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West McDowell Middle School

Q: Is West McDowell Middle School a good school?

West McDowell Middle School ranks 444 th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

444^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 773 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 43% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

West McDowell Middle School is a public middle school located in Marion, North Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 581 students. The school is part of the McDowell County Schools district, which is ranked 98 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

West McDowell Middle School has shown mixed academic performance compared to the state and district averages. The school excelled in 6th grade mathematics, with a proficiency rate of 72.7% compared to the state average of 57.2%. However, the school struggled in 7th and 8th grade mathematics, as well as 6th-8th grade reading, where proficiency rates were below the state and district averages. The school's performance for its African American students was strong, ranking 4 out of 5 stars in 2021-2022, but it has faced challenges with its Hispanic and White student populations, ranking in the bottom 25% of North Carolina middle schools for these groups in recent years.

One notable factor for West McDowell Middle School is the high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which has increased from 42.44% in 2021-2022 to 99.48% in 2023-2024. This suggests the school may need to focus on addressing the unique needs of its economically disadvantaged population. When compared to nearby schools, West McDowell Middle School generally performs below the level of Foothills Community School, a public magnet school in the same district, but appears to outperform East McDowell Middle School, another public middle school in the same district.

550

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,132

Per pupil spending ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

346 West McDowell Junior High
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 652-3390

District: McDowell County Schools

Students who attend West McDowell Middle School usually attend:

High:	McDowell Early College
	McDowell High School

Feeder schools for West McDowell Middle School:

Elementary:	North Cove Elementary School
	Old Fort Elementary School
	Pleasant Gardens Elementary School
	West Marion Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.1%

Hispanic:

16.0%

Two or more races:

4.5%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare West McDowell Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 52nd percentile in 2015 → 43rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2015

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

!Science scores 10 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg51%

North Carolina avg54%

444^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 9 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Middle Schools in the McDowell County Schools

98^th of 242McDowell 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	43.7	444 of 773	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.7	500 of 793	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.7	417 of 784	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.9	387 of 786	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.1	426 of 741	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.7	341 of 737	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.9	399 of 691	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	57.2	308 of 694	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	45.2	390 of 692	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	52.9	338 of 705	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	53.3	282 of 627	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.6	270 of 673	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.5	232 of 662	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	74.4	154 of 648	76.2%	★★★★☆
2010	73.3	151 of 640	76.4%	★★★★☆
2009	75.9	130 of 630	79.4%	★★★★☆
2008	60.7	263 of 620	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.9	169 of 606	72.1%	★★★★☆
2006	58.7	278 of 598	53.5%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	76.4	82 of 550	85.1%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	37.9	249 of 449	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.4	407 of 478	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.4	241 of 504	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.6	188 of 475	60.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	33.5	250 of 371	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.9	224 of 356	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.7	118 of 318	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.6	213 of 312	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	47.3	389 of 733	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.8	443 of 738	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.7	407 of 731	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.9	422 of 733	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.3	406 of 706	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.9	295 of 684	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.8	441 of 656	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	65.4	148 of 458	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.2	227 of 461	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.2	326 of 452	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.6	351 of 450	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.7	372 of 448	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	63.3	156 of 416	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.6	380 of 562	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.3	458 of 564	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.6	393 of 553	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	432 of 541	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.7	448 of 522	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.3	329 of 493	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.5	356 of 472	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	76.6	5 of 44	88.6%	★★★★★
2024	37.4	34 of 50	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	74.8	5 of 50	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	76.5	4 of 37	89.2%	★★★★★
2021	69.1	3 of 12	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	77.3	2 of 13	84.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.8	336 of 729	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.5	441 of 743	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.8	375 of 735	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.6	250 of 689	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.9	341 of 633	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.6	188 of 639	70.6%	★★★★☆
2018	59.9	215 of 604	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.8	443 of 733	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.4	504 of 751	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.7	412 of 747	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.0	336 of 748	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.3	413 of 711	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.8	357 of 697	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.3	353 of 665	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	53.0	140 of 306	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.3	151 of 283	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.6	200 of 248	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	52.0	103 of 237	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	37.2	279 of 478	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.5	205 of 473	56.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	27.5	509 of 649	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	541 of 652	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.2	533 of 656	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.6	463 of 658	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.9	530 of 632	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.7	469 of 624	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	528 of 596	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)89th percentile+46 vs school

African American (2022)85th percentile+34 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)68th percentile+25 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)54th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)47th percentile+4 vs school

Disabled (2022)45th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)40th percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)33rd percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2025)32nd percentile-10 vs school

White (2025)22nd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics52%~ state avg

Science50%-10 vs state

Reading47%-5 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, October 29, 2019

This school is an excellent school. I think this because this is a more friendly atmosphere than other middle schools around McDowell County. Also, the teachers care and they help the students and fellow staff when they ask for help. Close Quote

Schools Near West McDowell Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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	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
West McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	346 West McDowell Junior High	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-3390	550	35	15.5	99.5%	413 (75.1%)	17 (3.1%)	88 (16.0%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.5%)	43.7	444^th of 773 public middle schools	42.6%		38.7	500^th of 793 public middle schools	36.9%	56	72.7	46.4	37.4	48.3	49.4	44.7	50.0	$9,132	$764	$8,368
East McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	676 State Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-7711	392	35	11.2	99.2%	273 (69.6%)	16 (4.1%)	77 (19.6%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.1%)	31.6	529^th of 773 public middle schools	31.6%		43.5	455^th of 793 public middle schools	42.6%	74	45.8	56.7	27.9	42.3	46.4	48.1	39.5	$9,697	$1,539	$8,158
Foothills Community School	Public, Magnet	6-8	176 Lukin Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(828) 652-1040	200	11	18.0	98.5%	164 (82.0%)	4 (2.0%)	22 (11.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.0%)	83.8	105^th of 773 public middle schools	86.4%		77.1	152^nd of 793 public middle schools	80.8%	47	69.0	80.3	55.6	72.4	77.3	73.6	75.0	$6,490	$276	$6,214
Table Rock Middle	Public	6-8	1585 Nc 126	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-5212	427	31	14.0	99.1%	282 (66.0%)	34 (8.0%)	53 (12.4%)	20 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.7%)	49.2	390^th of 773 public middle schools	49.5%		48.6	409^th of 793 public middle schools	48.4%	19	69.5	55.8	37.9	56.3	51.7	37.2	58.2	$9,032	$751	$8,280
Mitchell Middle School	Public	6-8	5035 S 226 Hwy Ste B	Bakersville	28705	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 766-3340	380	27	14.0	97.4%	304 (80.0%)	1 (0.3%)	61 (16.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.9%)								(n/a)	32.1	39.1	34.8	40.5	38.3	52.2	61.4
East Yancey Middle	Public	6-8	285 Georges Fork Road	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 682-2281	259	20	13.0	98.8%	209 (80.7%)	2 (0.8%)	46 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	46.2	424^th of 773 public middle schools	45.1%		64.4	256^th of 793 public middle schools	67.7%	168	38.6	52.3	65.1	44.6	37.2	53.0	67.5	$10,320	$1,091	$9,229
Owen Middle	Public	6-8	730 Old US 70	Swannanoa	28778	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 686-7739	457	33	13.7	96.7%	329 (72.0%)	15 (3.3%)	85 (18.6%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.0%)	28.6	561^st of 773 public middle schools	27.4%		33.6	544^th of 793 public middle schools	31.4%	17	36.3	43.8	30.2	34.4	45.8	47.5	54.7	$10,287	$730	$9,558

Frequently Asked Questions about West McDowell Middle School

Is West McDowell Middle School a good school?

West McDowell Middle School ranks 444^th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West McDowell Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 550 students attended West McDowell Middle School.

What district is West McDowell Middle School in?

McDowell County Schools

What is the racial makeup of West McDowell Middle School?

Students at West McDowell Middle School are 75% White, 16% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of West McDowell Middle School attend?

Students who attend West McDowell Middle School usually go on to attend McDowell Early College

Rate West McDowell Middle School!

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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.