Western Alamance Middle

Western Alamance Middle serves 837 students in grades 6–8 in Elon, NC, as part of the Alamance-Burlington Schools district. The school currently ranks 424th out of 778 North Carolina middle schools, placing it at the 46th percentile with a 2-star rating. That marks a meaningful rebound from last year's 31st percentile showing, though it remains below the school's own history: in 2015-16, Western ranked at the 70th percentile and earned 4 stars. About 55% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a considerably lower poverty rate than most nearby middle schools, several of which serve student bodies that are more than 99% low-income.

One of Western's clearest strengths is attendance. The chronic absenteeism rate is 22.6%, well below the district average of 30.0% and the statewide rate of 24.2%. Academically, the school is strongest in 6th and 7th grade math, with 69% and 61.1% proficiency respectively — both above state averages. Reading in those grades also lands right around the state average. In 2025-26, Western posted dramatic gains for student subgroups: gifted students jumped to the 75th percentile among NC middle schools, English learners to the 59th, and special education students to the 51st.

The biggest concern is 8th grade. Math proficiency falls to just 35% — a steep drop from the 69% proficiency Western achieves in 6th grade math, and 18 points below the state average. Eighth grade reading (46.4%) and science (59.5%) also trail the state. The comparison with Hawfields Middle is instructive: Hawfields serves a nearly identical low-income population and actually has higher chronic absenteeism, yet outperforms Western across nearly every subject and ranks at the 80th percentile. That gap suggests real upside for Western without any demographic change. The encouraging news is that 6th and 7th grade scores improved dramatically in 2025-26, and if those gains hold, Western may be returning to the solid performance it posted in the late 2010s.