Summary:
This data set covers 20 middle schools in Guilford County Schools, serving nearly 14,040 students in a Guilford County district that ranks #150 of 246 in North Carolina with a 2-star rating. The middle schools are deeply divided: five schools earn 4 or 5 stars, 15 schools earn 2 stars or fewer, and no school earned 3 stars. Poverty is widespread, with 17 of 20 schools at 98%+ FRPL eligibility, and chronic absenteeism runs 29.2% districtwide versus 24.2% statewide.
Parents looking at top options should know that Brown Summit Middle ranks #4 in the state with a 99th-percentile rank and a remarkably low 5.7% chronic absenteeism rate, though it is also the district's smallest middle school (242 students). Northwest Guilford Middle (#48) is the strongest large school, posting roughly 79% average math/reading proficiency and 92.6% in 8th-grade science. Northern Guilford Middle (#80) is also strong and improved from #122 last year. Notably, Kernodle Middle (#185) and Lincoln Academy (#193) prove that high poverty is not destiny, achieving 4-star ratings while serving student bodies that are roughly 98-99% FRPL-eligible.
At the other end, Jackson Middle (#725), Welborn Middle (#702), and Otis L Hairston Senior Middle (#694) are the district's most challenged schools. Six schools exceed 40% chronic absenteeism, including Otis Hairston (46.4%) and Jackson (44.7%), and all rank in the bottom quarter of the state. The biggest academic red flag is 8th-grade math at 43.2% proficiency versus 53.0% statewide, with sharp drops from 6th to 8th grade in struggling schools. Welborn stands out because its chronic absenteeism is just 11.5% — better than most top schools — yet its academics are among the lowest, showing attendance alone cannot fix every school. On a positive note, 8th-grade science is a consistent strength even in low-performing schools, offering a foundation for improvement.
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