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Walter R Johnson Middle

Q: Is Walter R Johnson Middle a good school?

Walter R Johnson Middle ranks 450 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

450^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 42% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Walter R Johnson Middle is a grades 6–8 school in Morganton, NC, serving 441 students as part of Burke County Schools. The school serves a very high-poverty population, with 99.3% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, which is typical for middle schools in this area.

Walter R Johnson Middle has several notable strengths. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 11.5% is far better than the district average (18.3%), the state average (24.2%), and most nearby schools like East Burke Middle (22.6%) and Table Rock Middle (28.4%). Academically, the school shows a striking bright spot in 8th grade, where 71.1% of students are proficient in math—well above the state average and higher than most nearby schools. That same group also excels in science. However, reading proficiency is a persistent challenge, with scores in every grade falling below district and state averages. Math performance in 6th and 7th grades also trails peers, though 7th grade math is close to the state average.

The school appears to be on a genuine upward trajectory, climbing from the 22nd percentile statewide in 2021-22 to the 42nd percentile today. Performance for many student groups, including English learners and low-income students, has improved dramatically in the past year. However, outcomes for Special Education students have dropped significantly and are now a serious concern. While the school has better attendance than most comparable schools in Burke County Schools, it still ranks below East Burke Middle, Liberty Middle, Heritage Middle, and Table Rock Middle overall. This suggests that while attendance is a strength, the main opportunity for growth lies in boosting reading proficiency and improving outcomes in grades 6 and 7.

441

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

701 Lenoir Road
Morganton, NC 28655

(828) 430-7340

District: Burke County Schools

Students who attend Walter R Johnson Middle usually attend:

High:

Freedom High

Feeder schools for Walter R Johnson Middle:

Elementary:	Hillcrest Elementary
	Mountain View Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

64.4%

White:

21.3%

Two or more races:

5.9%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Walter R Johnson Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 22nd percentile in 2022 → 42nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 42nd (2026) from a 22nd-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

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

!Reading scores 12 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg58%

450^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 42%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From top 40% (2016) to bottom 42% (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	43.4	450 of 778	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.2	554 of 773	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.5	598 of 793	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.0	584 of 784	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.3	614 of 786	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.6	521 of 741	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.1	460 of 737	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.3	333 of 691	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.8	327 of 694	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.8	275 of 692	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.2	225 of 705	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	64.8	190 of 627	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	55.6	280 of 673	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.7	270 of 662	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	66.7	226 of 648	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.3	214 of 640	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.2	242 of 630	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	70.7	168 of 620	72.9%	★★★★☆
2007	66.7	204 of 606	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.1	261 of 598	56.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	60.4	158 of 559	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	51.8	195 of 533	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.7	345 of 519	33.5%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	41.1	222 of 449	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.2	318 of 478	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.4	432 of 504	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	332 of 475	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	113 of 363	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	27.8	296 of 371	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.5	220 of 356	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.8	292 of 318	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	296 of 312	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	35.5	137 of 211	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.6	82 of 151	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.3	374 of 731	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.8	508 of 733	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.7	589 of 738	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.8	607 of 731	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	623 of 733	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.1	594 of 706	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.4	511 of 684	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.7	380 of 656	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.5	219 of 465	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.0	328 of 458	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.8	338 of 461	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.8	340 of 452	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.4	267 of 450	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.8	366 of 448	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.7	282 of 416	32.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	277 of 566	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.6	378 of 562	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.0	399 of 564	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.0	401 of 553	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.9	463 of 541	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.3	374 of 522	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.7	342 of 493	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.3	209 of 472	55.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.0	222 of 725	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.0	409 of 729	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	413 of 743	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	427 of 735	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.1	397 of 689	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.3	249 of 633	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.8	250 of 639	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.4	95 of 604	84.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.2	467 of 736	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.8	557 of 733	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.9	565 of 751	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.2	526 of 747	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.4	557 of 748	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.3	430 of 711	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.2	387 of 697	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.4	289 of 665	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	14.0	272 of 283	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.3	191 of 237	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	89.5	10 of 221	95.5%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.8	423 of 500	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.4	293 of 478	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.1	250 of 473	47.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.6	307 of 644	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.2	463 of 649	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.7	535 of 652	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.3	624 of 656	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	28.8	506 of 658	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.6	452 of 632	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.3	304 of 624	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.5	285 of 596	52.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2023)72nd percentile+46 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile+27 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)69th percentile+27 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)53rd percentile+11 vs school

White (2026)52nd percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)51st percentile+9 vs school

Disabled (2022)51st percentile+29 vs school

Female (2026)49th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)37th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)15th percentile-27 vs school

Multi-racial (2022)4th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science73%+4 vs state

Mathematics57%~ state avg

Reading44%-12 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, March 14, 2022

It was an excellent school before tablets were added and books were taken away. The children have a hard time remembering what is on a tablet, a book they can reference back to so much easier. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, September 12, 2014

I've given 2 stars based on first impressions. I hope they improve. Open house revealed a school that seemed unprepared for the school
year. Schedules for children were not ready, no locks in and other than home room teacher assignment no clear idea who other teachers
would be. Each teacher sent a "syllabus" home outlining rules for classroom. It would seem more advisable that teachers for each grade
would together have a standardized set of rules thus eliminating countless paper and confusion as to what is expected of students in each
class. Each teacher had their own bathroom use rule, one teacher had instructions on runny noses and tissue use, paper cuts and bandages,
use of classroom phone etc etc. Students not allowed use of locker between classes, tho when weighing my child's backpack it weighed 19
pounds. More than a fourth of her body weight. On her first week when she went to place her lunch bag in locker (despite still not having
locks) after lunch, a teacher told her she didn't need to be in locker and she should bring her lunch bag with her to class. I'm not sure what
the purpose of a locker is when access is extremely limited. The school has countless rules. I wasn't sure if we were sending her to
school or to military boot camp. I asked a teacher about specific tutoring programs and was given a non specific answer. These are just
a few of the instances that left me with less than impressed impression of school. It is early yet so maybe things will improve and if they do
I will improve my rating. The proof is in the pudding as they say. I will see how well they teach my child, if they engage her in the learning
process or if it is dry as dust. (One quick observation, while waiting in parking lot at school one day as I arrived early to pick up child, a
class came out to fly paper airplanes for an experiment of sorts. The teacher spent his time on cell phone instead of engaging with students.
Very disappointing. Time will tell. Close Quote

Schools Near Walter R Johnson 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/reduced lunch	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
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		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
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		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
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		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
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		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
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		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
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		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
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		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
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		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
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		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
East McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	676 State Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-7711	392	35	11.2		273 (69.6%)	16 (4.1%)	77 (19.6%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.1%)	34.1	521^st of 778 public middle schools	33.0%		31.6	529^th of 773 public middle schools	31.6%	8	52.0	50.4	37.4	46.4	44.4	44.0	63.7	$9,697	$1,539	$8,158

Frequently Asked Questions about Walter R Johnson Middle

What is the racial makeup of Walter R Johnson Middle?

Students at Walter R Johnson Middle are 64% Hispanic, 21% White, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American, 3% Asian.

What district is Walter R Johnson Middle in?

Burke County Schools

How many students attend Walter R Johnson Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 441 students attended Walter R Johnson Middle.

What high school do graduates of Walter R Johnson Middle attend?

Students who attend Walter R Johnson Middle usually go on to attend Freedom High

Is Walter R Johnson Middle a good school?

Walter R Johnson Middle ranks 450^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Walter R Johnson Middle!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.