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Margaret B. Pollard Middle

Public Grades 6-8

74^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 90% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Margaret B. Pollard Middle is a public middle school in Chapel Hill, NC, serving 736 students in grades 6–8 as part of Chatham County Schools. It holds a 5-star rating and currently ranks 74th out of 778 North Carolina middle schools — the 90th percentile for 2025–2026 — with end-of-grade proficiency rates from about 71% to 82% across math, reading, and science. That is well above state averages, which mostly sit in the low-to-mid 50s. Pollard outranks George M. Horton Middle, its same-district neighbor, by roughly 50 positions, and it outperforms nearby Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools middle schools and Durham-area middle schools.

Pollard’s closest regional peers are Smith Middle in Chapel Hill and Alston Ridge Middle in Wake County Schools; all three rank in the 90th percentile and serve similar shares of economically diverse students. Pollard trails only elite Wake schools such as Mills Park Middle and Apex Friendship Middle. Notably, Pollard spends about $8,500 per student, while nearby Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools middle schools like Culbreth Middle, McDougle Middle, and Phillips Middle spend $12,000–$13,000 per student yet rank lower. Chronic absenteeism is 17.2% — better than Chatham County Schools’ 21.4% and the state’s 24.2%.

Outcomes vary by student group. Special education students rank in the 93rd percentile statewide, up from the 72nd percentile two years ago, and most groups exceed state averages. However, English learners (5th percentile), Hispanic students (46th), and low-income students (57th) trail, signaling where added support could help. Single-year 8th grade scores also swing widely — math went from 60.3% proficient in 2024–2025 to 79.3% in 2025–2026 — so families should weigh multi-year trends. Overall, Pollard is a consistently high-performing school with strong special education outcomes, moderate absenteeism, and efficient spending, making it a compelling option in the southern Chapel Hill corridor.

736

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

20.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

185 Granite Mill Blvd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

(919) 969-0070

District: Chatham County Schools

Students who attend Margaret B. Pollard Middle usually attend:

High:

Northwood High

Feeder schools for Margaret B. Pollard Middle:

Elementary:	North Chatham Elementary
	Perry W Harrison Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.1%

Hispanic:

18.1%

Two or more races:

6.7%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Margaret B. Pollard Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (77% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of North Carolina middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school77%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg58%

74^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 10%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

62^nd of 246Chatham 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	87.5	74 of 778	90.5%	★★★★★
2025	84.9	94 of 773	87.8%	★★★★☆
2024	85.2	97 of 793	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	86.6	86 of 784	89.0%	★★★★☆
2022	87.0	83 of 786	89.4%	★★★★☆
2021	83.7	95 of 741	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	78.4	135 of 737	81.7%	★★★★☆
2018	84.7	69 of 691	90.0%	★★★★★
2017	81.5	102 of 694	85.3%	★★★★☆
2016	78.8	124 of 692	82.1%	★★★★☆
2015	80.6	113 of 705	84.0%	★★★★☆
2014	79.4	118 of 627	81.2%	★★★★☆
2013	78.5	114 of 673	83.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.6	68 of 553	87.7%	★★★★☆
2025	83.4	58 of 546	89.4%	★★★★☆
2024	85.3	54 of 560	90.4%	★★★★★
2023	88.9	40 of 559	92.8%	★★★★★
2022	85.0	54 of 550	90.2%	★★★★★
2021	78.2	61 of 533	88.6%	★★★★☆
2019	50.8	224 of 519	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.9	217 of 494	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	57.8	50 of 102	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	63.0	82 of 449	81.7%	★★★★☆
2021	43.6	239 of 478	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.6	330 of 504	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.9	358 of 475	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	19.5	344 of 363	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	20.5	347 of 371	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.0	308 of 318	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	31.7	234 of 312	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.7	158 of 236	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.8	191 of 211	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.4	122 of 151	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.5	75 of 731	89.7%	★★★★☆
2025	82.7	100 of 733	86.4%	★★★★☆
2024	86.0	86 of 738	88.3%	★★★★☆
2023	86.9	78 of 731	89.3%	★★★★☆
2022	84.8	88 of 733	88.0%	★★★★☆
2021	84.2	78 of 706	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	80.5	111 of 684	83.8%	★★★★☆
2018	87.5	51 of 656	92.2%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	177 of 465	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.2	245 of 458	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.7	203 of 461	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.7	135 of 452	70.1%	★★★★☆
2022	71.3	63 of 450	86.0%	★★★★☆
2021	67.7	140 of 448	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.3	121 of 416	70.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.1	305 of 566	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.3	385 of 562	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.2	336 of 564	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.4	276 of 553	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.6	255 of 541	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	225 of 522	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.9	294 of 493	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.1	266 of 472	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.8	315 of 725	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.5	463 of 729	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.8	366 of 743	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.8	458 of 735	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.0	258 of 689	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.3	250 of 633	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.7	468 of 639	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.3	369 of 604	38.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	87.4	73 of 736	90.1%	★★★★★
2025	85.2	84 of 733	88.5%	★★★★☆
2024	82.7	101 of 751	86.6%	★★★★☆
2023	84.5	94 of 747	87.4%	★★★★☆
2022	87.1	74 of 748	90.1%	★★★★★
2021	81.8	105 of 711	85.2%	★★★★☆
2019	73.4	162 of 697	76.8%	★★★★☆
2018	80.5	100 of 665	85.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.1	47 of 333	85.9%	★★★★☆
2025	78.2	52 of 328	84.1%	★★★★☆
2024	73.6	65 of 306	78.8%	★★★★☆
2023	75.7	58 of 302	80.8%	★★★★☆
2022	76.5	38 of 283	86.6%	★★★★☆
2021	72.9	44 of 248	82.3%	★★★★☆
2019	78.0	33 of 237	86.1%	★★★★☆
2018	92.3	6 of 221	97.3%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.6	36 of 500	92.8%	★★★★★
2025	67.0	67 of 478	86.0%	★★★★☆
2024	56.2	134 of 473	71.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.5	75 of 644	88.4%	★★★★☆
2025	84.9	83 of 649	87.2%	★★★★☆
2024	82.5	111 of 652	83.0%	★★★★☆
2023	86.1	72 of 656	89.0%	★★★★☆
2022	86.4	72 of 658	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	83.9	85 of 632	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	80.0	106 of 624	83.0%	★★★★☆
2018	89.2	50 of 596	91.6%	★★★★★

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)

Special Education (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)90th percentile~ school

Female (2026)90th percentile~ school

White (2026)88th percentile~ school

African American (2026)88th percentile-3 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)86th percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2022)82nd percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)62nd percentile-29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)57th percentile-34 vs school

Asian (2019)51st percentile-31 vs school

Hispanic (2026)46th percentile-44 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)5th percentile-85 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science80%+12 vs state

Mathematics77%+21 vs state

Reading76%+21 vs state

3.5

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What people are saying

by a student
Saturday, August 9, 2014

The teachers are nice and all, but the overall quality of education in this school is terrible. There are no real ' electives ', which are classes which you pick. Instead you cycle out to a different class for 4th Block / Period every 6 weeks. This would be good, if the classes weren't so bad. There is a class ( Chorus ) where you supposedly learn about music, but in my time as a 7th grader all I learned about was how to memorize some silly facts about psychedelic music and old theater performances. Then there are some other useless ones. There is one that is somewhat good, which is media, but the only part that actually will help you out in life is what they do on Fridays ( so only 6 days out of the whole year). This class teaches you about careers. This school fails to find many options for advanced placement kids such as myself. I just finished 7th grade, and was in the highest level possible for math, but I found that level still pretty simple. There were no other options for me, like there would be in a better school. Also, Social Studies and Science are only shown half the year, so all the information is quite watered down and the classes are rushed. You can tell how bad this education is by comparing the average EOG scores to those of top 25 schools in NC. There is a clear distinction. It makes sense why the education is so bad though, because considering how it is in Chatham County, many of the children will end up in agriculture, but since ' no child left behind ', this really leaves the more advanced children having to take it slow. Close Quote

Schools Near Margaret B. Pollard 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 (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 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Margaret B. Pollard Middle	Public	6-8	185 Granite Mill Blvd.	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 969-0070	736	44	16.6	20.8%	479 (65.1%)	47 (6.4%)	133 (18.1%)	22 (3.0%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	49 (6.7%)	87.5	74^th of 778 public middle schools	90.5%		84.9	94^th of 773 public middle schools	87.8%	20		76.6	76.1	79.3		70.6	77.3	81.7		80.3	$8,507	$455	$8,052
Culbreth Middle	Public	6-8	225 Culbreth Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 929-7161	632	52	12.0	33.9%	287 (45.4%)	69 (10.9%)	190 (30.1%)	29 (4.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (8.7%)	75.3	172^nd of 778 public middle schools	77.9%		70.3	198^th of 773 public middle schools	74.4%	26		72.4	68.5	57.7		70.2	69.0	67.7		75.1	$12,195	$336	$11,860
McDougle Middle	Public	6-8	900 Old Fayetteville Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 933-1556	659	57	11.6	27.6%	359 (54.5%)	69 (10.5%)	167 (25.3%)	17 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.1%)	80.2	129^th of 778 public middle schools	83.4%		84.8	98^th of 773 public middle schools	87.3%	31		79.6	75.3	56.4		76.3	74.4	68.0		75.1	$13,223	$311	$12,913
George M. Horton Middle	Public	5-8	79 Horton Road	Pittsboro	27312	Chatham County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 542-2303	414	27	15.4	—	217 (52.4%)	78 (18.8%)	70 (16.9%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.1%)	80.7	122^nd of 778 public middle schools	84.3%		80.5	134^th of 773 public middle schools	82.7%	12	75.0	76.7	74.0	57.1	72.2	76.7	73.8	70.7	74.1	78.3	$9,575	$632	$8,943
Smith Middle	Public	6-8	9201 Seawell School Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 918-2145	763	56	13.6	22.4%	322 (42.2%)	104 (13.6%)	98 (12.8%)	170 (22.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (9.0%)	87.1	76^th of 778 public middle schools	90.2%		88.3	67^th of 773 public middle schools	91.3%	9		78.5	75.5	77.7		73.5	74.6	76.7		80.9	$11,562	$338	$11,224
Phillips Middle	Public	6-8	606 N Estes Dr	Chapel Hill	27514	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 929-2188	600	52	11.4	27.0%	272 (45.3%)	86 (14.3%)	59 (9.8%)	131 (21.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (8.5%)	83.5	102^nd of 778 public middle schools	86.9%		85	93^rd of 773 public middle schools	88.0%	9		76.1	71.6	70.9		67.0	76.2	71.6		82.7	$12,655	$480	$12,175
Sherwood Githens Middle	Public	6-8	4800 Chapel Hill Road	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3966	878	51	17.1	—	235 (26.8%)	238 (27.1%)	305 (34.7%)	37 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (7.1%)	43	453^rd of 778 public middle schools	41.8%		42.4	456^th of 773 public middle schools	41.0%	3		50.2	52.3	54.5		48.8	55.6	54.2		54.5	$10,235	$1,013	$9,222
Alston Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	7833 Fussell Avenue	Cary	27519	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8044	1,494	79	19.0	21.3%	334 (22.4%)	171 (11.4%)	175 (11.7%)	736 (49.3%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	73 (4.9%)	88.8	66^th of 778 public middle schools	91.5%		92.6	44^th of 773 public middle schools	94.3%	22		78.1	83.5	76.9		72.2	73.8	76.1		87.2
Mills Park Middle	Public	6-8	441 Mills Park Drive	Cary	27519	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 466-1500	1,632	87	18.7	7.6%	479 (29.4%)	87 (5.3%)	112 (6.9%)	892 (54.7%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	56 (3.4%)	97.9	8^th of 778 public middle schools	99.0%		98.7	5^th of 773 public middle schools	99.4%	3		562.3	562.2	93.4		94.6	93.5	92.6		95.2	$7,648	$376	$7,272
Lowe's Grove Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4418 S Alston Avenue	Durham	27713	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 560-3946	564	29	19.7	—	40 (7.1%)	269 (47.7%)	203 (36.0%)	12 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.1%)	15.2	683^rd of 778 public middle schools	12.2%		6.7	737^th of 773 public middle schools	4.7%	54		48.7	33.3	26.2		45.4	33.3	26.2		41.2	$11,779	$1,431	$10,349

Frequently Asked Questions about Margaret B. Pollard Middle

What district is Margaret B. Pollard Middle in?

Chatham County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Margaret B. Pollard Middle?

Students at Margaret B. Pollard Middle are 65% White, 18% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 6% African American, 3% Asian.

Is Margaret B. Pollard Middle a good school?

Yes. Margaret B. Pollard Middle ranks in the top 9.5% of North Carolina middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Margaret B. Pollard Middle attend?

Students who attend Margaret B. Pollard Middle usually go on to attend Northwood High

How many students attend Margaret B. Pollard Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 736 students attended Margaret B. Pollard Middle.

Rate Margaret B. Pollard 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.