Beaufort Middle

Beaufort Middle is a small public middle school in Beaufort, NC, serving 260 students in grades 6–8 as part of Carteret County Public Schools, a highly-rated district ranked 31st in the state.

Beaufort Middle has shown genuine, sustained improvement over the past decade, climbing from the 60th percentile statewide in 2015–16 to the 75th percentile in 2025–26 with a 4-star rating. The school's standout strength is 8th grade math, where 74.3% of students are proficient — well above the state average of 53.0% and closely matching Broad Creek Middle, the district's highest-performing middle school. Notably, the school performs exceptionally well with its core student population: nearly 99% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and low socio-economic status students rank in the 83rd percentile statewide. Chronic absenteeism has also improved sharply, falling from 26.3% to 18.8% — better than the state average and comparable to the district average.

Reading remains a relative area of concern, particularly in 7th grade, where proficiency sits at 56.3% — right at the state average but about 14 points below the district average of 70.3%. Science results are above state averages but trail district peers like Broad Creek Middle and Newport Middle. When compared with nearby schools, Beaufort Middle ranks 194th statewide, placing it in similar territory to Morehead City Middle and Newport Middle, while Broad Creek Middle leads the local group. Beaufort stands out for having the lowest student-teacher ratio among surrounding middle schools at 12.0 to 1, which may support more individualized attention as the school continues its upward trajectory.