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Best Public Schools in Madison, NC

At a glance

Schools

1,166

Students

Top rankedWestern Rockingham Middle445^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools

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Summary:

Madison, North Carolina is served by three public schools in Rockingham County Schools—two elementary schools and one middle school—together covering grades PK–8 with a combined enrollment of 1,166 students in a predominantly high-poverty community. Every school in Madison has a free/reduced-price lunch rate above 97%, and the district itself ranks in the 30th percentile of North Carolina districts. While statewide rankings suggest these schools face significant challenges, the data reveals clear strengths and notable differences among them.

Western Rockingham Middle is the city’s academic anchor, beating its district in every tested subject and grade level. With 98.66% poverty, it still comes within a few points of state averages in middle-school math, and it holds the highest state percentile (43rd) among Madison schools. However, it has slipped from a 3-star to a 2-star rating over three years. Huntsville Elementary shows a rising fifth-grade bright spot—science jumped to 62.5% proficiency and reading improved to 51.6%—though third-grade reading and math remain weak. John W Dillard Academy has the lowest overall ranking but boasts the strongest science scores (65.1% in 5th grade) and the best attendance in Madison, with chronic absenteeism at 22.9%—below both the district and the state.

Despite these bright spots, no Madison school reached the state average in reading or math in 2025-2026. Reading is the citywide weakest subject, with early-grade gaps of 15–18 points in some cases, while math performance can swing dramatically from year to year. All three schools are trending downward or stagnant in statewide rankings, yet they outperform their own district in chronic absenteeism, and science stands out as a genuine academic strength across the board. For parents, the picture is nuanced: Western Rockingham and Huntsville offer district-competitive learning, Dillard excels in science and attendance, but literacy and sustained math growth remain the most urgent challenges citywide.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th 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
Western Rockingham Middle	Public	6-8	915 NW Ayersville Rd	Madison	27025	Rockingham County	Rockingham County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 548-2168	521	35	14.8	—	321 (61.6%)	53 (10.2%)	100 (19.2%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (7.9%)	43.9	445^th of 778 public middle schools	42.8%		49.9	386^th of 773 public middle schools	50.1%	59				58.1	55.3	48.4				46.9	51.3	52.5		61.1	$8,960	$915	$8,044
John W Dillard Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	810 Cure Dr	Madison	27025	Rockingham County	Rockingham County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 548-2472	256	16	16.0	—	162 (63.3%)	39 (15.2%)	36 (14.1%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.5%)	21.5	1257^th of 1492 public elementary schools	15.8%		27.3	1125^th of 1490 public elementary schools	24.5%	132	47.2	31.9	48.8				44.4	36.2	39.5				65.1		$9,262	$1,137	$8,126
Huntsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2020 Sardis Church Road	Madison	27025	Rockingham County	Rockingham County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 427-3266	389	26	14.8	97.4%	272 (69.9%)	26 (6.7%)	65 (16.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.2%)	29.1	1114^th of 1492 public elementary schools	25.3%		30.3	1084^th of 1490 public elementary schools	27.2%	30	44.1	49.3	53.1				38.2	46.7	51.6				62.5		$9,670	$1,142	$8,528

Cities Near Madison

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Mayodan	2.56 mi	1	300^th
Stoneville	6.38 mi	1	371^st
Reidsville	7.84 mi	15	402^nd
Summerfield	10.2 mi	5	48^th
Stokesdale	10.38 mi	1	84^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

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.