Anne Chesnutt Middle

Anne Chesnutt Middle is a public middle school in western Fayetteville, NC, serving roughly 470 students in grades 6–8 as part of Cumberland County Schools. Nearly every student—99.4%—qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in one of the highest-poverty areas of the county. Despite that, Anne Chesnutt has steadily climbed from the bottom fifth of North Carolina middle schools to the 44th percentile statewide (438th of 778 in 2025–26).

Academic gains have been broad and steady. Between 2022–23 and 2025–26, proficiency improved in every tested grade and subject. Math gains were especially strong: sixth grade jumped from 28% to 47.8% proficient, while eighth grade rose from 30.5% to 51.9%. The biggest bright spot is 8th grade, where students outscored both the district and the state in reading and science—including 71.3% proficiency in science, above the state's 68.6%. The school also earned 4-star subgroup ratings for African American, Hispanic, English Learner, Special Education, Gifted, and low-income students compared with the same groups statewide. Consistent attendance appears to be part of the story: chronic absenteeism has dropped from 43.4% in 2020–21 to 24.3% in 2024–25, well below the district average of 33.7%.

Perhaps the most telling comparison sits just across Skibo Road. Lewis Chapel Middle serves nearly the same student population less than a quarter mile away, but Anne Chesnutt earned a much higher statewide ranking (438th vs. 614th) and a chronic absenteeism rate nearly half of Lewis Chapel's 53.4%. Anne Chesnutt also outperformed comparable high-poverty neighbors—including South View Middle, Douglas Byrd Middle, Westover Middle, and Luther Nick Jeralds Middle—by double digits in several subjects. With a favorable 13.7-to-1 student-teacher ratio, the school is well positioned to keep improving, although sixth and seventh grade math still trails state averages and military-connected students remain a relative weak spot worth watching.