The E. Ethel Little School, located in the southwestern corner of North Reading, was built in 1958. A major renovation in 1970 added a library, gym, several additional classrooms and school facilities. Beginning in 1990, the school was closed for five years due to low enrollment. The school reopened in 1995, and it underwent another renovation project from 1997 to 1999. Athletic fields behind the school serve both the school and the town's recreation programs. The school is named after E. Ethel Little, a lifelong North Reading resident who served on the school committee for 21 years.