The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in Math. The lowest is 65% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Wilson Middle
Wilson Middle serves grades five through eight in the Natick public school system, a regular public school in a town that blends residential neighborhoods with commercial districts. The school sits about ten miles west of Boston, in a community that has seen steady growth and new construction, including thousands of condominiums and apartments built near the West Natick commuter rail stop. The school itself is one of the town’s two middle schools, and families should know that the district recently closed an elementary school, which shifted attendance zones, and has broken ground on a replacement building for the other middle school, Kennedy Middle School.
Academically, Wilson Middle performs well relative to other schools across the state. On the NextGen MCAS, the school’s proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science all land in a range that positions the school above the midpoint among districts in Middlesex County. The overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, also sits above the midpoint of the county’s districts. The school’s proficiency rates in math and ELA have held fairly steady over the past several years, with a dip during the 2020-21 school year and a recovery since. The most recent year’s results show a slight uptick in math and a steady performance in ELA. Science results, which are tested only in eighth grade for this grade band, are similarly solid. Social studies, tested in eighth grade only, also shows a strong proficiency rate. The school reports near-universal participation in testing, which means the results reflect nearly the entire student body.
The student body is predominantly white, with Asian students making up the next largest group, followed by Hispanic and Black students, and a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races. There is a very small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students. Data on students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, and information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was also missing, so it is difficult to assess the school’s economic diversity or the level of support for students with special needs. A parent interested in those aspects of the school’s environment would need to reach out to the school or the district directly.
The school is a typical public middle school, not a charter or magnet, and no Title I status was reported. The school’s location on Rutledge Road places it in a residential part of Natick, a town that has a walkable downtown with a library, common, and arts center, but where schools are spread across town rather than clustered in one area. Housing values in the area are elevated, with a median home value well above the national benchmark and above the Massachusetts benchmark, and rents are also high. The local housing market has been active, with a notable number of pending listings in recent months. For families considering a move to Natick, the cost of housing is a major factor, and the school’s academic profile is a strong one within this relatively expensive market. The town’s economy includes major employers like MathWorks and the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center, and it is served by two MBTA Commuter Rail stations, making it a viable option for commuters to Boston.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Similarly, because the school serves only grades five through eight, it does not offer high school level programs such as Advanced Placement or career pathways, and those data points are not applicable here. No information on chronic absenteeism or other attendance metrics was available. A parent considering Wilson Middle will find a school with consistently solid test scores across all subjects, set in a town that is growing and has a range of civic and commercial amenities, but one where the cost of living is high and where some key data points on student supports are not readily accessible from the available records.
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