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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Hiwassee Dam Middle

Q: Is Hiwassee Dam Middle a good school?

Hiwassee Dam Middle ranks 242 nd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

242^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 69% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Hiwassee Dam Middle is a small rural middle school in Murphy, NC, that serves just 122 students in grades 6–8 and is part of Cherokee County Schools. Despite an extremely high poverty rate—96.7% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch—the school posts solid results, earning a 3-star rating and ranking 242nd out of 778 middle schools in North Carolina (the 69th percentile). That puts it well above its own district, which sits at the 50th percentile of districts statewide.

Math is one of the school’s clear strengths: in 2025-26, Hiwassee Dam Middle beat district proficiency averages by roughly 19–20 points in every middle school grade, and it has outperformed the state in 6th and 7th grade math. Science is even more striking, with 8th graders hitting 100% proficiency in both 2022-23 and 2023-24 and still scoring 76.9% in 2025-26. Attendance is also comparatively strong—chronic absenteeism is 28.5%, versus 38.7% for Cherokee County Schools and 45.1% at nearby Murphy Middle. Notably, the school’s economically disadvantaged students, who make up nearly the entire student body, ranked in the 84th–85th percentile statewide over the last two years.

Reading is the biggest academic concern, with wide swings from year to year and grade to grade: 6th grade reading jumped from 37.8% in 2024-25 to 75% in 2025-26, while 8th grade reading dropped from 63.4% to 48.7%. Hiwassee Dam Middle has also cooled from its earlier elite status—86th percentile statewide in 2022-23—to its current 69th percentile. That still makes it the strongest-performing school in the immediate area, aided by a 13.5:1 student-teacher ratio and $13,929 in per-pupil spending, well above Murphy Middle’s $10,209.

122

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

96.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

337 Blue Eagle Circle
Murphy, NC 28906-9804

(828) 644-5115

District: Cherokee County Schools

Students who attend Hiwassee Dam Middle usually attend:

High:

Hiwassee Dam High

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.7%

Hispanic:

6.6%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Hiwassee Dam Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 70th percentile in 2016 → 69th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (64% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (69th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg53%

North Carolina avg58%

242^nd of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 31%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

122^nd of 246Cherokee 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	68.5	437 of 1505	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	62.3	542 of 1502	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.2	433 of 1514	71.4%	★★★★☆
2021	72.0	370 of 1489	75.2%	★★★★☆
2019	54.0	692 of 1473	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.5	374 of 1434	73.9%	★★★★☆
2017	74.6	332 of 1429	76.8%	★★★★☆
2016	82.3	183 of 1425	87.2%	★★★★☆
2015	72.1	376 of 1440	73.9%	★★★★☆
2014	53.9	632 of 1390	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	45.8	733 of 1403	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	37.0	986 of 1388	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	50.4	789 of 1381	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	63.3	549 of 1363	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.7	513 of 1354	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.9	426 of 1324	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	57.9	591 of 1293	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.4	448 of 1276	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	49.8	717 of 1458	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	89.2	90 of 1405	93.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	59.2	511 of 1437	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	39.2	933 of 1430	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.7	553 of 1413	60.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	35.2	818 of 1166	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.5	836 of 1183	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.0	805 of 1194	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.7	532 of 1172	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.0	872 of 1183	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	57.7	513 of 1178	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.6	242 of 778	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.9	222 of 773	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	77.2	150 of 793	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	82.9	113 of 784	85.6%	★★★★☆
2022	71.7	190 of 786	75.8%	★★★★☆
2021	73.6	176 of 741	76.2%	★★★★☆
2019	82.4	104 of 737	85.9%	★★★★☆
2018	83.4	81 of 691	88.3%	★★★★☆
2017	74.0	157 of 694	77.4%	★★★★☆
2016	67.1	211 of 692	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	51.2	359 of 705	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	23.0	493 of 627	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.0	420 of 673	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	58.4	325 of 662	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.9	368 of 648	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	73.3	150 of 640	76.6%	★★★★☆
2009	69.0	198 of 630	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	81.4	81 of 620	86.9%	★★★★☆
2007	73.4	131 of 606	78.4%	★★★★☆
2006	69.8	161 of 598	73.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.5	197 of 731	73.1%	★★★★☆
2025	77.9	141 of 733	80.8%	★★★★☆
2021	93.7	36 of 706	94.9%	★★★★★
2019	84.5	75 of 684	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	89.7	38 of 656	94.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.8	118 of 725	83.7%	★★★★☆
2025	74.1	112 of 729	84.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.0	300 of 736	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.6	285 of 733	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.9	285 of 748	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.0	167 of 711	76.5%	★★★★☆
2018	70.6	175 of 665	73.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	419 of 644	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.1	374 of 649	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.3	288 of 652	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.3	235 of 656	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.3	321 of 658	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.7	222 of 632	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.1	166 of 624	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	186 of 596	68.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)64th percentile~ school

Female (2022)51st percentile-21 vs school

Male (2019)35th percentile-18 vs school

White (2024)30th percentile-41 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)84th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2026)73rd percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)59th percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)35th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science77%+8 vs state

Mathematics64%+8 vs state

Reading60%+4 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Hiwassee Dam Middle and help other families decide.

Rate Hiwassee Dam 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 Hiwassee Dam 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/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
Hiwassee Dam Middle	Public	6-8	337 Blue Eagle Circle	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 644-5115	122	9	13.5	96.7%	107 (87.7%)	1 (0.8%)	8 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.1%)	65.6	242^nd of 778 public middle schools	68.9%		67.9	222^nd of 773 public middle schools	71.3%	20	75.0	68.4	51.3	75.0	57.9	48.7	76.9	$13,929	$1,973	$11,956
Murphy Middle	Public	6-8	65 Middle School Drive	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 837-0160	353	23	15.4	99.2%	299 (84.7%)	7 (2.0%)	19 (5.4%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.2%)	51.7	381^st of 778 public middle schools	51.0%		55.4	322^nd of 773 public middle schools	58.3%	59	56.8	48.7	28.6	51.4	65.0	60.0	81.7	$10,209	$1,096	$9,114

Frequently Asked Questions about Hiwassee Dam Middle

What high school do graduates of Hiwassee Dam Middle attend?

Students who attend Hiwassee Dam Middle usually go on to attend Hiwassee Dam High

What is the racial makeup of Hiwassee Dam Middle?

Students at Hiwassee Dam Middle are 88% White, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Hiwassee Dam Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 122 students attended Hiwassee Dam Middle.

Is Hiwassee Dam Middle a good school?

Hiwassee Dam Middle ranks 242^nd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Hiwassee Dam Middle in?

Cherokee County Schools

Rate Hiwassee Dam Middle!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Middle School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Murphy, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hiwassee Dam Middle!

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.