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Western Harnett Middle

Q: Is Western Harnett Middle a good school?

Western Harnett Middle ranks 310 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

310^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 60% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Western Harnett Middle is a public school in Lillington, NC, serving about 700 students in grades 6-8 as part of Harnett County Schools. For the 2025-2026 school year, the school ranks 310 out of 778 North Carolina middle schools, putting it in the 60th percentile and earning 3 stars. That makes it the strongest middle school among its same-district neighbors, well ahead of Highland Middle, Harnett Central Middle, and Overhills Middle. It also competes well against top schools from surrounding counties, such as Crain's Creek Middle and SanLee Middle School.

Mathematics is Western Harnett's standout subject. In sixth grade, 71.0% of students score proficient in math, compared with 50.9% across the district and 59.2% statewide. Seventh and eighth grade math proficiency also easily outpace district averages, and reading proficiency now meets or exceeds state averages in most grades. Eighth grade science jumped to 68.7%, essentially matching the state average, after sitting at 47.2% the year before. That amounts to six of seven tested grade and subject combinations at or above state levels — a major turnaround from the prior year, when most scores trailed the state.

Chronic absenteeism has fallen sharply, from 39.4% in 2022-2023 to 25.7% in 2024-2025, placing the school below the district average and well ahead of nearby Spring Lake Middle (45.4%) and Harnett Central Middle (33.9%). Gains also look broad-based, with low-income, Hispanic, and English learner subgroups all showing significant improvement in 2025-2026. The clearest remaining gap is special education support, which ranks in the 27th percentile and fell from the year before. Finally, math proficiency still tends to fade as students move from 6th to 8th grade, so sustaining the school's strong early gains is the main thing to watch in the coming years.

700

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

55.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

11135 NC Hwy 27 West
Lillington, NC 27546-9608

(919) 499-4497

District: Harnett County Schools

Students who attend Western Harnett Middle usually attend:

High:

Western Harnett High

Feeder schools for Western Harnett Middle:

Elementary:

Boone Trail Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.1%

Hispanic:

25.1%

African American:

18.3%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Western Harnett Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 48th percentile in 2016 → 60th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the North Carolina median (60th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg47%

North Carolina avg58%

310^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 40%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to top 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

173^rd of 246Harnett 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	59.2	310 of 778	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.6	477 of 773	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.4	434 of 793	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.8	415 of 784	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.7	388 of 786	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.8	379 of 741	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.7	390 of 737	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.3	350 of 691	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	53.8	336 of 694	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.8	360 of 692	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.7	475 of 705	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	34.3	407 of 627	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	38.6	414 of 673	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.9	456 of 662	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	39.7	450 of 648	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	34.1	486 of 640	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	44.5	412 of 630	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	57.0	288 of 620	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.0	238 of 606	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.1	260 of 598	56.5%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.8	202 of 553	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.9	236 of 546	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.4	237 of 560	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.3	230 of 559	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.0	148 of 550	73.1%	★★★★☆
2021	57.3	151 of 533	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	61.2	137 of 519	73.6%	★★★★☆
2018	53.4	195 of 494	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	26.1	360 of 449	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.0	330 of 478	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	278 of 504	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.8	346 of 475	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	166 of 363	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.7	247 of 371	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.4	248 of 356	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	164 of 318	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.9	170 of 312	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.3	68 of 236	71.2%	★★★★☆
2019	43.3	101 of 211	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.9	268 of 731	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.5	433 of 733	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.6	344 of 738	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.2	370 of 731	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.7	354 of 733	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.7	313 of 706	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.9	389 of 684	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.0	323 of 656	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.4	187 of 465	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.5	354 of 458	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	67.0	120 of 461	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	65.4	147 of 452	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.2	218 of 450	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.0	191 of 448	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.7	149 of 416	64.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.6	288 of 566	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.3	435 of 562	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.8	414 of 564	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.5	335 of 553	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.4	362 of 541	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.2	289 of 522	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.5	234 of 493	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.0	138 of 472	70.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.5	331 of 725	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.8	499 of 729	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.9	459 of 743	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.9	405 of 735	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.1	395 of 689	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.1	225 of 633	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.9	339 of 639	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.8	224 of 604	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.9	326 of 736	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.5	488 of 733	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.7	478 of 751	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.0	458 of 747	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.0	415 of 748	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.5	428 of 711	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.9	369 of 697	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.7	360 of 665	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.1	29 of 67	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.4	41 of 64	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.8	30 of 58	48.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.0	29 of 54	46.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.2	28 of 58	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.4	36 of 57	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.9	28 of 48	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.1	28 of 45	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.4	145 of 333	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.5	191 of 328	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.4	180 of 306	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.4	131 of 302	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.1	74 of 283	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	58.2	77 of 248	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.4	189 of 237	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.1	162 of 221	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	364 of 500	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.7	257 of 478	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.7	353 of 473	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.1	229 of 644	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	32.2	472 of 649	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.5	375 of 652	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.4	448 of 656	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.8	398 of 658	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.3	409 of 632	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.8	466 of 624	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.2	403 of 596	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

White (2026)64th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2026)63rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)63rd percentile+3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)60th percentile~ school

Military Connected (2026)57th percentile-3 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)56th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)56th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)54th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)54th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)49th percentile-11 vs school

Special Education (2026)27th percentile-33 vs school

Disabled (2022)20th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science69%~ state avg

Mathematics61%+5 vs state

Reading57%~ state avg

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, December 24, 2015

This school offered an amazing amount of clubs and my child's scores improved by a lot when he went to this school. The teachers are amazing and should be ranked higher than what it is, this school brought people together. I'm a proud parent of a child that goes to Western Harnett. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, March 18, 2013

I have two children that attend this school. Both are in the 7th grade, one regular education and the other special needs. I am highly disappointed in the special needs program, and more so the lack of compassion these teachers have for these special children. Close Quote

Schools Near Western Harnett 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)				EOC Math I (2026)	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	EOC Math I End of Course	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
Western Harnett Middle	Public	6-8	11135 NC Hwy 27 West	Lillington	27546	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 499-4497	700	46	15.3	55.6%	330 (47.1%)	128 (18.3%)	176 (25.1%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (8.4%)	59.2	310^th of 778 public middle schools	60.2%		38.6	477^th of 773 public middle schools	38.3%	167		71.0	60.3	53.6	57.3	55.4	57.5	68.7	$8,179	$745	$7,434
Highland Middle	Public	6-8	345 Highland School Rd	Sanford	27332	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 498-3331	762	50	15.3	63.9%	318 (41.7%)	135 (17.7%)	222 (29.1%)	9 (1.2%)	4 (0.5%)	5 (0.7%)	69 (9.1%)	37.9	497^th of 778 public middle schools	36.1%		36.9	495^th of 773 public middle schools	36.0%	2		57.5	46.5	40.8	47.2	46.1	43.8	69.6	$7,358	$539	$6,819
Overhills Middle	Public	6-8	2711 Ray Road	Spring Lake	28390	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 436-0009	758	48	15.7	63.1%	210 (27.7%)	287 (37.9%)	163 (21.5%)	6 (0.8%)	4 (0.5%)	9 (1.2%)	79 (10.4%)	26.6	597^th of 778 public middle schools	23.3%		32.6	524^th of 773 public middle schools	32.2%	73		42.4	44.5	29.6	46.3	49.5	40.6	57.7	$7,678	$612	$7,065
Ascend Leadership Remote Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-10	283 Harvey Faulk Rd	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(919) 842-5411	27			—	14 (51.9%)	4 (14.8%)	4 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (18.5%)	61.2	284^th of 778 public middle schools	63.5%					(n/a)	15.4	69.0	50.0	31.0	75.9	91.7	64.3	65.5
East Lee Middle	Public	6-8	1337 Broadway Rd	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 776-8441	526	34	15.4	97.5%	148 (28.1%)	111 (21.1%)	233 (44.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.1%)	29.3	565^th of 778 public middle schools	27.4%		19.1	645^th of 773 public middle schools	16.6%	80		39.8	47.0	46.1	39.5	45.0	47.4	58.4	$8,028	$700	$7,329
Spring Lake Middle	Public	6-8	612 Spring Avenue	Spring Lake	28390	Cumberland County	Cumberland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 497-1175	500	36	13.9	—	45 (9.0%)	314 (62.8%)	85 (17.0%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	49 (9.8%)	21.5	641^st of 778 public middle schools	17.6%		21.5	623^rd of 773 public middle schools	19.4%	18		33.1	31.4	40.0	36.9	37.1	47.9	63.3	$9,881	$1,613	$8,268
Pine Forest Middle	Public	6-8	6901 Ramsey Street	Fayetteville	28311	Cumberland County	Cumberland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 488-2711	703	47	14.9	59.6%	199 (28.3%)	291 (41.4%)	116 (16.5%)	19 (2.7%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.6%)	71 (10.1%)	53.5	362^nd of 778 public middle schools	53.5%		54.3	335^th of 773 public middle schools	56.7%	27		51.8	42.2	51.9	63.7	57.4	62.5	72.0	$8,355	$972	$7,383
SanLee Middle School	Public	6-8	2309 Tramway Rd	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 708-7227	792	52	15.2	—	234 (29.5%)	154 (19.4%)	361 (45.6%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.2%)	57.8	323^rd of 778 public middle schools	58.5%		55.3	324^th of 773 public middle schools	58.1%	1		67.4	55.6	55.9	56.4	52.2	53.6	78.9	$7,599	$701	$6,898
Harnett Central Middle	Public	6-8	2529 Harnett Central Rd	Angier	27501	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 639-6000	1,059	64	16.5	97.8%	458 (43.2%)	227 (21.4%)	310 (29.3%)	5 (0.5%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (5.2%)	28.2	579^th of 778 public middle schools	25.6%		27.4	568^th of 773 public middle schools	26.5%	11		44.4	39.5	35.4	45.5	43.0	47.8	61.6	$8,387	$686	$7,701
West Lee Middle	Public	6-8	3301 Wicker St	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 775-7351	522	38	13.7	96.9%	102 (19.5%)	97 (18.6%)	287 (55.0%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.7%)	31.2	544^th of 778 public middle schools	30.1%		29.2	553^rd of 773 public middle schools	28.5%	9		51.6	43.2	32.7	44.4	41.9	47.6	65.1	$8,316	$876	$7,440

Frequently Asked Questions about Western Harnett Middle

What is the racial makeup of Western Harnett Middle?

Students at Western Harnett Middle are 47% White, 25% Hispanic, 18% African American, 8% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Western Harnett Middle attend?

Students who attend Western Harnett Middle usually go on to attend Western Harnett High

How many students attend Western Harnett Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 700 students attended Western Harnett Middle.

Is Western Harnett Middle a good school?

Western Harnett Middle ranks 310^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Western Harnett Middle in?

Harnett County Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2026

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.