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Lowe's Grove Middle

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

683^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 12% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Lowe's Grove Middle is a public school in Durham Public Schools serving about 564 students in grades 6–8 in southeastern Durham, near the Wake County line. Statewide, the school currently ranks 683rd of 778 North Carolina middle schools, putting it in the 12th percentile with a 1-star rating. That is a real improvement from the 5th and 6th percentile rankings of the previous two years, but it is close to the school's historical baseline rather than a breakthrough. Almost the entire student body — roughly 99.5% — qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, Lowe's Grove trails the Durham Public Schools and state averages in nearly every subject. Sixth-grade scores are closest to the district average — 48.7% proficient in math versus 49.8% district-wide — but proficiency drops sharply by 8th grade, where just 26.2% of students are proficient in math and reading. The most recent year brought notable gains: 6th grade math jumped from 31.9% to 48.7%, and 8th grade science rose from 20.0% to 41.2%. Among nearby Durham schools, Neal Middle ranks at a similar low level, while Brogden Middle, Sherwood Githens Middle, and James E Shepard Middle all rank higher. The contrast with nearby Wake County Schools is stark: Alston Ridge Middle, less than four miles away, ranks in the 92nd percentile.

Attendance is arguably the school's most pressing non-academic issue, with a 43.7% chronic absenteeism rate — nearly double the state's 24.2%. High poverty alone does not explain the outcome: Rogers-Herr Middle and Lakewood Montessori Middle serve student populations with similarly high poverty rates, yet both rank in the low 80s statewide and have far lower absenteeism. There are pockets of strength at Lowe's Grove: special education and gifted students both ranked in the 75th percentile statewide in 2025–2026, and the school's recent test-score surge signals possible momentum. Still, English learners, Hispanic students, low-income students, and students experiencing homelessness lag furthest behind, and a student-to-teacher ratio of 19.7 is higher than at most nearby schools.

564

Students ?

19.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

4418 S Alston Avenue
Durham, NC 27713-2222

(919) 560-3946

District: Durham Public Schools

Students who attend Lowe's Grove Middle usually attend:

High:

Hillside High

Feeder schools for Lowe's Grove Middle:

Elementary:	Bethesda Elementary
	Parkwood Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

47.7%

Hispanic:

36.0%

White:

7.1%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Lowe's Grove Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 9th percentile in 2016 → 12th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (36% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg53%

North Carolina avg58%

683^rd of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

155^th of 246Durham Public 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	15.2	683 of 778	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	6.7	737 of 773	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.1	743 of 793	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.0	692 of 784	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	706 of 786	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.3	693 of 741	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	643 of 737	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.6	624 of 691	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	15.5	595 of 694	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	11.8	627 of 692	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	12.3	624 of 705	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	5.6	609 of 627	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	16.4	580 of 673	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	17.0	589 of 662	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	15.3	589 of 648	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	8.9	596 of 640	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	8.1	583 of 630	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	11.3	566 of 620	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	27.9	493 of 606	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.2	479 of 598	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.0	454 of 553	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.3	519 of 546	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.3	488 of 560	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.1	419 of 559	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.9	413 of 550	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	494 of 533	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	35.2	363 of 519	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.5	371 of 494	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	15.8	436 of 449	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	57.9	120 of 478	74.9%	★★★★☆
2019	17.9	480 of 504	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.1	454 of 475	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.8	326 of 363	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.8	344 of 371	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.9	306 of 356	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.9	226 of 318	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.8	249 of 312	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.9	160 of 236	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.0	147 of 211	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.5	79 of 151	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.1	645 of 731	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	7.1	713 of 733	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.3	705 of 738	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.2	651 of 731	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.7	669 of 733	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.2	671 of 706	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	611 of 684	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.9	610 of 656	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.8	116 of 465	75.1%	★★★★☆
2025	31.7	406 of 458	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.0	387 of 461	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.0	394 of 452	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.1	419 of 450	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.8	406 of 416	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	25.6	113 of 127	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	545 of 566	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.1	556 of 562	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.7	545 of 564	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.1	484 of 553	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	500 of 541	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.9	506 of 522	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.5	444 of 493	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.9	437 of 472	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	58 of 59	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	33.8	33 of 44	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.3	33 of 37	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.8	31 of 71	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.3	659 of 725	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.1	705 of 729	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.8	705 of 743	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	611 of 735	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.0	520 of 689	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.0	596 of 633	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.6	525 of 639	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.4	525 of 604	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	14.5	658 of 736	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	6.7	707 of 733	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.4	714 of 751	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.0	676 of 747	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	675 of 748	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.3	645 of 711	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.7	631 of 697	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.6	612 of 665	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	14.9	306 of 328	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.1	253 of 306	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.4	270 of 302	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.1	214 of 283	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.9	123 of 500	75.4%	★★★★☆
2025	41.6	225 of 478	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.6	380 of 473	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	43.4	372 of 649	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.8	362 of 656	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)75th percentile+63 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)75th percentile+63 vs school

White (2025)43rd percentile+38 vs school

African American (2026)18th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)12th percentile~ school

Male (2026)11th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)10th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile-3 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)7th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)4th percentile-9 vs school

Disabled (2022)3rd percentile-7 vs school

Homeless (2026)2nd percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science41%-27 vs state

Mathematics35%-21 vs state

Reading34%-21 vs state

2.8

4 ratings · 1 written review

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1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, February 6, 2017

The school is starting to get good at looking good on paper, but the culture there has not changed. If you are in line with the current principal's intimidating and noninclusive community, then your involvement isn't welcome. Even parents have felt bullied at Lowe's Grove Middle School. Close Quote

Schools Near Lowe's Grove 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 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
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
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
James E Shepard Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2401 Dakota Street	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 560-3938	423	29	14.5	—	10 (2.4%)	263 (62.2%)	129 (30.5%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.8%)	40.8	472^nd of 778 public middle schools	39.3%		48.3	401^st of 773 public middle schools	48.1%	71	43.7	50.3	62.9	43.0	49.7	44.7	69.2	$11,998	$1,606	$10,392
Rogers-Herr Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	911 Cornwallis Road	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3970	660	40	16.6	—	195 (29.5%)	250 (37.9%)	155 (23.5%)	17 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	41 (6.2%)	79.5	135^th of 778 public middle schools	82.6%		83.8	104^th of 773 public middle schools	86.5%	31	65.9	68.7	67.6	66.4	72.5	72.1	83.6	$11,594	$781	$10,812
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
Lakewood Montessori Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2119 Chapel Hill Rd	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-2894	309	20	15.2	—	179 (57.9%)	51 (16.5%)	59 (19.1%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.5%)	78.8	139^th of 778 public middle schools	82.1%		95.7	31^st of 773 public middle schools	96.0%	108	57.3	75.4	87.7	51.8	76.9	79.2	87.7	$14,182	$1,909	$12,273
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
Neal Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	201 Baptist Road	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 560-3955	706	48	14.7	—	22 (3.1%)	281 (39.8%)	363 (51.4%)	9 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (4.2%)	16.4	674^th of 778 public middle schools	13.4%		17.5	665^th of 773 public middle schools	14.0%	9	38.6	41.7	29.4	37.6	28.4	35.8	53.0	$12,097	$2,570	$9,527
Brogden Middle	Public	6-8	1001 Leon Street	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3906	753	45	16.8	—	94 (12.5%)	253 (33.6%)	344 (45.7%)	21 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.4%)	28.7	572^nd of 778 public middle schools	26.5%		17.1	671^st of 773 public middle schools	13.2%	99	39.8	62.4	44.4	36.7	44.1	35.6	53.1	$12,887	$1,406	$11,481
Pine Hollow Middle	Public	6-8	5365 Bartram Place	Raleigh	27617	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8880	776	52	14.9	33.1%	418 (53.9%)	165 (21.3%)	115 (14.8%)	44 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.4%)	73.3	191^st of 778 public middle schools	75.4%		81	129^th of 773 public middle schools	83.3%	62	66.3	66.9	71.7	64.7	70.8	61.9	71.7	$8,836	$462	$8,374

Frequently Asked Questions about Lowe's Grove Middle

What high school do graduates of Lowe's Grove Middle attend?

Students who attend Lowe's Grove Middle usually go on to attend Hillside High

What district is Lowe's Grove Middle in?

Durham Public Schools

How many students attend Lowe's Grove Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 564 students attended Lowe's Grove Middle.

Is Lowe's Grove Middle a good school?

Lowe's Grove Middle ranks in the bottom 12.2% of North Carolina middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Lowe's Grove Middle?

Students at Lowe's Grove Middle are 48% African American, 36% Hispanic, 7% White, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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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.