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Northwest Middle

Public Grades 6-8

725^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 773 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 6% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Northwest Middle is a public middle school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, serving 759 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools district, which is ranked 159 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Northwest Middle consistently underperforms compared to district and state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in EOG/Mathematics ranged from 20% for 8th grade to 34.8% for 6th grade, while the district and state averages were significantly higher. The school has been ranked in the bottom quartile of North Carolina middle schools for the past several years, with a ranking as low as 725 out of 773 schools in the 2024-2025 school year. This poor ranking is consistent across all student subgroups.

Interestingly, nearby Philo-Hill Magnet Academy, Wiley Magnet Middle, and Paisley IB Magnet School consistently outperform Northwest Middle in academic achievement and school rankings, despite serving a similar demographic of students. This suggests that the challenges faced by Northwest Middle may require targeted interventions and additional support to address the underlying factors contributing to its persistent underperformance.

702

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,092

Per pupil spending ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5501 Murray Road
Winston Salem, NC 27106-9633

(336) 703-4161

District: Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Students who attend Northwest Middle usually attend:

High:	Early College of Forsyth County
	Middle College of Forsyth County
	North Forsyth Magnet High

Feeder schools for Northwest Middle:

Elementary:	Gibson Elementary
	Old Richmond Elementary
	Rural Hall Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.6%

African American:

40.2%

White:

10.1%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Northwest Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 35th percentile in 2015 → 6th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (27% vs 54% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg44%

North Carolina avg54%

725^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 29 pts since 2015

From bottom 35% (2015) to bottom 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 15Middle Schools in the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

159^th of 242Winston Salem / Forsyth 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
2025	9.2	725 of 773	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.9	749 of 793	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.1	691 of 784	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	705 of 786	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.0	687 of 741	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.4	588 of 737	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.9	581 of 691	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.5	581 of 694	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	24.3	539 of 692	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	36.3	457 of 705	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	24.1	488 of 627	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	33.8	460 of 673	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.7	414 of 662	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.2	362 of 648	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	56.0	342 of 640	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	55.5	339 of 630	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	52.0	330 of 620	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.2	361 of 606	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	60.1	262 of 598	56.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	19.4	483 of 546	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	500 of 560	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.0	449 of 559	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.3	428 of 550	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.4	501 of 533	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	42.4	302 of 519	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.3	355 of 494	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	28.2	339 of 449	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.0	469 of 504	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	30.4	361 of 475	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	20.6	346 of 371	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.8	300 of 356	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.7	255 of 318	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.4	263 of 312	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.9	221 of 236	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	32.2	154 of 211	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.1	125 of 151	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	9.4	697 of 733	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	700 of 738	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.6	645 of 731	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.6	649 of 733	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.0	664 of 706	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.2	562 of 684	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.6	594 of 656	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	21.8	429 of 458	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.3	460 of 461	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	42.8	332 of 416	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	13.5	534 of 562	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.2	547 of 564	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.4	502 of 553	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.0	507 of 541	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.2	491 of 522	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.5	408 of 493	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.5	428 of 472	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	13.7	680 of 729	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.9	715 of 743	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.4	656 of 735	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	568 of 689	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.3	590 of 633	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	27.8	501 of 639	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	527 of 604	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	8.7	694 of 733	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.1	729 of 751	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.5	681 of 747	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.9	693 of 748	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.2	664 of 711	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.0	567 of 697	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.7	552 of 665	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.0	209 of 328	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	12.4	297 of 306	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	31.8	223 of 302	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.1	191 of 283	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.9	214 of 248	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	213 of 237	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.9	194 of 221	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	19.6	456 of 478	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.1	401 of 473	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	8.0	624 of 649	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.0	642 of 652	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	568 of 656	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.9	636 of 658	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.5	599 of 632	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	37.2	425 of 624	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.4	439 of 596	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2025)36th percentile+30 vs school

Disabled (2022)24th percentile+14 vs school

African American (2025)12th percentile+5 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)7th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)7th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2025)6th percentile~ school

Male (2025)5th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)5th percentile~ school

Female (2025)5th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)5th percentile~ school

White (2025)4th percentile~ school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science30%-30 vs state

Mathematics29%-24 vs state

Reading25%-28 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, December 24, 2012

I'm really looking forward to my son joining your school. Close Quote

Schools Near Northwest Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (2025)					EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th 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
Northwest Middle	Public	6-8	5501 Murray Road	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4161	702	48	14.5	99.6%	71 (10.1%)	282 (40.2%)	299 (42.6%)	10 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	36 (5.1%)	9.2	725^th of 773 public middle schools	6.2%		7.9	749^th of 793 public middle schools	5.5%	24							34.8	34.2	20.0				25.0	20.5	27.7		29.9	$9,092	$1,130	$7,962
Mineral Springs Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4559 Ogburn Avenue	Winston Salem	27105	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(336) 703-6733	702	54	12.9	99.6%	30 (4.3%)	271 (38.6%)	361 (51.4%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	30 (4.3%)	3.9	754^th of 773 public middle schools	2.5%		3.6	771^st of 793 public middle schools	2.8%	17							21.2	14.0	16.7				18.6	22.6	20.5		24.4	$12,230	$2,011	$10,220
Thomas Jefferson Middle	Public	6-8	3500 Sally Kirk Road	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-4222	808	47	17.0	99.6%	398 (49.3%)	201 (24.9%)	117 (14.5%)	35 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (6.9%)	80.1	136^th of 773 public middle schools	82.4%		78.1	142^nd of 793 public middle schools	82.1%	6							75.0	72.8	64.2				68.4	69.6	62.7		68.2	$8,047	$507	$7,540
Lowrance Middle	Public	6-10	1394 Thurmond St	Winston Salem	27105	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4181	129	21	6.0	97.7%	26 (20.2%)	46 (35.7%)	48 (37.2%)	3 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.7%)								(n/a)																		$29,307	$2,298	$27,009
Paisley Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-10	1394 Thurmond St	Winston Salem	27105	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(336) 703-4168	553	43	12.9	99.5%	57 (10.3%)	272 (49.2%)	177 (32.0%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.6%)	11.1	714^th of 773 public middle schools	7.6%		17.6	682^nd of 793 public middle schools	14.0%	32	60.0	89.5	10.0	72.7			38.2	19.8	23.5				37.4	22.6	30.5		24.5	$8,958	$886	$8,072
Wiley Magnet Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1400 Northwest Boulevard	Winston Salem	27104	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(336) 727-2378	754	48	15.6	99.6%	174 (23.1%)	289 (38.3%)	222 (29.4%)	22 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (5.8%)	21.8	621^st of 773 public middle schools	19.7%		19.4	663^rd of 793 public middle schools	16.4%	42							40.5	37.9	21.9				44.0	40.5	32.8		42.6	$9,915	$1,494	$8,420
Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	3-8	601 N Cherry St. Suite 250	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(336) 703-4296	177	24	7.3	77.4%	45 (25.4%)	70 (39.5%)	34 (19.2%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (14.7%)	18.3	1415^th of 1490 public middle schools	5.0%		20.8	650^th of 793 public middle schools	18.0%	765					26.7	17.6	26.7	18.4	21.3	33.3	29.4	26.5	43.3	23.1	45.8	26.5	50.0	$205,940	$65,524	$140,417
Meadowlark Middle	Public	6-8	301 Meadowlark Drive	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-4228	857	50	17.0	99.5%	486 (56.7%)	128 (14.9%)	122 (14.2%)	75 (8.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (5.0%)	78.7	144^th of 773 public middle schools	81.4%		84.8	99^th of 793 public middle schools	87.5%	45							67.8	68.8	61.7				64.7	67.0	64.4		77.2	$8,035	$504	$7,532
Lewisville Middle	Public	6-8	1115 Lewisville Vienna Rd	Lewisville	27023	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 866-3032	888	53	16.7	99.7%	581 (65.4%)	100 (11.3%)	117 (13.2%)	34 (3.8%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	52 (5.9%)	81.5	123^rd of 773 public middle schools	84.1%		86.6	89^th of 793 public middle schools	88.8%	34							72.9	71.6	67.9				65.6	68.6	68.5		70.5
Walkertown Middle	Public	6-8	5240 Sullivantown Road	Walkertown	27051	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4154	617	42	14.5	99.4%	180 (29.2%)	214 (34.7%)	196 (31.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.4%)	33.8	518^th of 773 public middle schools	33.0%		23.8	629^th of 793 public middle schools	20.7%	111							55.8	39.0	47.5				43.6	37.9	41.8		47.7	$8,991	$819	$8,172

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest Middle

Is Northwest Middle a good school?

Northwest Middle ranks in the bottom 6.2% of North Carolina middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Northwest Middle attend?

Students who attend Northwest Middle usually go on to attend Early College of Forsyth County

How many students attend Northwest Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 702 students attended Northwest Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Northwest Middle?

Students at Northwest Middle are 43% Hispanic, 40% African American, 10% White, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Northwest Middle in?

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

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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.