massachusetts

Three public school districts in Worcester County, Massachusetts, tied for the county’s lowest overall Niche grade: C−. The 2027 evaluations reveal substantial differences behind that shared mark, including academic category grades ranging from B− to D+. Official reporting adds more texture: college-credit opportunities, specialized student supports and measurable improvement in attendance. Under Niche’s current methodology,…

Editor’s note: The 2027 evaluations show two pairs of tied districts—and some strengths that their overall grades don’t immediately reveal. A C+ report card and a nearly perfect graduation rate can belong to the same school district. In Franklin County, that contrast is a good reason to read beyond the biggest letter on the page….

Lawrence, Massachusetts, has one of the most complicated reputations in New England — a historic mill city with incredible food, deep immigrant roots, struggling schools, affordable housing by Massachusetts standards and a local image that residents say is both earned and unfair. To outsiders, Lawrence is often reduced to one word: rough. To people who…