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Massachusetts public high school

Murdock High School

Winchendon school district

C-
overall grade

Ranks #297 of 335 Massachusetts high schools.

Overall rank
#297
of 335 schools
Average SAT
935
MA average 1091
Graduation rate
90%
MA average 92%
Plan on college
62%
MA average 72%

SAT is the average total score of test takers. Graduation is the four-year rate. College is the share of graduates who report plans to attend a 2- or 4-year college.

Winchendon is a small town in north-central Massachusetts, near the New Hampshire border in the Montachusett region. Known historically as "Toy Town USA" for its once-thriving wooden toy and rocking horse manufacturing industry, the community retains a working-class character with mill buildings that reflect its industrial past. The town sits roughly midway between Worcester and the Monadnock region of southern New Hampshire.

How it compares

What stands out
  • Best of its categories: Graduation rate, in the bottom 31% statewide. 89.8% of students graduate in four years, vs 91.6% at the typical MA high school.
  • Area to watch: ELA MCAS ranks in the bottom 9% statewide.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 47.3% in 2022 to 34.8% in 2025.
  • Trend: ELA MCAS is down 23 points since 2023 (43% to 20%); statewide it fell 13 points.
Where it stands among 335 Massachusetts high schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Below averagebottom 12% · #297
SAT
Below averagebottom 14% · #292
ELA MCAS
Well below averagebottom 9% · #301
Math MCAS
Below averagebottom 25% · #247
AP results
Below averagebottom 16% · #270
Graduation
Below averagebottom 31% · #232
College plans
Below averagebottom 19% · #270

The overall rank weighs SAT (30%), MCAS (25%), AP results (20%), and graduates' college plans (25%). Categories rank only the schools with data for them. How we rank

SAT

Average total score935in 2025 · MA avg 1091
156 points below the MA avg
80011001400This school935MA avg10912017202020222025
By section (out of 800)
Reading & writingWorse than average
This school
486
MA avg
556
MathWorse than average
This school
449
MA avg
535

63 students took the SAT.

"MA avg" is the average of the 335 high schools we rank. Only students who choose to take the SAT are counted.

MCAS (10th grade)

Share of 10th graders meeting or exceeding expectations. Statewide results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement. There was no test in 2020.

English Language Arts20%in 2026 · state 45%
25 points below the state
0%50%100%This school20%State45%2019202120232026
Math28%in 2026 · state 44%
16 points below the state
0%50%100%This school28%State44%2019202120232026
Biologyhigh school science, 2026Worse than average
This school
17%
State
38%
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA · Math · Science (500+ = meeting expectations)488 · 490 · 485
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)23rd · 35th
Student growth percentile, ELA · Math (50 = typical growth)48 · 51

AP & advanced courses

AP exams scored 3+42%in 2025 · MA avg 66%
24 points below the MA avg
0%50%100%This school42%MA avg66%201520172019202120232025
Score breakdown
3
2
1
Score 5: 0%Score 4: 6%Score 3: 36%Score 2: 24%Score 1: 33%

27 students took 33 AP exams. A 3 or higher can earn college credit.

Completed an advanced coursegrades 11–12Worse than average
This school
53.7%
MA avg
71.4%
9th graders passing all coursesAbout average
This school
81.9%
MA avg
82.6%

After high school

Four-year graduation rate90%in 2024 · MA avg 92%
2 points below the MA avg
50%75%100%This school90%MA avg92%20152017201920212024
Dropped outof the four-year classWorse than average
This school
6.1%
MA avg
4.3%

2% of the class were still in school after four years.

Plan to attend college62%in 2025 · state 72%
11 points below the state
0%50%100%This school62%State72%201520172019202120232025
Graduates' plans · 52 graduates
Work
30.8%
4-year public college
26.9%
2-year public college
25%
4-year private college
9.6%
Other post-secondary
3.8%
Military
3.8%

Students

Who attends
White
78.5%
Hispanic/Latino
13.7%
Asian
3.1%
Black/African American
2.7%
Multi-Race
2%

41.8% female · 57.4% male · 0.8% nonbinary

Student needs
High needslow income, English learner, or disabilityHigher than average
This school
65.1%
MA avg
50.7%
Low incomeHigher than average
This school
53.8%
MA avg
39%
English learnersLower than average
This school
3.4%
MA avg
8.6%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
95.9%
Experienced teachersAbout average
This school
74.2%
MA avg
73.4%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
88.9%
MA avg
84.6%
Students per teacher
11.3MA avg 11.8
22.7 full-time-equivalent teachers

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateWorse than average
This school
89.1%
MA avg
92.3%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysWorse than average
This school
34.8%
MA avg
22.3%

18.4 days absent per student (MA avg 13.2) · Suspensions: 6.6% out-of-school, 0.7% in-school (MA high school avg 4% / 2.2%)

About Winchendon

Worcester County · Central Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$372KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,720MA median $6,814
Tax rate$12.70 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$28,079MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school90.7%
Town bond ratingAA

Winchendon district profile · What could you afford here? · All towns A–Z

Town figures are FY2026 averages for single-family homes from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Assessed values usually run below recent sale prices. "MA median" is the median of the state's 351 towns.

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