Community
The Mahar Campus is located in Orange, situated near Routes 2, 202 and 122 in Franklin County. Orange is 75 miles west of Boston, near the intersection of the Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire borders. Orange is the second largest town in Franklin County, with an approximate population of 7,500.
School
Mahar is a regional school serving the towns of Orange, New Salem, Petersham and Wendell. It is compromised of a middle school (grades 7-8) and a comprehensive high school (grades 9-12). The total enrollment is approximately 820 students with a faculty of 81 and an assisting staff of 46.
Curriculum
Grouping: The middle school is heterogeneously grouped and employs a team concept to meet the needs of early adolescents. In the high school, grade 9 English, Science, World/History/Geography and Grade 12 Global Studies classes are heterogeneously grouped. Other classes are grouped by self-selection to meet the needs of a diverse student population. Special education programs are provided for students with diagnosed learning difficulties.
Levels of Instruction: The number preceding the course title indicates the level of difficulty:
5 Advanced Placement
4 Honors
3 College Preparatory
2 Comprehensive
1 Basic
Schedule: Grades 9-12 are block scheduled. Classes are 85 minutes per block. Each course meets for one semester. (Implemented: 1997-1998)
Credits: High school courses have credit value. A course that meets one block per day per semester is valued at 5 credits—the equivalent of a one year course on a non-block schedule. A course that meets one block every other day per semester is valued at 2.5 credits.
Students are scheduled for 40 credits per year, and 20 credits per semester.
Graduation Requirements
Students are required to earn a minimum of 140 credits, which must include:
| Required Classes: | Min Credits | Class of 2013 and beyond |
| English | 20 | 20 |
| Math | 20 | 20 |
| Science1 | 20 | 15 |
| Social Studies | 20 | 15 |
| Foreign Language2 | 10 | Recommended |
| Phys Ed | 10 | 10 |
| Health | 10 | 5 |
| Arts | 20 | 5 |
| Electives | 10 | 25 |
| Total | 140 | 115 |
| Massachusetts Competency Determination in Math & English for all students, and Science beginning with the class of 2010. | ||
| 35-hour-school to work experience | ||
1 At least 5 credits in physical science and 5 credits in biological science
2 2 years of the same language
Rank in Class
Rank in class is determined for grades 9-12 only. A weighted system reflecting the level of instruction of each course and the grade received is used to determine class rank. All classes are used to compute rank in class.
Post Graduate plans
| Class of: | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Class size | 87 | 91 | 120 |
| 4 year college | 33% | 37% | 33% |
| 2 year college | 47% | 36% | 41% |
| Voc/Tech college | 5% | 1% | 5% |
| Armed Forces | 5% | 1% | 2% |
| Other | 10% | 25% | 21% |
Scholastic Assessment Test
| % of seniors | Mean Critical Reading | Mean Math | Mean Writing | |
| 06-07 | 52% | 513 | 524 | 512 |
| 07-08 | 55% | 486 | 485 | 474 |
| 08-09 | 45% | 498 | 521 | 486 |
Grading System
| 90-100 | Excellent |
| 80-89 | Above Average |
| 70-79 | Average |
| 60-69 | Below Average |
| 0-59 | Failure |
Honors Level Classes Offered
Honors Advanced Chemistry
Honors Band
Honors Biology
Honors Chemistry
Honors Conservation Ecology
Honors English 10
Honors English 11
Honors English 12
Honors U.S. History I & II
Honors Physics
AP Level Classes Offered
AP Art
AP Biology
AP Calculus
AP English Language
AP English Literature
AP 20th Century U.S. History
Interscholastic sports:
Cheerleading (Football & Basketball), Football, Soccer, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Softball and Track
Other Co-Curricular Activities include, but are not limited to: National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, Fish N Game Club, Dramatics, Science Fair, Student Council, Yearbook, International Club, Concerts, Art Shows, Model United Nations, Mock Trials, Peer Education, Peer Mediators, Key Club, Ski Program, S.O.S. and Middle School Action Club, Junior Engineering Technical Society
Accreditation by New England Association of Schools and Colleges