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Liberty Middle

Q: Is Liberty Middle a good school?

Liberty Middle ranks 265 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

265^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 66% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Liberty Middle serves 453 students in grades 6–8 in Morganton, NC, as part of Burke County Schools. Despite serving an economically vulnerable population—99% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch—the school posts academic results that often surpass district and state averages, earning 3 stars and ranking in the 66th percentile statewide (265 of 778 middle schools), above the North Carolina median. The school’s most notable strength is attendance: just 12.7% of students are chronically absent, versus 18.3% for Burke County Schools and 24.2% statewide. That rate is roughly half that of nearby Table Rock Middle (28.4%), Hudson Middle (26.4%), and Gamewell Middle (30.6%), making it one of the most consistent-attendance schools in the region.

The school’s signature achievement is 6th-grade math, where proficiency reached 79.8% in 2025–2026—far above the district’s 61.1% and the state’s 59.2%. Reading in 6th grade is also strong at 57.6% proficiency. Success forms a tale of two grade bands: lower grades excel while upper grades have slipped. Because nearly every nearby middle school—including East Burke Middle, Heritage Middle, and Walter R Johnson Middle—serves the same high-poverty population (about 99%), the school’s stronger results in most subjects suggest it uses resources effectively. English Learners have made notable strides, jumping from the 50th to the 71st percentile statewide in a single year.

Parents should also know the challenges. Eighth-grade math proficiency fell to 51.0% in 2025–2026, well below the district’s 62.7% and trailing peers like Heritage Middle (73.5%) and Walter R Johnson Middle (71.1%). Eighth-grade science (73.2%) remains above the state but below the district. Gifted and Talented students rank at the 43rd percentile statewide, suggesting the school may not be stretching its top learners. The school’s statewide rank has slipped from an 82nd-percentile peak in 2022–2023 to its current 66th percentile, while nearby East Burke Middle and Table Rock Middle have improved. Protecting its exceptional attendance culture and 6th-grade momentum while adding support in upper-grade math and enrichment will be key to reversing the slide.

453

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

529 Enola Road
Morganton, NC 28655

(828) 437-1330

District: Burke County Schools

Students who attend Liberty Middle usually attend:

High:

Patton High School

Feeder schools for Liberty Middle:

Elementary:	Forest Hill Elementary
	Mull Elementary
	Salem Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.8%

Hispanic:

17.7%

Two or more races:

7.7%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Liberty Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 77th percentile in 2016 → 66th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (63% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg58%

265^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 34%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From top 23% (2016) to top 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

83^rd of 246Burke 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
2026	63.4	265 of 778	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.0	252 of 773	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.2	220 of 793	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	80.4	138 of 784	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	68.6	215 of 786	72.6%	★★★★☆
2021	58.9	273 of 741	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.0	231 of 737	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.7	219 of 691	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	72.8	168 of 694	75.8%	★★★★☆
2016	73.0	161 of 692	76.7%	★★★★☆
2015	75.0	154 of 705	78.2%	★★★★☆
2014	69.6	162 of 627	74.2%	★★★★☆
2013	59.3	240 of 673	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	75.5	140 of 662	78.9%	★★★★☆
2011	76.5	123 of 648	81.0%	★★★★☆
2010	79.5	98 of 640	84.7%	★★★★☆
2009	80.9	89 of 630	85.9%	★★★★☆
2008	76.7	121 of 620	80.5%	★★★★☆
2007	80.2	68 of 606	88.8%	★★★★☆
2006	75.3	108 of 598	81.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.1	190 of 553	65.6%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	14.5	99 of 111	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.6	72 of 102	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.3	54 of 95	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	61.7	88 of 449	80.4%	★★★★☆
2021	40.4	273 of 478	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.7	176 of 504	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	23.2	423 of 475	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.9	104 of 363	71.3%	★★★★☆
2025	42.9	187 of 371	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.3	90 of 356	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	83.0	20 of 318	93.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.3	230 of 731	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.5	221 of 733	69.8%	★★★★☆
2024	69.5	193 of 738	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.7	121 of 731	83.4%	★★★★☆
2022	64.0	236 of 733	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	320 of 706	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.6	243 of 684	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.9	197 of 656	70.0%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.7	265 of 465	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.7	238 of 458	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.8	238 of 461	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.8	171 of 452	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.7	148 of 450	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.9	365 of 448	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.5	284 of 416	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	70.3	18 of 127	85.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.7	254 of 566	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.4	290 of 562	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	73.4	92 of 564	83.7%	★★★★☆
2023	70.8	112 of 553	79.7%	★★★★☆
2022	76.8	69 of 541	87.2%	★★★★☆
2021	57.2	179 of 522	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.0	243 of 493	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.1	225 of 472	52.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	257 of 725	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.1	166 of 729	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	71.8	133 of 743	82.1%	★★★★☆
2023	87.0	45 of 735	93.9%	★★★★★
2022	77.7	89 of 689	87.1%	★★★★☆
2021	62.2	179 of 633	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	64.7	177 of 639	72.3%	★★★★☆
2018	56.6	239 of 604	60.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.9	290 of 736	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.4	250 of 733	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.8	232 of 751	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.8	140 of 747	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	69.7	192 of 748	74.3%	★★★★☆
2021	63.3	227 of 711	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.2	208 of 697	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	63.6	235 of 665	64.7%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.7	202 of 333	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.5	129 of 328	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.9	75 of 306	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	53.0	115 of 283	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.9	112 of 237	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.1	84 of 221	62.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.3	280 of 500	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.0	120 of 478	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	52.7	149 of 473	68.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.3	312 of 644	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.8	290 of 649	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.3	348 of 652	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.6	194 of 656	70.4%	★★★★☆
2022	51.7	304 of 658	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.6	376 of 632	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.2	312 of 624	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.0	300 of 596	49.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)80th percentile+8 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)71st percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)69th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2026)66th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)65th percentile~ school

Male (2026)61st percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)55th percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)52nd percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2026)44th percentile-22 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)43rd percentile-23 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)39th percentile-27 vs school

Asian (2025)11th percentile-57 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science73%+5 vs state

Mathematics66%+9 vs state

Reading57%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Liberty Middle went above and beyond any other public school in Burke County to educate my gifted child. Mr. Johnston is an amazing math teacher and was able to take my son to a whole new level in math during the 8th grade. Mr. Holden is a very attentive principal. He was always available and went out of his way to make my children and my family feel welcomed at the school. My other son has an IEP and the school was very accommodating with all of his needs. The communication from all of the teachers was amazing. Mr. Parker (8th grade English) really made his class fun and he teaches his students to love learning. Mrs. McDonald (7th grade) takes children to the next level. She really makes students "step up" with her high expectations and her students rise to the occasion. This academic year has been the best for my children and it is because of the caring teachers and staff at Liberty Middle School. Liberty Middle School is THE best thing Burke County has to offer. Close Quote

Schools Near Liberty Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
Liberty Middle	Public	6-8	529 Enola Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-1330	453	29	15.6	99.3%	307 (67.8%)	15 (3.3%)	80 (17.7%)	16 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.7%)	63.4	265^th of 778 public middle schools	65.9%		65	252^nd of 773 public middle schools	67.4%	13	79.8	63.4	51.0	57.6	58.5	54.4	73.2	$8,674	$830	$7,844
Walter R Johnson Middle	Public	6-8	701 Lenoir Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 430-7340	441	34	12.9	99.3%	94 (21.3%)	24 (5.4%)	284 (64.4%)	13 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.9%)	43.4	450^th of 778 public middle schools	42.2%		29.2	554^th of 773 public middle schools	28.3%	104	45.9	57.5	71.1	40.1	46.2	45.3	72.7	$8,789	$1,074	$7,715
Heritage Middle	Public	6-8	1951 Enon Road	Valdese	28690	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 874-0731	475	29	16.1	99.2%	349 (73.5%)	19 (4.0%)	43 (9.1%)	30 (6.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (6.3%)	61.7	280^th of 778 public middle schools	64.0%		66.5	237^th of 773 public middle schools	69.3%	43	55.3	66.3	73.5	50.0	62.6	53.2	76.9	$8,601	$890	$7,711
Table Rock Middle	Public	6-8	1585 Nc 126	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-5212	427	31	14.0	99.1%	282 (66.0%)	34 (8.0%)	53 (12.4%)	20 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.7%)	56.2	337^th of 778 public middle schools	56.7%		49.2	390^th of 773 public middle schools	49.5%	53	46.3	66.7	65.0	49.0	53.3	51.6	85.4	$9,032	$751	$8,280
East Burke Middle	Public	6-8	3519 Miller Bridge Road	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 397-7446	630	40	15.9	99.2%	459 (72.9%)	14 (2.2%)	59 (9.4%)	58 (9.2%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (1.0%)	32 (5.1%)	64.9	249^th of 778 public middle schools	68.0%		50.7	383^rd of 773 public middle schools	50.5%	134	74.1	58.9	57.9	56.2	61.1	59.5	74.4	$8,638	$679	$7,959
Gamewell Middle	Public	6-8	3210 Gamewell School Road	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-6204	457	30	15.3	98.5%	282 (61.7%)	47 (10.3%)	89 (19.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.7%)	19.7	652^nd of 778 public middle schools	16.2%		18.6	648^th of 773 public middle schools	16.2%	4	40.8	37.8	26.8	44.2	48.1	34.2	47.7	$8,743	$1,279	$7,464
Granite Falls Middle	Public	6-8	4 West Highland Ave	Granite Falls	28630	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 396-2341	518	34	15.3	99.4%	402 (77.6%)	16 (3.1%)	65 (12.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (6.0%)	47.2	420^th of 778 public middle schools	46.0%		65.9	243^rd of 773 public middle schools	68.6%	177	58.6	42.1	53.5	49.7	53.9	63.0	61.8	$9,031	$920	$8,111
Hudson Middle	Public	6-8	291 Pine Mountain Road	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 728-4281	551	33	16.6	98.9%	456 (82.8%)	6 (1.1%)	66 (12.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.6%)	55.2	350^th of 778 public middle schools	55.0%		47.8	407^th of 773 public middle schools	47.3%	57	56.3	50.5	59.3	59.9	49.2	61.0	75.6	$9,317	$1,021	$8,296
William Lenoir Middle	Public	6-8	1366 Wildcat Trail	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 726-3910	512	30	17.1	98.8%	300 (58.6%)	60 (11.7%)	110 (21.5%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.8%)	39.4	484^th of 778 public middle schools	37.8%		50.9	381^st of 773 public middle schools	50.7%	103	43.6	49.2	51.3	46.4	53.1	51.9	63.3	$9,237	$791	$8,446
Jacobs Fork Middle	Public	7-8	3431 Plateau Road	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 462-1827	482	30	16.3	52.9%	327 (67.8%)	28 (5.8%)	60 (12.4%)	32 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.3%)	61.9	279^th of 778 public middle schools	64.1%		68	221^st of 773 public middle schools	71.4%	58		68.4	51.2		59.0	58.6	73.8	$8,548	$885	$7,663

Frequently Asked Questions about Liberty Middle

Is Liberty Middle a good school?

Liberty Middle ranks 265^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Liberty Middle?

Students at Liberty Middle are 68% White, 18% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 3% African American.

How many students attend Liberty Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 453 students attended Liberty Middle.

What high school do graduates of Liberty Middle attend?

Students who attend Liberty Middle usually go on to attend Patton High School

What district is Liberty Middle in?

Burke County Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.