North Andover Schools Take Step Towards Head Of The Class

NORTH ANDOVER, MA -- It's no secret that the North Andover Public School System has had more than its share of troubles over the past two decades. But a new set of rankings suggests that efforts to right the school system are paying off. Niche released its rankings of the best schools and school districts in the state, and North Andover cracked the top 100 on both lists.

Overall, North Andover was ranked 72nd out of 218 public school districts in Massachusetts. The school research and data company gave the system grades of A for academics and college prep, and grades of A- for teachers as well as health and safety. See Niche's complete evaluation of North Andover Public Schools.

Meanwhile, North Andover High School was ranked 82nd out of 351 public high schools in Massachusetts, and 51 out of 340 in preparing students to do well in college. See Niche's complete evaluation of North Andover High School

"North Andover High School is a wonderful place to go to be prepared for your future," one North Andover High School alum wrote in reviews solicited by Niche. "Whether it be going to college, looking into going into the army, or going right into work, the system does an amazing job at introducing you to all your options and helping you figure out what the best one is for you."

Niche data analysts use data and user opinions to come up with their rankings for school districts. Data range from test scores to teacher salaries to attendance rates to provide one of the more comprehensive school system rankings.

In addition to the rankings, Niche offered a letter grade for each school in the district:

• Franklin Elementary: A
• Kittredge Elementary: A-
• Annie L. Sargent Elementary: B+
• Thomson Elementary: B+
• Atkinson Elementary: B
• North Andover Middle School: A-
• North Andover High School: A-

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Patch file photo by Cherries/Shutterstock.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).