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

Riverwood Middle

Q: Is Riverwood Middle a good school?

Riverwood Middle ranks 352 nd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

352^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 55% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Riverwood Middle is a public school in Clayton, NC, serving 902 students in grades 6–8 as part of Johnston County Public Schools. The school currently ranks 352nd out of 778 North Carolina middle schools, placing it at the 55th percentile statewide. That is a step back from earlier years, when Riverwood regularly earned 4-star ratings and ranked as high as the 79th–81st percentile as recently as 2021-22. Its recent pattern has been cyclical — the school recovered to the mid-60s percentile range in 2023-24 and 2024-25 before dipping again in the latest year.

The clearest academic concern is 8th-grade math. Just 41.5% of Riverwood 8th graders scored proficient, well below the Johnston County average of 55.1% and the state average of 53%. It also trails nearby schools like Cleveland Middle (68.9%), Archer Lodge Middle (59.2%), and Swift Creek Middle (58.7%). This is not a one-year fluke: 8th-grade math proficiency has ranged from 33% to 46% over the past several years, even as 6th-grade math has been a clear strength at 64.6% proficiency, above district and state averages. Reading scores are steady across all three grades and close to district and state averages, while 8th-grade science is a bright spot at 71.6% proficiency — above the district's 70.8% and the state's 68.6%.

Among its closest same-district peers, Riverwood ranks second-lowest in the latest year: Cleveland and Archer Lodge both sit at the 72nd percentile, Swift Creek sits at 62nd, and Riverwood only narrowly outranks Clayton Middle. Compared to schools just across the county line, though, Riverwood is the stronger choice — most nearby Wake County Schools middle schools, including North Garner Middle, Zebulon Middle, East Garner Middle, and Wendell Middle, all rank in the 26th–34th percentile range. Chronic absenteeism runs at 23.5%, better than the state average but higher than the roughly 19% rates at Cleveland and Archer Lodge. Most student subgroups saw their statewide rankings slip in the latest year, indicating the performance dip is schoolwide rather than isolated to one group of students.

902

Students ?

16.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

204 Athletic Club Blvd
Clayton, NC 27527-5761

(919) 359-2769

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Students who attend Riverwood Middle usually attend:

High:

Clayton High

Feeder schools for Riverwood Middle:

Elementary:	Cooper Academy
	Powhatan Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.6%

African American:

27.5%

Hispanic:

20.2%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Riverwood Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 78th percentile in 2016 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg58%

352^nd of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

98^th of 246Johnston County 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	54.9	352 of 778	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.7	277 of 773	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.7	262 of 793	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.8	349 of 784	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.3	150 of 786	80.9%	★★★★☆
2021	65.2	229 of 741	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.3	262 of 737	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	214 of 691	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	75.7	147 of 694	78.8%	★★★★☆
2016	73.8	152 of 692	78.0%	★★★★☆
2015	79.4	124 of 705	82.4%	★★★★☆
2014	80.4	111 of 627	82.3%	★★★★☆
2013	75.9	133 of 673	80.2%	★★★★☆
2012	84.4	49 of 662	92.6%	★★★★★
2011	83.4	47 of 648	92.7%	★★★★★
2010	82.1	63 of 640	90.2%	★★★★★
2009	83.3	60 of 630	90.5%	★★★★★
2008	83.3	67 of 620	89.2%	★★★★☆
2007	78.3	87 of 606	85.6%	★★★★☆
2006	81.6	66 of 598	89.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.7	217 of 553	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.1	139 of 546	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	66.3	135 of 560	75.9%	★★★★☆
2023	53.7	198 of 559	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	80.1	74 of 550	86.5%	★★★★☆
2021	61.3	121 of 533	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	47.0	254 of 519	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.4	138 of 494	72.1%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	73.3	51 of 449	88.6%	★★★★☆
2021	52.1	163 of 478	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.0	276 of 504	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.2	139 of 475	70.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.1	197 of 363	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.4	204 of 371	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.4	55 of 356	84.6%	★★★★☆
2023	49.7	119 of 318	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.0	57 of 312	81.7%	★★★★☆
2021	51.3	69 of 236	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	37.6	123 of 211	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.4	352 of 731	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.3	250 of 733	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.8	237 of 738	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.3	348 of 731	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.2	139 of 733	81.0%	★★★★☆
2021	62.1	236 of 706	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.5	272 of 684	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.8	218 of 656	66.8%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.1	156 of 465	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.3	165 of 458	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.1	69 of 461	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	49.7	283 of 452	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	68.3	95 of 450	78.9%	★★★★☆
2021	66.3	157 of 448	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.1	146 of 416	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.3	292 of 566	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	54.5	227 of 562	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.3	202 of 564	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.8	355 of 553	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	65.5	139 of 541	74.3%	★★★★☆
2021	53.6	206 of 522	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.2	250 of 493	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.8	229 of 472	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.5	350 of 725	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.1	298 of 729	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.3	316 of 743	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.7	483 of 735	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	65.3	171 of 689	75.2%	★★★★☆
2021	54.8	233 of 633	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.1	428 of 639	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.4	320 of 604	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.7	320 of 736	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.9	283 of 733	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.1	272 of 751	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.9	325 of 747	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.4	154 of 748	79.4%	★★★★☆
2021	66.5	208 of 711	70.7%	★★★★☆
2019	63.1	253 of 697	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.8	196 of 665	70.5%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.2	50 of 67	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.4	56 of 64	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	51 of 58	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	73.8	10 of 58	82.8%	★★★★☆
2021	72.7	9 of 57	84.2%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.9	77 of 333	76.9%	★★★★☆
2025	55.4	131 of 328	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.1	123 of 306	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	24.6	253 of 302	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	49.9	129 of 283	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.4	67 of 248	73.0%	★★★★☆
2019	49.3	111 of 237	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.4	59 of 221	73.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	338 of 500	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.1	180 of 478	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.4	277 of 473	41.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.8	294 of 644	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.3	245 of 649	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.9	217 of 652	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.2	240 of 656	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.5	129 of 658	80.4%	★★★★☆
2021	67.0	180 of 632	71.5%	★★★★☆
2019	63.9	219 of 624	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.2	198 of 596	66.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)89th percentile+8 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)77th percentile+22 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)66th percentile+12 vs school

African American (2026)61st percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)57th percentile~ school

White (2026)54th percentile~ school

Female (2026)52nd percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)52nd percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)48th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)46th percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2026)32nd percentile-22 vs school

Military Connected (2026)25th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science72%+3 vs state

Reading57%~ state avg

Mathematics54%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Riverwood 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 Riverwood 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/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
Riverwood Middle	Public	6-8	204 Athletic Club Blvd	Clayton	27527	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 359-2769	902	53	16.9	—	393 (43.6%)	248 (27.5%)	182 (20.2%)	16 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	60 (6.7%)	54.9	352^nd of 778 public middle schools	54.8%		60.7	277^th of 773 public middle schools	64.2%	75	64.6	55.8	41.5	57.6	57.4	57.1	71.6	$7,553	$421	$7,132
Archer Lodge Middle	Public	6-8	762 Wendell Rd	Wendell	27591	Wake County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-0714	1,204	64	18.7	—	641 (53.2%)	203 (16.9%)	283 (23.5%)	13 (1.1%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (4.9%)	67.9	221^st of 778 public middle schools	71.6%		75.3	166^th of 773 public middle schools	78.5%	55	67.9	69.8	59.2	61.1	65.3	60.8	69.4	$7,395	$351	$7,044
Clayton Middle	Public	6-8	490 Guy Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-5811	609	38	16.0	96.2%	169 (27.8%)	170 (27.9%)	221 (36.3%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.1%)	49.1	405^th of 778 public middle schools	47.9%		48.6	395^th of 773 public middle schools	48.9%	10	55.4	50.0	45.3	51.9	56.8	58.5	70.3	$9,361	$587	$8,774
Wendell Middle	Public	6-8	3409 NC Highway 97	Wendell	27591	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 365-1667	762	54	14.0	—	135 (17.7%)	274 (36.0%)	293 (38.5%)	17 (2.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.2%)	31.3	541^st of 778 public middle schools	30.5%		26.3	578^th of 773 public middle schools	25.2%	37	47.8	43.2	34.3	51.3	43.8	47.8	59.1	$8,914	$440	$8,473
Swift Creek Middle	Public	6-8	325 Norris Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 262-0750	691	45	15.5	—	334 (48.3%)	101 (14.6%)	215 (31.1%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.2%)	60.1	297^th of 778 public middle schools	61.8%		56	316^th of 773 public middle schools	59.1%	19	66.7	66.5	58.7	55.1	58.7	55.6	65.9	$8,637	$480	$8,156
East Garner Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	6301 Jones Sausage Rd	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 662-2339	1,109	71	15.6	—	148 (13.3%)	514 (46.3%)	355 (32.0%)	51 (4.6%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	34 (3.1%)	28.5	575^th of 778 public middle schools	26.1%		34.1	516^th of 773 public middle schools	33.2%	59	47.8	40.5	39.3	45.5	46.9	42.2	57.4	$8,808	$540	$8,269
Neuse River Middle	Public	6-8	2700 Old Milburnie Rd	Raleigh	27604	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 266-8500	877	64	13.8	—	107 (12.2%)	286 (32.6%)	416 (47.4%)	29 (3.3%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	36 (4.1%)	19.3	656^th of 778 public middle schools	15.7%		17.6	663^rd of 773 public middle schools	14.2%	7	43.7	34.6	33.3	39.4	37.9	36.9	55.9	$10,715	$1,359	$9,355
River Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	4700 New Bern Ave	Raleigh	27610	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 231-5600	7	19	.3	—	1 (14.3%)	5 (71.4%)	1 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								$33,564	$1,102	$32,462
Cleveland Middle	Public	6-8	2323 Cornwallis Road	Garner	27529	Wake County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-7500	936	51	18.4	—	439 (46.9%)	215 (23.0%)	193 (20.6%)	26 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (6.5%)	68.1	220^th of 778 public middle schools	71.7%		66	242^nd of 773 public middle schools	68.7%	22	59.8	59.1	68.9	59.8	63.9	63.7	77.7	$7,527	$410	$7,117
North Garner Middle	Public	6-8	720 Powell Dr	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 662-2434	831	54	15.5	—	248 (29.8%)	265 (31.9%)	267 (32.1%)	14 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.5%)	28.8	569^th of 778 public middle schools	26.9%		28.6	560^th of 773 public middle schools	27.6%	9	44.6	43.5	37.5	46.5	44.9	41.6	61.7	$9,338	$475	$8,863

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverwood Middle

What is the racial makeup of Riverwood Middle?

Students at Riverwood Middle are 44% White, 27% African American, 20% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Riverwood Middle a good school?

Riverwood Middle ranks 352^nd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Riverwood Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 902 students attended Riverwood Middle.

What district is Riverwood Middle in?

Johnston County Public Schools

What high school do graduates of Riverwood Middle attend?

Students who attend Riverwood Middle usually go on to attend Clayton High

Rate Riverwood Middle!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Middle School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Clayton, NC

Sign up for updates!

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

Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

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

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 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.