 489 22.7%
2022 27.47 389th 503 22.7%
2023 31.63 288th 444 35.1%
2024 31.08 285th 441 35.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.72 393rd 438 10.3%
2019 16.03 411th 452 9.1%
2021 30.75 341st 462 26.2%
2022 27.38 374th 489 23.5%
2023 32.47 343rd 481 28.7%
2024 40.58 260th 469 44.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.57 364th 463 21.4%
2019 10.77 441st 478 7.7%
2021 23.39 377th 483 21.9%
2022 27.94 358th 494 27.5%
2023 22.64 379th 489 22.5%
2024 33.64 304th 481 36.8%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.92 310th 417 25.7%
2019 25.11 333rd 424 21.5%
2021 27.16 321st 431 25.5%
2022 34.76 261st 445 41.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.63 422nd 466 9.4%
2019 17.81 402nd 478 15.9%
2021 24.59 361st 485 25.6%
2022 22.42 392nd 497 21.1%
2023 23.80 371st 489 24.1%
2024 25.28 356th 483 26.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 24.15 368th 491 25.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 26.49 252nd 339 25.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.76 214th 309 30.7%
2019 16.93 296th 322 8.1%
2021 34.97 215th 335 35.8%
2022 42.92 189th 368 48.6%
2023 28.95 266th 364 26.9%
2024 34.13 235th 378 37.8%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Gardner Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.77 376th 395 4.8%
2019 7.46 380th 396 4.0%
2021 13.37 363rd 401 9.5%
2022 13.85 367th 404 9.2%
2023 16.27 351st 403 12.9%
2024 22.14 306th 392 21.9%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Gardner Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Gardner Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 352 6 3 4 0 n/a n/a 0 365
1989 359 3 3 6 0 n/a n/a 0 371
1990 343 6 2 7 0 n/a n/a 0 358
1991 302 8 3 10 0 n/a n/a 0 323
1992 383 15 5 6 0 n/a n/a 0 409
1993 406 9 4 6 1 n/a n/a 0 426
1994 382 9 9 8 0 n/a n/a 0 408
1995 399 17 13 14 0 n/a n/a 0 443
1996 399 17 13 14 0 n/a n/a 0 443
1997 419 6 8 17 1 n/a n/a 0 451
1998 714 20 9 15 0 n/a n/a 0 758
1999 662 18 10 31 1 n/a n/a 0 722
2000 652 22 8 36 0 n/a n/a 0 718
2001 664 20 13 37 1 n/a n/a 0 735
2002 701 22 19 46 1 n/a n/a 0 789
2003 701 22 19 46 1 n/a n/a 0 789
2004 697 25 27 56 5 n/a n/a 0 810
2005 699 25 23 54 0 n/a n/a 0 801
2006 628 29 21 58 4 n/a n/a 0 740
2007 586 26 18 69 6 n/a n/a 1 706
2008 532 25 16 62 5 n/a n/a 4 644
2009 507 24 15 60 5 0 8 0 619
2010 497 24 10 52 5 0 7 0 595
2011 501 19 12 58 3 0 12 0 605
2012 475 22 10 59 4 0 12 0 582
2013 440 23 14 66 0 0 16 0 559
2014 445 23 14 73 0 0 18 0 573
2015 438 15 12 76 0 0 26 0 567
2016 386 10 9 80 1 0 50 0 536
2017 383 14 10 83 1 0 56 0 547
2018 370 12 10 103 0 0 48 0 543
2019 386 13 10 119 0 0 50 0 578
2020 381 9 11 124 1 0 60 0 586
2021 332 16 12 127 1 0 56 0 544
2022 309 14 9 130 1 0 55 0 518
2023 289 17 11 138 2 0 31 1 489

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Gardner Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 365 n/a n/a n/a
1989 371 n/a n/a n/a
1990 358 n/a n/a n/a
1991 323 n/a n/a n/a
1992 409 n/a n/a n/a
1993 426 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 408 n/a n/a n/a
1995 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 451 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 758 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 722 n/a 0.0 28.3
2000 718 n/a 0.0 26.7
2001 735 n/a 0.0 26.8
2002 789 n/a n/a 13.8
2003 789 n/a n/a 13.8
2004 810 52.6 15.4 28.9
2005 801 54.6 14.7 33.6
2006 740 49.9 14.8 39.9
2007 706 47.0 15.0 38.4
2008 644 46.0 14.0 40.6
2009 619 44.0 14.1 46
2010 595 44.5 13.3 47.6
2011 605 41.2 14.6 52.4
2012 582 43.0 13.5 51.5
2013 559 41.1 13.5 56
2014 573 43.2 13.2 59
2015 567 42.0 13.5 59.4
2016 536 43.0 12.4 n/a
2017 547 38.0 14.3 n/a
2018 543 41.7 13.0 n/a
2019 578 41.5 13.9 n/a
2020 586 42.0 13.9 n/a
2021 544 42.0 12.9 n/a
2022 518 41.9 12.3 n/a
2023 489 37.7 12.9 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Gardner Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 365 n/a n/a n/a
1989 371 n/a n/a n/a
1990 358 n/a n/a n/a
1991 323 n/a n/a n/a
1992 409 n/a n/a n/a
1993 426 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 408 n/a n/a n/a
1995 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 451 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 758 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 722 n/a 0.0 28.3
2000 718 n/a 0.0 26.7
2001 735 n/a 0.0 26.8
2002 789 n/a n/a 13.8
2003 789 n/a n/a 13.8
2004 810 52.6 15.4 28.9
2005 801 54.6 14.7 33.6
2006 740 49.9 14.8 39.9
2007 706 47.0 15.0 38.4
2008 644 46.0 14.0 40.6
2009 619 44.0 14.1 46
2010 595 44.5 13.3 47.6
2011 605 41.2 14.6 52.4
2012 582 43.0 13.5 51.5
2013 559 41.1 13.5 56
2014 573 43.2 13.2 59
2015 567 42.0 13.5 59.4
2016 536 43.0 12.4 n/a
2017 547 38.0 14.3 n/a
2018 543 41.7 13.0 n/a
2019 578 41.5 13.9 n/a
2020 586 42.0 13.9 n/a
2021 544 42.0 12.9 n/a
2022 518 41.9 12.3 n/a
2023 489 37.7 12.9 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Gardner Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $726 (5.3%) $13,013 (94.7%) $13,738
2020 $908 (6.6%) $12,926 (93.4%) $13,834
2021 $1,176 (7.8%) $13,972 (92.2%) $15,148

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Gardner Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 430th of 498 Middle schoolsRanks 381st of 501 Middle schools
 10.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (Gardner Middle School)3325.6
 7.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Gardner)3224.6
 7.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5243.8
 8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Gardner Middle School)3026.6
 3.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Gardner)2925.2
 3.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.9
 8.2%
5th Grade Science (Gardner Middle School)2917.3
 11.7%
   5th Grade Science (Gardner)2916.5
 12.5%
   5th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4841.6
 6.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Gardner Middle School)1929.2
 10.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Gardner)1728.6
 11.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5442.3
 11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Gardner Middle School)3131.5
 0.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Gardner)3031.1
 1.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)5141
 10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Gardner Middle School)2612.6
 13.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Gardner)2513.3
 11.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)4840.5
 7.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Gardner Middle School)2715.7
 11.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Gardner)2715.8
 11.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4838.1
 9.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (Gardner Middle School)2622.3
 3.8%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Gardner)2623.6
 2.4%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Gardner Middle School)3024.4
 5.6%
   All Grades Mathematics (Gardner)2623.2
 2.8%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Gardner Middle School)2917.3
 11.7%
   All Grades Science (Gardner)2824.7
 3.4%
   All Grades Science (Massachusetts)4741.2
 5.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students578489
 15.4%
African American1317
 30.8%
American Indian02
Asian1011
 10%
Hispanic119138
 16%
Pacific Islander00
White386289
 25.1%
Two or More Races5031
 38%


Schools Near Gardner Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Gardner Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 489 students attended Gardner Middle School.

Gardner Middle School ranks 331st of 493 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Gardner Middle School usually go on to attend Gardner High

Students at Gardner Middle School are 59% White, 28% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.


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





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