Middle Schools in Clinton City Schools

Middle schools in Clinton City Schools consist of a single school, Sampson Middle, serving grades 6–8 in Clinton, NC, with 703 students and a remarkably high free/reduced-price lunch rate of 99.57%. Because there’s only one middle school in this district, the school’s test scores are also the district’s middle-school averages, so there are no rival schools to compare within this grade band — but the school still tells a clear story of progress and challenge.

Sampson Middle holds a 2-star SchoolDigger rating and ranks in the 33rd percentile statewide for the 2025–2026 school year, which is actually stronger than its 1-star district overall, suggesting the middle school is a relative bright spot. In the latest testing year, the school posted broad year-over-year gains: average math proficiency rose from 45.4% to 47.7%, reading jumped from 42.2% to 48.5%, and 8th-grade science soared from 40.9% to 51.4%. That said, every subject still trails the North Carolina state average. The smallest gap is just 3.7 points in 7th-grade math (52.5% proficient vs. 56.2% statewide), while the largest gaps appear in 8th-grade math (38.6% vs. 53.0%, a 14.4-point deficit) and 8th-grade science (51.4% vs. 68.6%, a 17.2-point deficit).

For parents, the key takeaway is that Sampson Middle is a high-need school with noticeable momentum. Chronic absenteeism sits at 26.0% — above the district’s 23.3% and the state’s 24.2% — which, alongside near-universal poverty, likely adds stress to learning. Reading scores are steady across all three grades at roughly 48–49%, while math proficiency declines sharply as students advance, hinting that older students may need extra support in 7th and 8th grade. Outside of 8th grade, the best state comparison is in 7th-grade math, and the strongest recent improvement came in science. Ultimately, this is a school making real academic progress from a challenging starting point; maintaining those gains — especially in 8th-grade math and science — will be essential for preparing students for high school.