Chocowinity Middle

Chocowinity Middle in Chocowinity, NC, is a midsize eastern North Carolina school serving 366 students in grades 5–8 within Beaufort County Schools — a structurally unique setup since most nearby middle schools serve only grades 6–8.

This is a school that beats expectations. With roughly 99% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, Chocowinity still ranks in the 60th percentile statewide (309th of 778 North Carolina middle schools) and earns a solid 3-star rating. Its strongest subject is math, where 6th graders posted an impressive 82.4% proficiency rate compared to 59.2% statewide. The school is also notably effective with student groups that often face challenges elsewhere: Hispanic students rank in the 91st percentile statewide, economically disadvantaged students in the 81st, and English Language Learners in the 96th. Compared to its same-district neighbor, P S Jones Middle (just 7.3 miles away and with similar poverty levels), Chocowinity outranks it considerably — 60th percentile vs. 30th — including a dramatic gap in 6th grade math (82.4% vs. 38.2% proficiency).

The main concerns are attendance and upper-grade performance. Chronic absenteeism has worsened to 31.9%, about 8 points above the state average — and notably higher than Hope Middle, the region's top performer, which sits at just 16.5%. Reading also weakens by 8th grade (48.5% proficiency vs. 56.1% statewide), and 8th grade science dropped from an excellent 75.3% to 56.0% in the most recent year. For parents, the bottom line is this: Chocowinity is a high-poverty school delivering above-average results, especially in math and for diverse learners, but improving attendance and stabilizing upper-grade reading and science would give it a strong path toward 4- or 5-star status.