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Granite Falls Middle

Q: Is Granite Falls Middle a good school?

Granite Falls Middle ranks 420 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

420^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 46% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Granite Falls Middle is a grades 6–8 school in Granite Falls, NC, serving 518 students in Caldwell County Schools. The school currently ranks #420 of 778 North Carolina middle schools — a 46th-percentile, 2-star rating that marks a shift from its recent track record, which included a 4-star rating in 2022-2023 and 3-star ratings in both 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.

The school's most compelling success story is attendance. Chronic absenteeism has dropped from 41.9% in 2021-2022 to just 17.5% today — a 24-point improvement, and a rate that beats its district (23.2%), the state (24.2%), and most nearby middle schools. Academically, subjects tell a mixed story: 8th grade reading is a clear strength at 63% proficient, well above state and district averages, and 8th grade math is right at the state average. But 7th grade math (42.1% proficient) trails the state by roughly 14 points, and 8th grade science has fallen hard over three years, from 82.7% proficiency in 2022-2023 to 61.8% today.

The most instructive comparison for parents is West Alexander Middle. Just 8.7 miles away, West Alexander serves an almost identical high-poverty population and has nearly the same attendance rate (17.0%) — yet it ranks #203 statewide (74th percentile) and posts far higher math and science scores, which suggests Granite Falls' decline is not about who its students are. In the same district, Gamewell Middle shows the opposite pattern, with 30.6% chronic absenteeism and a ranking in the 16th percentile. Hudson Middle has moved ahead at #350, and the latest broad drop in Granite Falls' subgroup results deserves monitoring. Still, the school's strong attendance, solid 8th grade reading scores, and history of higher ratings suggest the capacity for a rebound is there.

518

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4 West Highland Ave
Granite Falls, NC 28630-1419

(828) 396-2341

District: Caldwell County Schools

Students who attend Granite Falls Middle usually attend:

High:

South Caldwell High

Feeder schools for Granite Falls Middle:

Elementary:

Granite Falls Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.6%

Hispanic:

12.5%

Two or more races:

6.0%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Granite Falls Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 71st percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg52%

North Carolina avg58%

420^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 46%▼ down 25 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

162^nd of 246Caldwell 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	47.2	420 of 778	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	65.9	243 of 773	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.3	263 of 793	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.1	203 of 784	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	64.4	252 of 786	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.2	350 of 741	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.8	276 of 737	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.4	151 of 691	78.1%	★★★★☆
2017	68.9	202 of 694	70.9%	★★★★☆
2016	67.7	200 of 692	71.1%	★★★★☆
2015	70.3	186 of 705	73.6%	★★★★☆
2014	69.8	161 of 627	74.3%	★★★★☆
2013	67.0	180 of 673	73.3%	★★★★☆
2012	73.2	163 of 662	75.4%	★★★★☆
2011	69.8	203 of 648	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	69.1	195 of 640	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	74.8	149 of 630	76.3%	★★★★☆
2008	70.0	173 of 620	72.1%	★★★★☆
2007	67.2	197 of 606	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	67.8	183 of 598	69.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	48.8	167 of 449	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.3	44 of 478	90.8%	★★★★★
2019	46.4	242 of 504	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.7	100 of 475	78.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.1	54 of 371	85.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.0	482 of 731	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.5	265 of 733	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.6	299 of 738	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.0	231 of 731	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.9	262 of 733	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.1	341 of 706	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.4	231 of 684	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.2	126 of 656	80.8%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.2	410 of 465	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	47.8	331 of 458	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.7	320 of 461	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.3	167 of 452	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.4	260 of 450	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.8	257 of 448	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.8	244 of 416	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	338 of 566	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	65.7	144 of 562	74.4%	★★★★☆
2024	73.3	94 of 564	83.3%	★★★★☆
2023	71.5	104 of 553	81.2%	★★★★☆
2022	66.7	129 of 541	76.2%	★★★★☆
2021	65.7	117 of 522	77.6%	★★★★☆
2019	43.3	289 of 493	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.2	136 of 472	71.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.0	333 of 725	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.1	179 of 729	75.4%	★★★★☆
2024	69.7	158 of 743	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.4	160 of 735	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	53.2	280 of 689	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.4	292 of 633	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.6	215 of 639	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.6	89 of 604	85.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.9	319 of 736	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.2	186 of 733	74.6%	★★★★☆
2024	66.7	217 of 751	71.1%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	177 of 747	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	65.5	228 of 748	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.3	329 of 711	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.7	288 of 697	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.3	170 of 665	74.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.8	161 of 333	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.9	89 of 328	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	16.7	231 of 248	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	64.6	63 of 237	73.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	233 of 478	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.2	295 of 473	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.2	497 of 644	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.4	373 of 649	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.8	427 of 652	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.7	335 of 656	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.3	408 of 658	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.5	482 of 632	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.8	406 of 624	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.8	270 of 596	54.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)85th percentile+17 vs school

Disabled (2022)63rd percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)57th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)54th percentile+8 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)52nd percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2025)51st percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)40th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2026)34th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-23 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)12th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science62%-7 vs state

Reading55%~ state avg

Mathematics52%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Granite Falls 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
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
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
Northview Middle	Public	6-8	302 28th Avenue NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 327-6300	481	28	17.3	99.4%	191 (39.7%)	86 (17.9%)	110 (22.9%)	24 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	68 (14.1%)	42	463^rd of 778 public middle schools	40.5%		40.4	468^th of 773 public middle schools	39.5%	5	59.1	43.8	49.4	53.2	47.9	52.1	60.2	$8,178	$747	$7,431
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
West Alexander Middle	Public	6-8	85 Bulldog Lane	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 495-4611	467	29	16.3	99.4%	382 (81.8%)	10 (2.1%)	39 (8.4%)	12 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.7%)	70.8	203^rd of 778 public middle schools	73.9%		79.5	141^st of 773 public middle schools	81.8%	62	59.6	70.0	76.3	51.6	60.0	69.6	82.2	$8,079	$717	$7,362
Grandview Middle	Public	6-8	451 Catawba Valley Boulevard S	Hickory	28602	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 328-2289	347	24	14.5	99.1%	112 (32.3%)	79 (22.8%)	100 (28.8%)	23 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (9.2%)	24.3	611^th of 778 public middle schools	21.5%		36.1	504^th of 773 public middle schools	34.8%	107	42.6	53.9	36.0	36.9	38.2	46.3	50.0	$9,432	$1,144	$8,288
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
Harry M Arndt Middle	Public	7-8	3350 34th Street Drive NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 256-9545	601	36	16.7	99.5%	275 (45.8%)	44 (7.3%)	204 (33.9%)	28 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.3%)	53.2	368^th of 778 public middle schools	52.7%		49.2	392^nd of 773 public middle schools	49.3%	24		56.2	53.1		56.7	51.1	72.4	$7,986	$496	$7,490
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Granite Falls Middle

What district is Granite Falls Middle in?

Caldwell County Schools

What high school do graduates of Granite Falls Middle attend?

Students who attend Granite Falls Middle usually go on to attend South Caldwell High

How many students attend Granite Falls Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 518 students attended Granite Falls Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Granite Falls Middle?

Students at Granite Falls Middle are 78% White, 13% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Is Granite Falls Middle a good school?

Granite Falls Middle ranks 420^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Granite Falls Middle!

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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.