Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Harold E. Winkler Middle

Q: Is Harold E. Winkler Middle a good school?

Harold E. Winkler Middle ranks 410 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

410^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 47% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Harold E. Winkler Middle is a large public middle school in Concord, NC, serving 1,094 students in grades 6–8 as part of Cabarrus County Schools, a district ranked well above average statewide. The school's own standing, however, has dropped sharply: after ranking in the low-80s percentile and earning 4 stars in both 2022–2023 and 2023–2024, Winkler now sits at the 47th percentile (2 stars) for 2025–2026. That decline has occurred alongside a major shift in the student body — the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch jumped from roughly 40% in 2023–2024 to 62% in 2024–2025.

Academically, Winkler now trails the district average in most subjects and sits at the lower end among nearby middle schools serving a similar share of low-income students. In math, proficiency across grades 6, 7, and 8 ranges from 47.6% to 53.0%, and 8th grade science proficiency is 62.1% — below C C Griffin Middle (65.8%), J N Fries Magnet School (65.8%), and Roberta Road Middle (73.2%). Attendance is an additional strain: 20.3% of Winkler students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, up from 15.7% the year before and above the district average of 18.0%. By contrast, higher-performing, lower-poverty schools nearby post much lower rates — 7.8% at Hickory Ridge Middle and 8.3% at Harris Road Middle.

There are bright spots worth noting. Winkler's 7th grade reading proficiency (62.5%) beats the state average (56.3%), and its 6th grade reading rate also tops the state — a sign that literacy instruction has held up through the transition. The school also continues to outperform very high-poverty schools in the region, including Concord Middle, Ridge Road Middle in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and Kannapolis Middle School 7/8 and Kannapolis Middle School 6 in Kannapolis City Schools, all of which serve mostly low-income populations and rank near the bottom statewide. The key question is whether Winkler's drop represents a lasting reset or a temporary dip: results for 2025–2026 are mostly flat or slightly improved from the prior year, suggesting the decline may be leveling off — but rising absenteeism and uneven outcomes among some student groups will require continued attention.

1,094

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

62.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

4501 Weddington Rd NW
Concord, NC 28027-9091

(704) 260-6450

District: Cabarrus County Schools

Feeder schools for Harold E. Winkler Middle:

Elementary:	Carl A Furr Elementary
	Weddington Hills Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

32.2%

White:

29.0%

African American:

26.7%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Harold E. Winkler Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 83rd percentile in 2024 → 47th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 83rd-percentile peak (2024) to 47th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg58%

410^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 47%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to bottom 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

67^th of 246Cabarrus 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	48.5	410 of 778	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.8	406 of 773	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	79.9	132 of 793	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	75.9	164 of 784	79.1%	★★★★☆
2022	53.6	352 of 786	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.0	260 of 741	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.7	188 of 737	74.5%	★★★★☆
2018	52.6	346 of 691	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.9	348 of 694	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	37.2	453 of 692	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.7	380 of 705	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.9	292 of 627	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.6	200 of 673	70.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	267 of 553	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.5	251 of 546	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	77.6	86 of 560	84.6%	★★★★☆
2023	78.4	80 of 559	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	66.8	112 of 550	79.6%	★★★★☆
2021	74.0	77 of 533	85.6%	★★★★☆
2019	79.3	59 of 519	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	51.3	216 of 494	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.7	60 of 121	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.4	44 of 111	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	80.9	23 of 110	79.1%	★★★★☆
2023	74.1	41 of 110	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.3	64 of 109	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.7	49 of 99	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	16.3	433 of 449	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	46.7	212 of 478	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.4	104 of 504	79.4%	★★★★☆
2018	62.4	94 of 475	80.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.2	256 of 363	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.4	307 of 371	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.0	211 of 356	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.3	162 of 318	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.1	255 of 312	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.2	120 of 236	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.0	33 of 211	84.4%	★★★★☆
2018	51.3	41 of 151	72.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	376 of 731	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.3	374 of 733	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	80.7	121 of 738	83.6%	★★★★☆
2023	77.7	138 of 731	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	55.2	302 of 733	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.7	252 of 706	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.5	207 of 684	69.7%	★★★★☆
2018	52.1	343 of 656	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.3	133 of 465	71.4%	★★★★☆
2025	61.6	199 of 458	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.3	79 of 461	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	60.1	206 of 452	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.1	219 of 450	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.5	155 of 448	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.7	126 of 416	69.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.9	390 of 566	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.4	369 of 562	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.7	278 of 564	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.5	193 of 553	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.9	349 of 541	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.4	247 of 522	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.3	151 of 493	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.9	290 of 472	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	68.4	9 of 44	79.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.2	412 of 725	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.1	428 of 729	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.6	291 of 743	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.7	222 of 735	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	57.8	246 of 689	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.3	153 of 633	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	67.1	153 of 639	76.1%	★★★★☆
2018	50.3	293 of 604	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.9	410 of 736	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.8	402 of 733	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	76.8	148 of 751	80.3%	★★★★☆
2023	71.4	180 of 747	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	49.5	368 of 748	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.6	259 of 711	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.2	177 of 697	74.6%	★★★★☆
2018	51.2	342 of 665	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	14.5	53 of 54	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.5	98 of 333	70.6%	★★★★☆
2025	41.9	200 of 328	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	71.8	69 of 306	77.5%	★★★★☆
2023	44.0	174 of 302	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.7	137 of 283	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.2	88 of 248	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.3	39 of 237	83.5%	★★★★☆
2018	50.2	104 of 221	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.5	316 of 500	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.5	335 of 478	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.5	394 of 473	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.5	167 of 644	74.1%	★★★★☆
2025	68.5	192 of 649	70.4%	★★★★☆
2024	86.5	70 of 652	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	82.4	103 of 656	84.3%	★★★★☆
2022	70.9	176 of 658	73.3%	★★★★☆
2021	70.5	161 of 632	74.5%	★★★★☆
2019	75.0	139 of 624	77.7%	★★★★☆
2018	59.5	232 of 596	61.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)80th percentile+32 vs school

White (2026)74th percentile+27 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)71st percentile+24 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)71st percentile+23 vs school

African American (2026)52nd percentile+4 vs school

Asian (2026)50th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)49th percentile~ school

Male (2026)44th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2026)37th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)31st percentile-16 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)29th percentile-18 vs school

Disabled (2022)4th percentile-52 vs school

Military Connected (2023)2nd percentile-77 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science62%-6 vs state

Reading57%~ state avg

Mathematics51%-6 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Harold E. Winkler Middle and help other families decide.

Rate Harold E. Winkler Middle

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Harold E. Winkler Middle

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2024-25)	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
Harold E. Winkler Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4501 Weddington Rd NW	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6450	1,094	63	17.3	62.2%	317 (29.0%)	292 (26.7%)	352 (32.2%)	54 (4.9%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	73 (6.7%)	48.5	410^th of 778 public middle schools	47.3%		47.8	406^th of 773 public middle schools	47.5%	4	53.0	50.9	47.6	56.8	62.5	52.4	62.1	$8,533	$668	$7,865
Roberta Road Middle	Public	6-8	4850 Roberta Rd	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(704) 260-6840	906	53	17.2	53.8%	307 (33.9%)	278 (30.7%)	218 (24.1%)	45 (5.0%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	52 (5.7%)	53.8	360^th of 778 public middle schools	53.7%		54.5	334^th of 773 public middle schools	56.8%	26	58.2	55.5	48.5	51.2	55.0	62.5	73.2
J N Fries Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-8	133 Stonecrest Circle SW	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6510	755	44	17.3	50.9%	294 (38.9%)	190 (25.2%)	163 (21.6%)	51 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (7.4%)	53.4	366^th of 778 public middle schools	53.0%		63.1	261^st of 773 public middle schools	66.2%	105	60.2	54.0	47.1	59.3	60.3	55.6	65.8	$8,307	$482	$7,825
Northwest Cabarrus Middle	Public	6-8	5140 NW Cabarrus Drive	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6550	825	40	20.4	33.0%	323 (39.2%)	173 (21.0%)	121 (14.7%)	156 (18.9%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	45 (5.5%)	82	113^th of 778 public middle schools	85.5%		81.5	124^th of 773 public middle schools	84.0%	11	73.5	77.1	71.1	68.2	67.2	69.8	82.7	$8,575	$473	$8,102
Kannapolis Middle School 7/8	Public	7-8	1000 Virginia Dare Street	Kannapolis	28081	Cabarrus County	Kannapolis City Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 932-4102	782	47	16.5	—	211 (27.0%)	189 (24.2%)	322 (41.2%)	10 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.4%)	8.2	733^rd of 778 public middle schools	5.8%		13.8	694^th of 773 public middle schools	10.2%	39		30.6	25.5		29.1	28.5	40.5	$9,092	$930	$8,162
Kannapolis Middle School 6	Public	6	1445 Oakwood Ave.	Kannapolis	28081	Cabarrus County	Kannapolis City Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(704) 932-4102	358	18	20.0	—	78 (21.8%)	107 (29.9%)	139 (38.8%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.8%)								(n/a)	35.2			30.4
Hickory Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	7336 Raging Ridge Rd	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6490	1,057	51	20.8	17.1%	428 (40.5%)	198 (18.7%)	88 (8.3%)	283 (26.8%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (5.1%)	93.3	40^th of 778 public middle schools	94.9%		94.8	36^th of 773 public middle schools	95.3%	4	87.1	83.0	81.8	80.5	81.7	77.6	90.9	$7,652	$395	$7,258
Concord Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1500 Gold Rush Drive	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(704) 260-6430	583	36	16.2	—	108 (18.5%)	218 (37.4%)	219 (37.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.0%)	19.3	657^th of 778 public middle schools	15.6%		7.5	732^nd of 773 public middle schools	5.3%	75	42.9	31.3	35.4	34.4	41.6	35.8	59.1	$9,893	$515	$9,378
Harris Road Middle	Public	6-8	1251 Patriot Blvd	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6470	1,368	68	20.0	13.5%	423 (30.9%)	201 (14.7%)	88 (6.4%)	593 (43.3%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (4.3%)	95.9	27^th of 778 public middle schools	96.5%		97.2	17^th of 773 public middle schools	97.8%	10	93.2	88.8	85.9	89.4	84.6	85.1	91.2	$7,552	$400	$7,151
Ridge Road Middle	Public	6-8	7260 Highland Creek Pkwy	Charlotte	28269	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 344-3410	840	49	17.1	—	53 (6.3%)	560 (66.7%)	154 (18.3%)	33 (3.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.5%)	28.3	578^th of 778 public middle schools	25.7%		19.6	642^nd of 773 public middle schools	16.9%	64	55.1	37.0	29.6	50.0	40.2	45.8	58.4	$8,052	$671	$7,381

Frequently Asked Questions about Harold E. Winkler Middle

Is Harold E. Winkler Middle a good school?

Harold E. Winkler Middle ranks 410^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Harold E. Winkler Middle in?

Cabarrus County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Harold E. Winkler Middle?

Students at Harold E. Winkler Middle are 32% Hispanic, 29% White, 27% African American, 7% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

How many students attend Harold E. Winkler Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,094 students attended Harold E. Winkler Middle.

Rate Harold E. Winkler Middle!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Middle School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Concord, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Harold E. Winkler Middle!

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.