Is Northern Middle a good school?

Northern Middle ranks 129 th of 328 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Northern Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 848 students attended Northern Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Northern Middle?

Students at Northern Middle are 43% White, 20% Hispanic, 20% African American, 12% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Northern Middle attend?

Students who attend Northern Middle usually go on to attend North Hagerstown High

Northern Middle

Summary:

Northern Middle is a public magnet middle school located in Hagerstown, Maryland, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 848. The school is part of the Washington County Public Schools district, which is ranked 12th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Northern Middle has a more diverse student population compared to the nearby schools, with 43.04% White, 19.69% African American, 20.28% Hispanic, 4.13% Asian, and 12.38% two or more races. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by MCAP test scores, is generally lower than the nearby schools, such as Clear Spring Middle, Boonsboro Middle, and Smithsburg Middle. Additionally, Northern Middle has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 68.4%, compared to the nearby schools, which range from 16.9% to 48.63%.

Despite these challenges, Northern Middle's students perform exceptionally well in Algebra I and Geometry, with proficiency rates of 72.3% and 90.5%, respectively, in the 2023-2024 school year. This suggests that the school may have a strong focus on advanced mathematics. However, the school's overall performance on MCAP tests varies significantly among different student subgroups, indicating that the school may need to focus on addressing the achievement gaps between different populations.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 6-8

701 Northern Ave
Hagerstown, MD 21742-2723

(301) 766-8258

District: Washington County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
129^th of 328 Maryland Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,670

Students who attend Northern Middle usually attend:

High:

North Hagerstown High

Feeder schools for Northern Middle:

Elementary:	Pangborn Elementary
	Paramount Elementary
	Potomac Heights Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

Number of students: 848

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.0%

Hispanic:

20.3%

African American:

19.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 68.4%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Northern Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northern Middle ranks better than 60.7% of middle schools in Maryland. It also ranks 5^th among 7 ranked middle schools in the Washington County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.27. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Northern Middle is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (43%), Hispanic (20.3%), African American (19.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 68.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northern Middle is 16.3. 5 middle schools in the Washington County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Northern Middle employs 52 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northern Middle is $17,670. 3 middle schools in the Washington County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Northern Middle was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Northern Middle 129^th of 328 Maryland public middle schools. (See Northern Middle in the ranking list.)

Washington County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Washington County Public Schools 12^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Northern Middle.

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Rank History for Northern Middle

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Rank History for all students at Northern Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	22.58	203^rd	252	19.4%
2005	24.94	194^th	255	23.9%
2006	23.54	197^th	254	22.4%
2007	24.70	202^nd	264	23.5%
2008	65.84	113^th	283	60.1%
2009	67.93	110^th	301	63.5%
2010	55.08	171^st	324	47.2%
2011	49.77	168^th	309	45.6%
2012	63.95	124^th	314	60.5%
2013	57.09	142^nd	316	55.1%
2014	57.94	161^st	339	52.5%
2015	41.39	187^th	315	40.6%
2016	36.33	197^th	314	37.3%
2017	30.93	216^th	317	31.9%
2018	31.87	220^th	328	32.9%
2019	43.60	163^rd	316	48.4%
2021	40.57	167^th	303	44.9%
2022	56.40	137^th	333	58.9%
2023	46.27	142^nd	322	55.9%
2024	52.27	129^th	328	60.7%

See the entire list of Maryland Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Northern Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	15.90	125^th	136	8.1%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northern Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	32.98	203^rd	273	25.6%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Northern Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	44.05	158^th	303	47.9%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Northern Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	32.12	192^nd	288	33.3%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Northern Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	22.87	216^th	259	16.6%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northern Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	39.25	116^th	207	44.0%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Northern Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	22.78	169^th	210	19.5%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maryland State Department of 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: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.7)

67%

33%

by a student
Monday, November 19, 2018

I went there for 2 years and got beat up twice and was randomly cornered in the hallways. There were so many fights that it was scary to walk through the halls. But I lived and now I'm in Waynesboro. Please pick Pa over Md. Close Quote

by a principal
Saturday, April 7, 2018

Great school culture and students!! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, March 8, 2012

Nothing but good things to say about Northern Middle. Our daughter is excelling there. She has had many "favorite" teachers who are each devoted to their students' success and acheievement. They have made learning fun. Our daughter is academically gifted, and the curriculum for merit students is challenging and stimulating. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Northern Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	447	46	9	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	509
1990	487	47	13	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	552
1991	536	68	9	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	616
1992	614	94	12	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	722
1993	599	111	8	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	721
1994	628	116	12	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	761
1995	635	99	15	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	751
1996	635	99	15	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	751
1997	563	102	17	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	685
1998	540	93	22	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	661
1999	540	94	26	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	665
2000	514	87	22	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	633
2001	527	105	13	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	659
2002	541	119	15	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	694
2003	541	119	15	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	694
2004	557	120	21	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	719
2005	517	128	18	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	689
2006	481	131	15	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	656
2007	485	152	17	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	685
2008	449	159	18	36	3	n/a	n/a	0	665
2009	440	167	18	37	0	n/a	n/a	0	662
2010	468	172	10	35	2	n/a	n/a	0	687
2011	457	151	12	60	0	0	41	0	721
2012	483	143	14	46	1	0	58	0	745
2013	476	158	13	56	1	2	62	0	768
2014	448	188	17	60	1	2	76	0	792
2015	423	183	16	70	2	2	72	0	768
2016	374	167	22	69	0	1	67	0	700
2017	350	159	14	84	0	0	67	0	674
2018	327	160	13	97	0	0	73	0	670
2019	352	182	16	97	0	3	80	0	730
2020	383	184	23	109	0	3	97	0	799
2021	391	171	21	113	2	2	109	0	809
2022	357	163	26	142	3	0	112	0	803
2023	365	167	35	172	3	0	105	1	848

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 Northern Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	509	31.0	16.4	n/a
1990	552	32.0	17.2	20.3
1991	616	38.0	16.2	18.5
1992	722	42.0	17.1	21.7
1993	721	42.5	17.0	21.8
1994	761	42.5	17.9	24.2
1995	751	44.0	17.1	21.8
1996	751	44.0	17.1	21.8
1997	685	43.0	15.9	21.6
1998	661	42.0	15.7	22.1
1999	665	42.0	15.8	25.7
2000	633	46.0	13.8	27.3
2001	659	45.0	14.6	31.1
2002	694	43.5	16.0	34
2003	694	43.5	16.0	34
2004	719	44.0	16.3	37.1
2005	689	43.0	16.0	38.8
2006	656	44.0	14.9	39.6
2007	685	45.0	15.2	41.8
2008	665	49.0	13.6	40.2
2009	662	48.0	13.8	46.1
2010	687	47.0	14.6	47.5
2011	721	47.0	15.3	49.9
2012	745	48.0	15.5	51.9
2013	768	49.0	15.6	52.3
2014	792	48.0	16.5	56.9
2015	768	51.0	15.0	57.2
2016	700	50.0	14.0	59
2017	674	48.0	14.0	54.3
2018	670	45.9	14.5	45.7
2019	730	46.9	15.5	48.1
2020	799	48.0	16.6	59.4
2021	809	52.0	15.5	60.7
2022	803	52.0	15.4	61.1
2023	848	52.0	16.3	68.4

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 Northern Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	509	31.0	16.4	n/a
1990	552	32.0	17.2	20.3
1991	616	38.0	16.2	18.5
1992	722	42.0	17.1	21.7
1993	721	42.5	17.0	21.8
1994	761	42.5	17.9	24.2
1995	751	44.0	17.1	21.8
1996	751	44.0	17.1	21.8
1997	685	43.0	15.9	21.6
1998	661	42.0	15.7	22.1
1999	665	42.0	15.8	25.7
2000	633	46.0	13.8	27.3
2001	659	45.0	14.6	31.1
2002	694	43.5	16.0	34
2003	694	43.5	16.0	34
2004	719	44.0	16.3	37.1
2005	689	43.0	16.0	38.8
2006	656	44.0	14.9	39.6
2007	685	45.0	15.2	41.8
2008	665	49.0	13.6	40.2
2009	662	48.0	13.8	46.1
2010	687	47.0	14.6	47.5
2011	721	47.0	15.3	49.9
2012	745	48.0	15.5	51.9
2013	768	49.0	15.6	52.3
2014	792	48.0	16.5	56.9
2015	768	51.0	15.0	57.2
2016	700	50.0	14.0	59
2017	674	48.0	14.0	54.3
2018	670	45.9	14.5	45.7
2019	730	46.9	15.5	48.1
2020	799	48.0	16.6	59.4
2021	809	52.0	15.5	60.7
2022	803	52.0	15.4	61.1
2023	848	52.0	16.3	68.4

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 Northern Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$885 (6.7%)	$12,299 (93.3%)	$13,184
2020	$686 (5.9%)	$11,028 (94.4%)	$11,688
2021	$1,955 (14.8%)	$11,276 (85.4%)	$13,204
2022	$1,564 (9.9%)	$14,186 (90.1%)	$15,749
2023	$4,220 (23.9%)	$13,450 (76.1%)	$17,670

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northern Middle

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 163^rd of 316 Middle schools	Ranks 142^nd of 322 Middle schools	7.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	730	848	16.2%
African American	182	167	8.2%
American Indian	0	3
Asian	16	35	118.8%
Hispanic	97	172	77.3%
Pacific Islander	3	0	100%
White	352	365	3.7%
Two or More Races	80	105	31.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	48.1%	68.4%	20.3%

Schools Near Northern Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAP Mathematics (2024)				MCAP English Language Arts (2024)				MCAP Algebra I (2024)	MCAP Geometry (2024)	MCAP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northern Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	701 Northern Ave	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 766-8258	848	52	16.3	68.4%	365 (43.0%)	167 (19.7%)	172 (20.3%)	35 (4.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (12.4%)	52.3	129^th of 328 public middle schools	60.7%		46.3	142^nd of 322 public middle schools	55.9%	13	27.6	17.6	8.4	24.5	50.4	51.4	48.9	50.3	72.3	90.5	22.7	$17,670	$4,220	$13,450
Western Heights Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1300 Marshall St	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 766-8403	903	59	15.4	77.4%	373 (41.3%)	208 (23.0%)	168 (18.6%)	18 (2.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	135 (15.0%)	30.4	203^rd of 328 public middle schools	38.1%		31.6	197^th of 322 public middle schools	38.8%	6	6.2	12.1		10.0	45.8	40.5	31.2	39.0	70.4		15.0	$17,287	$3,494	$13,793
E. Russell Hicks Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1321 S Potomac St	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 766-8110	824	50	16.4	74.4%	334 (40.5%)	214 (26.0%)	161 (19.5%)	22 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (11.2%)	52.4	128^th of 328 public middle schools	61.0%		50.6	126^th of 322 public middle schools	60.9%	2	23.8	21.4	10.5	21.3	53.5	50.0	46.9	50.0	52.5		21.1	$17,978	$4,254	$13,724
Springfield Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	334 Sunset Ave	Williamsport	21795	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 766-8389	748	50	15.0	67.8%	480 (64.2%)	87 (11.6%)	107 (14.3%)	15 (2.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (7.8%)	43.8	150^th of 328 public middle schools	54.3%		47.6	139^th of 322 public middle schools	56.8%	11	14.6	18.0	5.6	21.1	47.4	52.6	47.7	49.3	76.8	88.9	16.6	$16,303	$2,609	$13,694
Smithsburg Middle	Public	6-8	68 N Main St	Smithsburg	21783	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8353	534	39	13.8	46.6%	409 (76.6%)	39 (7.3%)	48 (9.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.2%)	89.3	29^th of 328 public middle schools	91.2%		85.7	36^th of 322 public middle schools	88.8%	7	36.6	40.7	35.3	41.9	68.4	66.3	70.0	68.2	88.1		40.1	$15,546	$1,264	$14,282
Boonsboro Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1 J-H Wade Dr	Boonsboro	21713	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 766-8038	610	44	13.8	36.4%	520 (85.2%)	31 (5.1%)	25 (4.1%)	12 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.4%)	84.8	41^st of 328 public middle schools	87.5%		86.7	32^nd of 322 public middle schools	90.1%	9	30.8	35.6	32.9	38.4	65.8	72.5	62.9	67.0	87.7		36.5	$18,441	$3,171	$15,270
Clear Spring Middle	Public	6-8	12628 Broadfording Rd	Clear Spring	21722	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8094	329	28	11.8	48.6%	286 (86.9%)	9 (2.7%)	21 (6.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	78.1	56^th of 328 public middle schools	82.9%		73.2	68^th of 322 public middle schools	78.9%	12	30.2	29.8	34.5	36.6	70.8	56.2	58.3	61.8	96.1		30.3	$22,268	$4,175	$18,093
Thurmont Middle	Public	6-8	408 E Main St	Thurmont	21788	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 236-5100	546	36	15.3	40.8%	461 (84.4%)	9 (1.6%)	49 (9.0%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.8%)	39.9	165^th of 328 public middle schools	49.7%		43.9	153^rd of 322 public middle schools	52.5%	12	9.9	17.0	13.0	15.6	41.5	40.0	45.6	42.4	60.0		20.7	$17,050	$951	$16,099
Middletown Middle	Public	6-8	100 Martha Mason St	Middletown	21769	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 236-4200	799	46	17.5	16.9%	647 (81.0%)	19 (2.4%)	72 (9.0%)	10 (1.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.0%)	82	48^th of 328 public middle schools	85.4%		86.4	33^rd of 322 public middle schools	89.8%	15	32.1	38.8	15.3	35.2	70.9	69.0	64.3	68.0	70.1		35.7	$14,183	$897	$13,286

Northern Middle

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Rank History for Northern Middle

Rank History for all students at Northern Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Northern Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northern Middle

Rank History for Female students at Northern Middle

Rank History for Male students at Northern Middle

Rank History for African American students at Northern Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northern Middle

Rank History for White students at Northern Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for Northern Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northern Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Northern Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Northern Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Northern Middle

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Northern Middle

Northern Middle

Western Heights Middle

E. Russell Hicks Middle

Springfield Middle

Smithsburg Middle

Boonsboro Middle

Clear Spring Middle

Thurmont Middle

Middletown Middle

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