District At A Glance

North Reading is an outlying suburban town in Middlesex County, lying entirely within the watershed of the Ipswich River. Originally part of Lynn, North Reading was incorporated as a town in 1853 and retains a number of simple and well-preserved mid18th century center-chimney vernacular houses. The beautiful town center includes a Federal style meeting house, and an affluent Federal village with a well-preserved district of period houses.

The Town of North Reading is located 16 miles north of Boston and is bordered by Wilmington on the west, Andover and North Andover on the north, Middleton and Lynnfield on the east, and Reading on the south. With a population of more than 14,000, North Reading prides itself on a school system that has produced excellent student performance results and that regularly sends students to some of the nation’s best colleges. There are approximately 2,300 students attending the public schools that include three elementary schools (K-5), one middle school (6-8) and one high school (9-12).

North Reading Public Schools is a member of the SEEM Collaborative and the Northshore Education Consortium both providing services for special education students. North Reading students are also eligible to attend the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School District.

The L. D. Batchelder Elementary School, located at the corner of Peabody and Haverhill Street, first opened in 1917 and remained the only school building in North Reading until 1957. The school was named posthumously in honor of Leland Dennis Batchelder, educator and school committee person for over 25 years. Two additions were made to the original building, one in 1927 and the other in 1950. There are 26 classrooms accommodating 500 students. A major renovation to the original building in 2006 introduced many opportunities for new technology integration.

The J. Turner Hood Elementary School, located on Haverhill Street, opened in 1960. The school was named in honor of J. Turner Hood, superintendent of schools from 1948 – 1960. One addition was made to the original building in 1970. There are 27 classrooms accommodating 360 students. A 1998 building project brought a library as well as art and music classrooms. New modular classrooms were added in 2003.

The E. Ethel Little Elementary School, located on Barberry Road, opened in 1958. The school was named in honor of E. Ethel Little, a school committee member for 21 years, in advance of its opening by the school committee. One addition was made to the original building in 1970 and a second addition and renovation was completed in 1998. There are 20 classrooms accommodating 400 students. New modular classrooms were added in 2001.

In September 2014 a new North Reading High School opened, followed by a renovated North Reading Middle School in 2015. Together they share one campus, a performing arts center, gymnasium, and cafeterias. There are currently over 500 Middle School and 700 High School Students in the district. Our arts, athletics, and extra-curricular programs are highly competitive and inclusive and are enjoyed by our students, families, and the North Reading community as a whole.

In addition, the recreation department in cooperation with the school department completed a stadium project at the high school in 2009 that includes a new turf field, track, grandstands, and lighting. The project was completed without the use of taxpayer money, funded entirely by profits from the town owned and operated Hillview Golf Course.

North Reading is conveniently located approximately 15 miles north of Boston, off Interstate Route 93, and provides easy access to Interstate Routes 95 and 495. In addition, commuter rail service to Boston’s North Station is easily available from both Reading and Woburn.

Sources: adapted from NRPS 2016, Superintendent Kathleen Willis