Murdock High School

Summary:

Murdock High School is a public high school located in Winchendon, Massachusetts, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 263. The school is part of the Winchendon School District, which is ranked 306 out of 351 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Murdock High School's academic performance, as measured by MCAS test scores, is consistently below the state average and the performance of nearby schools like Goodrich Academy, Sizer School, Fitchburg High, and Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical. For example, in 2023-2024, only 35.29% of 10th-grade students at Murdock High School were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 56.86%. In mathematics, the proficiency rate was just 23.53%, compared to the state average of 48.47%.

Murdock High School's performance, as measured by its statewide ranking and SchoolDigger rating, has declined over the years, from a ranking of 234 out of 351 schools in 2018-2019 (2-star rating) to a ranking of 271 out of 348 schools in 2023-2024 (1-star rating). The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated, ranging from a low of 67.1% in 2019-2020 to a high of 91.1% in 2022-2023, while the dropout rate has also been variable, ranging from 1.8% in 2020-2021 to 13.7% in 2019-2020. These rates are generally higher than the state average and nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 9-12

3 Memorial Drive
Winchendon, MA 01475

(978) 297-1256

District: Winchendon

SchoolDigger Rank:
271^st of 348 Massachusetts High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,266

Feeder schools for Murdock High School:

Elementary:	Memorial
	Toy Town Elementary
Middle:	Murdock Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 263

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.4%

Hispanic:

9.1%

Asian:

3.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Murdock High School ranks worse than 77.9% of high schools in Massachusetts. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.64. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Murdock High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (81.4%), Hispanic (9.1%), Asian (3.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Murdock High School is 11.4. (See more...)

Compare Murdock High School employs 22.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Murdock High School is $16,266.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Murdock High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Murdock High School 271^st of 348 Massachusetts public high schools. (See Murdock High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Winchendon:

SchoolDigger ranks Winchendon 306^th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Murdock High School.

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Rank History for Murdock High School

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Rank History for all students at Murdock High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile
2015	16.90	311^th	354	12.1%
2016	25.86	289^th	351	17.7%
2017	22.36	293^rd	348	15.8%
2018	30.06	272^nd	345	21.2%
2019	41.47	234^th	351	33.3%
2021	15.98	238^th	285	16.5%
2022	14.53	296^th	342	13.5%
2023	31.02	249^th	347	28.2%
2024	25.64	271^st	348	22.1%

See the entire list of Massachusetts High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Murdock High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	28.85	274^th	344	20.3%
2019	50.33	174^th	348	50.0%
2021	19.07	230^th	268	14.2%
2022	21.73	281^st	339	17.1%
2023	41.05	150^th	301	50.2%
2024	18.23	248^th	289	14.2%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Murdock High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	43.05	211^th	330	36.1%
2019	55.23	153^rd	330	53.6%
2021	19.56	211^th	253	16.6%
2022	21.05	272^nd	332	18.1%
2023	31.21	243^rd	338	28.1%
2024	32.50	237^th	338	29.9%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Murdock High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	23.86	282^nd	339	16.8%
2019	43.58	222^nd	342	35.1%
2021	13.00	241^st	281	14.2%
2022	4.52	322^nd	340	5.3%
2023	28.76	249^th	339	26.5%
2024	21.35	276^th	342	19.3%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Murdock High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	10.03	280^th	299	6.4%
2019	27.38	222^nd	299	25.8%
2021	33.95	134^th	202	33.7%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Murdock High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	32.44	265^th	343	22.7%
2019	35.26	250^th	346	27.7%
2021	18.35	231^st	281	17.8%
2022	32.02	233^rd	339	31.3%
2023	28.84	249^th	343	27.4%
2024	27.17	255^th	342	25.4%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Murdock High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	14.14	284^th	303	6.3%
2019	25.24	241^st	302	20.2%
2021	7.00	240^th	249	3.6%
2022	4.53	291^st	300	3.0%
2023	25.48	229^th	301	23.9%
2024	14.05	266^th	302	11.9%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts High 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.

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, November 21, 2017

The teachers show a lack of interest in their students and their teaching positions. The biggest problem is turning a blind eye to bullying. They claim to care about the students but when an issue comes up, they turn a blind eye and ignore the situation. The teachers embarrass students in front of others regarding grades and homework. They show preferential treatments towards athletes, scholars, and students from popular families over who they deem to be an underachiever. The administrative staff sets unrealistic goals for students with no concern over their emotional and physical well being. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Murdock High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2014	298	6	2	14	1	0	4	0	325
2015	298	9	4	12	2	0	5	0	330
2016	271	8	3	14	2	0	4	0	302
2017	243	6	9	23	1	0	7	0	289
2018	255	5	9	25	2	0	8	0	304
2019	247	6	10	29	1	0	7	0	300
2020	217	3	13	20	1	0	7	0	261
2021	222	4	6	19	1	1	9	0	262
2022	218	6	10	20	1	1	8	1	265
2023	214	5	9	24	0	2	8	1	263

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 Murdock High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	325	27.7	11.7	44.9
2015	330	28.0	11.7	48.8
2016	302	26.0	11.6	n/a
2017	289	27.5	10.4	n/a
2018	304	25.4	11.9	n/a
2019	300	25.6	11.7	n/a
2020	261	25.5	10.2	n/a
2021	262	21.1	12.3	n/a
2022	265	23.5	11.2	n/a
2023	263	22.9	11.4	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 Murdock High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	325	27.7	11.7	44.9
2015	330	28.0	11.7	48.8
2016	302	26.0	11.6	n/a
2017	289	27.5	10.4	n/a
2018	304	25.4	11.9	n/a
2019	300	25.6	11.7	n/a
2020	261	25.5	10.2	n/a
2021	262	21.1	12.3	n/a
2022	265	23.5	11.2	n/a
2023	263	22.9	11.4	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 Murdock High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$466 (3.1%)	$14,417 (96.9%)	$14,883
2020	$483 (3.1%)	$15,250 (96.9%)	$15,733
2021	$982 (6.0%)	$15,283 (94.0%)	$16,266

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Murdock High 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 234^th of 351 High schools	Ranks 249^th of 347 High schools	5.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Murdock High School)	63	43.5	19.5%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Winchendon)	58	40	18%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)	61	58.2	2.8%
10th Grade Mathematics (Murdock High School)	43	31.9	11.1%
10th Grade Mathematics (Winchendon)	40	30.1	9.9%
10th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)	58	49.7	8.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	300	263	12.3%
African American	6	5	16.7%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	10	9	10%
Hispanic	29	24	17.2%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	247	214	13.4%
Two or More Races	7	8	14.3%

Schools Near Murdock High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2024)				MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2024)				MCAS Next Generation Science (2024)			MCAS Next Generation Biology (2024)	MCAS Next Generation Physics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Biology All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Physics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Murdock High School	Public	9-12	3 Memorial Drive	Winchendon	01475	Worcester County	Winchendon	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 297-1256	263	23	11.4		214 (81.4%)	5 (1.9%)	24 (9.1%)	9 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	8 (3.0%)	25.6	271^st of 348 public high schools	22.1%		31	249^th of 347 public high schools	28.2%	22			35.3				23.5			45.2		36.2		$16,266	$983	$15,283
Murdock Academy for Success	Public	9-12	175 Grove St	Winchendon	01475	Worcester County	Winchendon	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 297-1256	22	1	22.0		18 (81.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (9.1%)								(n/a)														$10,526	$983	$9,543
Narragansett Regional High	Public	8-12	464 Baldwinville Rd	Baldwinville	01436	Worcester County	Narragansett	No	No	No	No	(978) 939-5388	468	37	12.7		378 (80.8%)	5 (1.1%)	50 (10.7%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.9%)	42.4	220^th of 348 public high schools	36.8%		48.2	189^th of 347 public high schools	45.5%	31		31.2	59.3	31.2		23.2	43.5	23.2	36.8	31.3	36.8	34.4		$16,029	$505	$15,524
Gardner High	Public	8-12	200 Catherine Street	Gardner	01440	Worcester County	Gardner	No	No	No	No	(978) 632-1600	804	54	14.8		493 (61.3%)	32 (4.0%)	194 (24.1%)	10 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (8.6%)	26	269^th of 348 public high schools	22.7%		21.8	281^st of 347 public high schools	19.0%	12		20.4	41.1	20.4		13.6	35.6	13.6	17.9	28.8	17.9	24.3		$14,661	$1,176	$13,485
Oakmont Regional High School	Public	9-12	9 Oakmont Drive	Ashburnham	01430	Worcester County	Ashburnham-Westminster	No	No	No	No	(978) 827-5907	658	45	14.7		569 (86.5%)	9 (1.4%)	42 (6.4%)	8 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.7%)	60.5	151^st of 348 public high schools	56.6%		53.2	169^th of 347 public high schools	51.3%	18			62.0				56.3			48.4		58.2		$15,487	$503	$14,984
Gardner Academy for Learning and Technology	Public	9-12	160 Elm Street	Gardner	01440	Worcester County	Gardner	No	No	No	No	(978) 632-1673	108	5	22.5		77 (71.3%)	6 (5.6%)	17 (15.7%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.6%)								(n/a)			33.3				9.1							$14,319	$1,176	$13,143
Athol High	Public	9-12	2363 Main Street	Athol	01331	Worcester County	Athol-Royalston	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 249-2435	404	30	13.4		292 (72.3%)	15 (3.7%)	78 (19.3%)	8 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	13	308^th of 348 public high schools	11.5%		22.3	278^th of 347 public high schools	19.9%	30			37.8				19.1			14.0		17.5		$17,358	$1,440	$15,919
Fitchburg High	Public	9-12	140 Arn-How Farm Rd	Fitchburg	01420	Worcester County	Fitchburg	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 345-3240	1,246	96	12.9		279 (22.4%)	108 (8.7%)	711 (57.1%)	70 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (6.2%)	13	307^th of 348 public high schools	11.8%		10.4	310^th of 347 public high schools	10.7%	3			31.9				23.5			17.9		17.2		$14,741	$847	$13,894
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical	Public	9-12	1050 Westminster Street	Fitchburg	01420	Worcester County	Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 345-9200	1,409	120	11.7		1,020 (72.4%)	34 (2.4%)	250 (17.7%)	19 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (4.8%)	72.8	100^th of 348 public high schools	71.3%		71	108^th of 347 public high schools	68.9%	8			69.8				55.5			63.9		59.9		$22,165	$1,317	$20,848
Sizer School: A North Central Charter Essential School	Public, Charter	7-12	500 Rindge Road	Fitchburg	01420	Worcester County	Sizer School: A North Central Charter Essential (District)	Yes	No	No	Yes	(978) 345-2701	344	36	9.6		199 (57.8%)	31 (9.0%)	86 (25.0%)	5 (1.5%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.9%)	13	309^th of 348 public high schools	11.2%		25.3	269^th of 347 public high schools	22.5%	40	51.7	47.8	32.6	49.6	32.1	10.5	17.4	20.3	38.7	24.4	38.7	23.4	28.9	$17,948	$1,400	$16,548

Frequently Asked Questions about Murdock High School

How many students attend Murdock High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 263 students attended Murdock High School.

What schools feed into Murdock High School?

Murdock High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Memorial
Elementary : Toy Town Elementary
Middle : Murdock Middle School

Is Murdock High School a good school?

Murdock High School ranks in the bottom 22.1% of Massachusetts high schools.

What district is Murdock High School in?

Winchendon

What is the racial makeup of Murdock High School?

Students at Murdock High School are 81% White, 9% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

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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.