Middle Schools in Bertie County Schools

Bertie County Schools has just one middle school, Bertie Middle in Windsor, NC, serving grades 6–8 with 354 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.2. Since this is the only middle school in Bertie County Schools, all district middle-school data is identical to the school’s own numbers. Bertie Middle serves an extremely high-poverty population: 99.15% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning nearly every student comes from a low-income household. That context is important for parents to understand the challenges the school faces and the support its students may need.

Academically, Bertie Middle is a mix of bright spots and areas of concern. In the most recent year, 6th grade math proficiency was 63%, actually above the state average of 59.2% — the only subject and grade where the school outperformed North Carolina. However, proficiency drops sharply by 8th grade: just 25.7% of 8th graders are proficient in math and 30.5% in reading, both far below state averages. The school’s overall state ranking has improved from 642nd out of 793 schools (19th percentile) in 2023–24 to 531st out of 778 (32nd percentile) in 2025–26, and it now holds a 2-star rating. That improvement is driven by strong year-over-year gains in 7th grade math (+21.8 percentage points), 7th grade reading (+14.1), and 8th grade science (+15.8), though some grades saw setbacks, especially 6th grade math and reading.

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern at Bertie Middle — 35.8% of students are chronically absent, well above the district rate of 28.7% and state rate of 24.2%. Given that roughly one in three students misses significant instructional time, it is no surprise that test performance lags, especially in 8th grade where only about one in four students is proficient in math. Still, the overall trend is positive: the school’s ranking and star rating have improved for two consecutive years, and the gain in 8th grade science shows that meaningful academic progress is possible. For parents, the key takeaway is that Bertie Middle serves a very high-need population, struggles with absenteeism and middle-school math and reading proficiency, but is showing real momentum and has proven it can meet state averages in specific areas like 6th grade math.