Summary:
The city of High Point, North Carolina is home to 4 middle schools serving grades 6-8, all part of the Guilford County Schools district. While the schools share a high-poverty student population, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 99.25% to 99.71%, their academic performance varies significantly.
The standout school is Allen Jay Middle - A Preparatory Academy, which has the highest statewide ranking among the 4 schools, ranking 315th out of 793 North Carolina middle schools in 2023-2024. This magnet school also boasts the highest test scores across multiple subjects and grade levels, outperforming both the district and state averages. In contrast, Southwest Guilford Middle, the second-highest ranked school, has seen its performance decline in recent years, dropping from 355th in 2022-2023 to 458th in 2024-2025.
The other two schools, Ferndale Middle and Welborn Middle, have lower statewide rankings and generally lower test scores compared to the top two schools and the district/state averages. Factors such as the schools' magnet program focus and the significant disparities in academic performance across the district suggest that there may be more to the story than just funding and student-teacher ratios.
Thank you for your feedback!