Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Burns Middle

Q: Is Burns Middle a good school?

Burns Middle ranks 349 th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

349^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 773 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 55% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Burns Middle is a public middle school located in Lawndale, North Carolina, serving 756 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Cleveland County Schools district, which is ranked 97 out of 242 districts in the state.

Burns Middle consistently performs above the district and state averages in mathematics and reading proficiency across grades 6-8. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 6th-grade mathematics proficiency rate was 71.6%, compared to 63.4% for Cleveland County Schools and 57.2% for North Carolina. The school's performance is particularly strong in 6th-grade mathematics and 7th-grade reading, where it outperforms the district and state by a significant margin. Additionally, Burns Middle's Hispanic and English Language Learner (ELL) student groups perform exceptionally well, ranking in the top 25% and top 20% of North Carolina middle schools, respectively.

However, the school faces challenges in addressing performance gaps for other student groups, such as African American, White, and Special Education students, whose performance lags behind the state averages. Furthermore, Burns Middle has experienced a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, rising from 49.35% in 2021-2022 to 99.6% in 2023-2024, indicating growing economic challenges for the school and its community. When compared to nearby schools, Burns Middle generally outperforms other middle schools in the Cleveland County Schools district, but some nearby schools, such as Jacobs Fork Middle in the Catawba County Schools district, demonstrate stronger academic performance across multiple subject areas and grade levels.

744

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,061

Per pupil spending ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

215 Shady Grove Road
Lawndale, NC 28090-9483

(704) 476-8223

District: Cleveland County Schools

Students who attend Burns Middle usually attend:

High:	Burns High
	Cleveland ECHS

Feeder schools for Burns Middle:

Elementary:	Casar Elementary
	Fallston Elementary
	Union Elementary
	Washington Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.8%

African American:

15.6%

Hispanic:

9.8%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Burns Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 76th percentile in 2021 → 55th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 76th-percentile peak (2021) to 55th (2025)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 11 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school54%

District avg54%

North Carolina avg54%

349^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From top 50% (2015) to top 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Middle Schools in the Cleveland County Schools

97^th of 242Cleveland County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	53.5	349 of 773	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	377 of 793	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.1	315 of 784	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.2	291 of 786	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.1	180 of 741	75.7%	★★★★☆
2019	71.5	185 of 737	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	59.9	283 of 691	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.2	324 of 694	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	48.1	371 of 692	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	52.0	350 of 705	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	45.0	335 of 627	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.1	346 of 673	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	64.2	263 of 662	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	61.3	285 of 648	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.4	212 of 640	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	71.4	177 of 630	71.9%	★★★★☆
2008	65.3	229 of 620	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.8	226 of 606	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	56.4	301 of 598	49.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.8	317 of 546	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.1	293 of 560	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.3	303 of 559	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.1	141 of 550	74.4%	★★★★☆
2021	75.9	71 of 533	86.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.4	100 of 519	80.7%	★★★★☆
2018	56.7	168 of 494	66.0%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	25.3	373 of 449	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.1	368 of 478	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.3	257 of 504	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.7	197 of 475	58.5%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	60.4	77 of 356	78.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	343 of 733	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.1	341 of 738	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.5	311 of 731	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.5	250 of 733	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.2	169 of 706	76.1%	★★★★☆
2019	67.8	205 of 684	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	60.0	279 of 656	57.5%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	52.6	295 of 458	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.5	289 of 461	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.2	266 of 452	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.4	242 of 450	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	64.3	169 of 448	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.8	2 of 416	99.5%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	65.1	148 of 562	73.7%	★★★★☆
2024	59.0	193 of 564	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.6	92 of 553	83.4%	★★★★☆
2022	75.7	80 of 541	85.2%	★★★★☆
2021	92.6	22 of 522	95.8%	★★★★★
2019	82.2	48 of 493	90.3%	★★★★★
2018	64.9	125 of 472	73.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	57.9	262 of 729	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.5	323 of 743	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.8	209 of 735	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	61.7	210 of 689	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	81.6	58 of 633	90.8%	★★★★★
2019	80.6	63 of 639	90.1%	★★★★★
2018	67.9	144 of 604	76.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	53.5	323 of 733	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.5	371 of 751	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.3	306 of 747	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.1	295 of 748	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.2	175 of 711	75.4%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	173 of 697	75.2%	★★★★☆
2018	58.7	280 of 665	57.9%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	54.7	133 of 328	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.5	143 of 306	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.8	160 of 302	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	199 of 283	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.6	137 of 248	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	31.2	350 of 478	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.9	144 of 473	69.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	37.7	420 of 649	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.2	454 of 652	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.1	405 of 656	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.2	387 of 658	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.2	232 of 632	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.1	263 of 624	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.4	341 of 596	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2024)78th percentile+26 vs school

Hispanic (2025)74th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)64th percentile+9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)59th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)56th percentile~ school

Female (2025)53rd percentile~ school

African American (2025)42nd percentile-13 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)36th percentile-19 vs school

White (2025)35th percentile-20 vs school

Special Education (2025)27th percentile-28 vs school

Disabled (2022)17th percentile-46 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics56%~ state avg

Reading55%~ state avg

Science49%-11 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Burns Middle and help other families decide.

Rate Burns Middle

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Burns Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)				EOG Reading (2025)				EOG Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Burns Middle	Public	6-8	215 Shady Grove Road	Lawndale	28090	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8223	744	43	17.1	99.6%	512 (68.8%)	116 (15.6%)	73 (9.8%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.1%)	53.5	349^th of 773 public middle schools	54.9%		51.9	377^th of 793 public middle schools	52.5%	28		71.6	56.7	38.5		54.1	56.7	52.6		48.7	$9,061	$807	$8,254
West Lincoln Middle	Public	6-8	260 Shoal Rd	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 276-1760	563	39	14.4	98.8%	473 (84.0%)	6 (1.1%)	48 (8.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.9%)	52.8	359^th of 773 public middle schools	53.6%		63.1	265^th of 793 public middle schools	66.6%	94		55.2	45.6	50.0		55.2	44.8	59.2		67.4	$8,615	$996	$7,618
John Chavis Middle School	Public	6-8	103 South Chavis Drive	Cherryville	28021	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9606	412	27	14.9	99.3%	296 (71.8%)	38 (9.2%)	56 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.3%)	45.9	427^th of 773 public middle schools	44.8%		52.5	366^th of 793 public middle schools	53.8%	61		45.5	46.3	49.3		40.2	45.6	58.7		68.8	$9,634	$956	$8,678
Shelby Middle	Public	6-8	1480 South Dekalb Street	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8328	588	35	16.6	99.5%	178 (30.3%)	293 (49.8%)	74 (12.6%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.5%)	37.6	488^th of 773 public middle schools	36.9%		28.9	570^th of 793 public middle schools	28.1%	82		51.9	52.5	42.5		39.5	45.0	50.8		43.5	$11,218	$923	$10,295
Crest Middle	Public	6-8	315 Beaver Dam Church Rd	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8221	810	50	16.3	98.9%	490 (60.5%)	200 (24.7%)	71 (8.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (5.7%)	60.9	276^th of 773 public middle schools	64.3%		52.5	367^th of 793 public middle schools	53.7%	91		61.3	65.1	57.7		52.7	57.8	61.9		49.0	$8,409	$668	$7,741
Kings Mountain Intermediate	Public	5-6	227 Kings Mountain Boulevard	Kings Mountain	28086	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8366	601	32	19.0	99.3%	352 (58.6%)	144 (24.0%)	56 (9.3%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (6.7%)								(n/a)	60.0	66.9			52.7	51.9			60.7		$8,233	$1,444	$6,788
Jacobs Fork Middle	Public	7-8	3431 Plateau Road	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 462-1827	482	30	16.3	52.9%	327 (67.8%)	28 (5.8%)	60 (12.4%)	32 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.3%)	68	221^st of 773 public middle schools	71.4%		70.3	209^th of 793 public middle schools	73.6%	12			58.3	60.5			51.4	67.5		70.0	$8,548	$885	$7,663
Kings Mountain Middle	Public	7-8	1000 Phifer Road	Kings Mountain	28086	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8340	631	37	16.9	99.5%	348 (55.2%)	162 (25.7%)	58 (9.2%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (8.9%)	54.9	329^th of 773 public middle schools	57.4%		51.1	383^rd of 793 public middle schools	51.7%	54			53.6	47.3			57.3	61.9		52.1	$8,838	$691	$8,147
Lincolnton Middle	Public	6-8	2361 Startown Road	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 735-1120	563	41	13.8	99.5%	250 (44.4%)	79 (14.0%)	166 (29.5%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.3%)	29.8	551^st of 773 public middle schools	28.7%		37.2	515^th of 793 public middle schools	35.1%	36		39.9	39.7	47.5		32.0	37.7	48.6		52.5	$8,847	$1,187	$7,659
East Rutherford Middle School	Public	6-8	259 East Church Street	Bostic	28018	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 245-3750	533	27	20.0	98.7%	350 (65.7%)	66 (12.4%)	76 (14.3%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.9%)	37.2	492^nd of 773 public middle schools	36.4%		52	375^th of 793 public middle schools	52.7%	117		54.6	43.1	36.3		40.2	49.7	48.5		52.4	$9,615	$916	$8,699

Frequently Asked Questions about Burns Middle

What high school do graduates of Burns Middle attend?

Students who attend Burns Middle usually go on to attend Burns High

Is Burns Middle a good school?

Burns Middle ranks 349^th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Burns Middle in?

Cleveland County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Burns Middle?

Students at Burns Middle are 69% White, 16% African American, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Burns Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 744 students attended Burns Middle.

Rate Burns Middle!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Middle School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Lawndale, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Burns Middle!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.