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Cranberry Middle

Q: Is Cranberry Middle a good school?

Cranberry Middle ranks 227 th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

227^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 773 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 71% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Cranberry Middle is a public middle school located in Elk Park, North Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 184 students. The school is part of the Avery County Schools district, which is ranked 131 out of 242 districts in the state.

Cranberry Middle consistently outperforms the Avery County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 83.6% of 6th-grade students at Cranberry Middle were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 63.8% for the Avery County Schools district and 57.2% for the state. The school also ranks highly for its Special Education and Low Socioeconomic Status student subgroups, earning 5 out of 5 stars in recent years. Cranberry Middle has maintained a strong statewide ranking, consistently placing in the top 25% of North Carolina middle schools.

However, the school's performance has shown a declining trend in recent years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 63 out of 737 middle schools in 2018-2019 to 227 out of 773 in 2024-2025. This decline is accompanied by decreases in academic proficiency rates in several subject areas. Cranberry Middle's high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 47.4% to 98.37%, suggests the school may be serving a population with significant socioeconomic challenges. Compared to nearby schools, Bowman Middle has shown strong performance in some areas, particularly in Mathematics and Reading.

202

Students ?

11.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,973

Per pupil spending ?

96%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6230 North US Highway 19E
Elk Park, NC 28622

(828) 733-2932

District: Avery County Schools

Students who attend Cranberry Middle usually attend:

High:

Avery County High

Feeder schools for Cranberry Middle:

Elementary:	Freedom Trail Elementary
	Riverside Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.6%

Hispanic:

6.9%

Two or more races:

1.5%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Cranberry Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 91st percentile in 2015 → 71st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (63% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (71st percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school63%

District avg49%

North Carolina avg54%

227^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 29%▼ down 20 pts since 2015

From top 9% (2015) to top 29% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Avery County Schools

131^st of 242Avery County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	67.4	227 of 773	70.6%	★★★★☆
2024	70.5	205 of 793	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	78.0	155 of 784	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	185 of 786	76.5%	★★★★☆
2021	79.5	139 of 741	81.2%	★★★★☆
2019	87.1	63 of 737	91.5%	★★★★★
2018	79.5	115 of 691	83.4%	★★★★☆
2017	77.7	130 of 694	81.3%	★★★★☆
2016	76.3	144 of 692	79.2%	★★★★☆
2015	87.2	66 of 705	90.6%	★★★★★
2014	76.7	134 of 627	78.6%	★★★★☆
2013	65.7	187 of 673	72.2%	★★★★☆
2012	75.2	145 of 662	78.1%	★★★★☆
2011	75.7	135 of 648	79.2%	★★★★☆
2010	80.8	82 of 640	87.2%	★★★★☆
2009	81.3	83 of 630	86.8%	★★★★☆
2008	69.8	178 of 620	71.3%	★★★★☆
2007	67.0	202 of 606	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	73.4	128 of 598	78.6%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	59.7	111 of 475	76.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	56.0	303 of 733	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.4	240 of 738	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.2	189 of 731	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	179 of 733	75.6%	★★★★☆
2021	75.0	154 of 706	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	84.8	72 of 684	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	76.4	134 of 656	79.6%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	43.4	348 of 461	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	73.6	65 of 448	85.5%	★★★★☆
2019	73.0	43 of 416	89.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	71.0	137 of 729	81.2%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	104 of 743	86.0%	★★★★☆
2023	82.4	73 of 735	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	79.8	78 of 689	88.7%	★★★★☆
2021	84.6	44 of 633	93.0%	★★★★★
2019	91.6	20 of 639	96.9%	★★★★★
2018	90.1	19 of 604	96.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	76.3	151 of 733	79.4%	★★★★☆
2024	74.2	163 of 751	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.9	131 of 747	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	69.4	193 of 748	74.2%	★★★★☆
2021	81.6	108 of 711	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	87.6	61 of 697	91.2%	★★★★★
2018	80.8	95 of 665	85.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	89.0	16 of 473	96.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	49.9	316 of 649	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	338 of 652	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.1	289 of 656	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.0	359 of 658	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.7	229 of 632	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.7	132 of 624	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	62.7	213 of 596	64.3%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2024)97th percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)81st percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)79th percentile+9 vs school

Disabled (2018)77th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)59th percentile-12 vs school

White (2025)51st percentile-19 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2024)25th percentile-50 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Reading64%+11 vs state

Mathematics63%+10 vs state

Science59%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Cranberry Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cranberry Middle	Public	6-8	6230 North US Highway 19E	Elk Park	28622	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-2932	202	18	11.3	96.0%	185 (91.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	67.4	227^th of 773 public middle schools	70.6%		70.5	205^th of 793 public middle schools	74.1%	22	83.6	58.5	44.3	74.6	66.2	49.2	59.0	$11,973	$1,132	$10,841
Avery Middle	Public	6-8	102 Old Montezuma Road	Newland	28657	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-0145	181	19	9.3	98.3%	138 (76.2%)	1 (0.6%)	41 (22.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19.4	643^rd of 773 public middle schools	16.8%		32.6	550^th of 793 public middle schools	30.6%	93	36.7	27.5	22.9	38.8	30.4	42.9	51.4	$12,188	$1,295	$10,894
Mitchell Middle School	Public	6-8	5035 S 226 Hwy Ste B	Bakersville	28705	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 766-3340	380	27	14.0	97.4%	304 (80.0%)	1 (0.3%)	61 (16.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.9%)								(n/a)	32.1	39.1	34.8	40.5	38.3	52.2	61.4

Frequently Asked Questions about Cranberry Middle

Is Cranberry Middle a good school?

Cranberry Middle ranks 227^th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Cranberry Middle in?

Avery County Schools

How many students attend Cranberry Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 202 students attended Cranberry Middle.

What high school do graduates of Cranberry Middle attend?

Students who attend Cranberry Middle usually go on to attend Avery County High

What is the racial makeup of Cranberry Middle?

Students at Cranberry Middle are 92% White, 7% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

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Schools in Elk Park, NC

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.