Middle Schools in Brunswick County Schools

Brunswick County Schools in North Carolina operates five middle schools serving grades 6–8 with a combined enrollment of about 3,065 students. The district ranks 86th out of 246 North Carolina districts with a 3-star rating, yet its middle schools vary considerably, ranging from the 41st to the 67th percentile in statewide school rankings. Every school reports free/reduced lunch eligibility above 99 percent, so differences in academic outcomes cannot be explained by measured economic disadvantage.

Shallotte Middle is the strongest overall performer, holding a 3-star rating with a 67th-percentile state rank and the highest average EOG proficiency at about 63 percent. Town Creek Middle posts the best attendance picture with a 20.8 percent chronic absenteeism rate and the district's strongest 6th-grade math scores at 68.2 percent proficiency. Leland Middle is the most improved school, jumping from the 36th to the 50th percentile with an average EOG gain of roughly 10 percentage points, including a 19.5-point jump in 8th-grade reading. South Brunswick Middle is the biggest concern, dropping from the 61st to the 41st percentile and falling from 3 stars to 2 stars, driven largely by sharp declines in 8th-grade math and reading. Cedar Grove Middle presents a mixed picture, with the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 34.7 percent and inconsistent achievement despite the lowest student-teacher ratio.

Several findings stand out for parents. Science is a district strength—8th-grade science proficiency averages 68.8 percent—but middle-grade math is inconsistent, with 8th-grade math ranging from 35.1 percent at South Brunswick Middle to 64.1 percent at Shallotte Middle. Chronic absenteeism does not perfectly predict performance: Shallotte achieves top scores despite a 29.9 percent absenteeism rate, while Cedar Grove struggles with a 34.7 percent rate. South Brunswick's one-year drop may reflect a cohort-specific issue worth monitoring, and Leland's improvement could be understated by its 2-star rating despite reaching the 50th percentile.