Enrollment
467
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Reading, MA
Walter S Parker Middle
Federal NCES profile for Walter S Parker Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 250999001612
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter S Parker Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Massachusetts schools.
- #5 of 9
- public schools in Reading · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.6:1
- small classes for Massachusetts
- 467
- students enrolled
Walter S Parker Middle has class sizes smaller than 71% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter S Parker Middle ranks #5 of 9 public schools in Reading, MA.
School address
District: Reading · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250999001612 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter S Parker Middle compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter S Parker Middle
Walter S Parker Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Reading, Massachusetts, enrolling 467 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 467 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 35/100).
15.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Reading's middle schools, it stands alongside Arthur W Coolidge Middle (405 students): Walter S Parker Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (10.6:1 vs 10.1:1).
Reading also operates Reading Memorial High (1,094 students) and J Warren Killam (406 students) alongside Walter S Parker 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 Walter S Parker Middle compares
Walter S Parker 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 | 10.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 467 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
467
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 29% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$18,744
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 80.3%
Asian 6.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
African American 5.1%
Two or More 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 80.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.5, Walter S Parker Middle is less mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Reading, which includes Walter S Parker Middle.
$18,744
Per student
-17%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.5%
State 25.7%
Federal 7.9%
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 Walter S Parker Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Memorial High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| J Warren Killam | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arthur W Coolidge Middle | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joshua Eaton | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alice M Barrows | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter S Parker Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,094
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle schools in Reading
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~467 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter S Parker Middle's federal record.
- Compare Walter S Parker Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Reading'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 Walter S Parker Middle
How many students attend Walter S Parker Middle?
Walter S Parker Middle has 467 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Reading, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter S Parker Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter S Parker Middle is 10.6:1, which is 14% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 32% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter S Parker Middle?
The largest demographic group at Walter S Parker Middle is White at 80.3% of enrollment, in Reading, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter S Parker Middle?
Walter S Parker Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Walter S Parker Middle rank among public schools in Reading?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter S Parker Middle ranks #5 of 9 public schools in Reading, 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 Reading on the city page.
Is Walter S Parker Middle a good school?
Walter S Parker Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Massachusetts schools. 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 Reading?
Besides Walter S Parker Middle, Reading also operates Reading Memorial High (1,094 students), J Warren Killam (406 students), and Arthur W Coolidge Middle (405 students). See the Reading 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.