Enrollment
1,320
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Peabody, MA
J Henry Higgins Middle
Federal NCES profile for J Henry Higgins Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 250936001495
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
J Henry Higgins Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median. It is also one of the largest schools in Massachusetts.
- #9 of 11
- public schools in Peabody · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- students per teacher
- 1,320
- students enrolled
J Henry Higgins Middle has class sizes near the Massachusetts median. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, J Henry Higgins Middle ranks #9 of 11 public schools in Peabody, MA.
School address
District: Peabody · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250936001495 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
102.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J Henry Higgins Middle compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at J Henry Higgins Middle
J Henry Higgins Middle is a large middle school in Peabody, Massachusetts, enrolling 1,320 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Massachusetts, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,320 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 330 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Peabody spends $18,001 per pupil, 20% below the Massachusetts average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Peabody also operates Peabody Veterans Memorial High (1,333 students) and Thomas Carroll (645 students) alongside J Henry Higgins Middle.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How J Henry Higgins Middle compares
J Henry Higgins Middle on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.9:1 | ▲ 5% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,320 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,320
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 66% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,001
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 330 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
78
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 65.2%
Hispanic or Latino 25.6%
African American 5.0%
Two or More 2.0%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.6, J Henry Higgins Middle is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Peabody, which includes J Henry Higgins Middle.
$18,001
Per student
-20%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.7%
State 34.0%
Federal 7.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How J Henry Higgins Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peabody Veterans Memorial High | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Carroll | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Memorial | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| William a Welch Sr | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| John E. Mccarthy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to J Henry Higgins Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,333
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 645
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 385
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,320 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on J Henry Higgins Middle's federal record.
- Compare J Henry Higgins Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Peabody's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about J Henry Higgins Middle
How many students attend J Henry Higgins Middle?
J Henry Higgins Middle has 1,320 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Peabody, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J Henry Higgins Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at J Henry Higgins Middle is 12.9:1, which is 5% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J Henry Higgins Middle?
The largest demographic group at J Henry Higgins Middle is White at 65.2% of enrollment, in Peabody, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J Henry Higgins Middle?
J Henry Higgins Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does J Henry Higgins Middle rank among public schools in Peabody?
By Resource Investment Index, J Henry Higgins Middle ranks #9 of 11 public schools in Peabody, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Peabody on the city page.
Is J Henry Higgins Middle a good school?
J Henry Higgins Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median. It is also one of the largest schools in Massachusetts. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Peabody?
Besides J Henry Higgins Middle, Peabody also operates Peabody Veterans Memorial High (1,333 students), Thomas Carroll (645 students), and South Memorial (506 students). See the Peabody district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.