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Whitewater Middle

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

586^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 25% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Whitewater Middle is a 6th–8th grade school in Charlotte, NC, that serves 731 students and is part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. In the most recent statewide ranking (2025–2026), Whitewater placed 586th out of 778 North Carolina middle schools — the bottom quarter (25th percentile). It serves an almost exclusively low-income population, with 99.59% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Poverty alone doesn’t tell the story, though: nearby Mount Holly Middle (61st percentile), Coulwood STEM Academy (66th), and Stanley Middle (68th) serve nearly identical high-poverty populations but rank 200–300 spots higher. At the same time, Whitewater outperforms nearby Wilson STEM Academy (14th percentile) and Ranson Middle (6th), placing it in the middle of the pack among comparable high-poverty schools in its area.

Reading is Whitewater’s biggest academic challenge. In 2025–2026, reading proficiency ranged from 37.8% to 42.4% across grades — roughly 14–18 points below state averages. Math scores are also below the state, but the gap is smaller (about 8–13 points), and science is a bright spot: 56.5% of 8th graders were proficient in 2025–2026, up from 46.3% the year before. Results can swing with individual cohorts; 8th grade math, for example, reached 65.5% proficiency in 2024–2025 (above the state average) before dropping to 45.3% the following year. Chronic absenteeism stands at 38.1%, well above the district rate of 26.8% and the state rate of 24.2%, making attendance a clear area of concern.

Despite the low overall ranking, Whitewater shows genuine pockets of excellence. Gifted students ranked 13th out of 465 schools statewide (97th percentile, 5 stars), and homeless students ranked 16th out of 59 (73rd percentile, 4 stars) — evidence that strong instruction happens inside the school. Whitewater also spends generously compared with its neighbors: $10,408 per student versus $9,982 at Coulwood STEM Academy and $8,065 at Mount Holly Middle, with a favorable 15.2 student-teacher ratio. In short, the school’s biggest barriers are reading and attendance, and the success of similar high-poverty schools nearby suggests those barriers are addressable without changing the student population.

731

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10201 Running Rapids Rd
Charlotte, NC 28214-0500

(980) 344-3400

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Students who attend Whitewater Middle usually attend:

High:

West Mecklenburg High School

Feeder schools for Whitewater Middle:

Elementary:	Tuckaseegee Elementary
	Whitewater Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

50.9%

Hispanic:

36.0%

Asian:

6.2%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Whitewater Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2016 → 25th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (45% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (25th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg58%

North Carolina avg58%

586^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 25%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 17% (2016) to bottom 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

105^th of 246Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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	27.3	586 of 778	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.3	491 of 773	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.1	602 of 793	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	560 of 784	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.0	627 of 786	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.9	621 of 741	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.8	549 of 737	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.3	501 of 691	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.4	538 of 694	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.7	571 of 692	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.5	581 of 705	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	7.6	599 of 627	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	15.8	582 of 673	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	21.2	569 of 662	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	21.5	558 of 648	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	250 of 553	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.8	207 of 546	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.1	312 of 560	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.0	274 of 559	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.1	338 of 550	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.0	355 of 533	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.1	245 of 519	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.1	261 of 494	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	96 of 121	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.2	80 of 111	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.2	84 of 110	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.7	66 of 110	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.9	86 of 109	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.7	93 of 99	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.3	86 of 102	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.1	78 of 95	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	25.7	370 of 449	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.6	354 of 478	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.4	229 of 504	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	25.7	405 of 475	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.0	199 of 363	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	54.1	109 of 371	70.6%	★★★★☆
2024	49.3	135 of 356	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.5	96 of 318	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	36.4	202 of 312	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.1	59 of 236	75.0%	★★★★☆
2019	58.1	47 of 211	77.7%	★★★★☆
2018	61.0	27 of 151	82.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.5	572 of 731	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.5	467 of 733	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.4	544 of 738	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.6	477 of 731	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.8	579 of 733	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.7	622 of 706	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.4	509 of 684	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.5	470 of 656	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.1	13 of 465	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	30.8	402 of 452	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	57.5	228 of 450	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.2	388 of 566	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	54.3	229 of 562	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.1	373 of 564	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.6	334 of 553	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	393 of 541	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.0	417 of 522	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.0	308 of 493	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.5	232 of 472	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.2	16 of 59	72.9%	★★★★☆
2023	45.9	23 of 50	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.5	30 of 37	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.4	36 of 71	49.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.2	6 of 13	53.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.5	449 of 725	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.2	313 of 729	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.2	456 of 743	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.2	398 of 735	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.0	486 of 689	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.9	521 of 633	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.3	416 of 639	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.1	374 of 604	38.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.6	548 of 736	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.2	477 of 733	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.9	606 of 751	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.5	587 of 747	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	623 of 748	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.9	589 of 711	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.8	532 of 697	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.7	530 of 665	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.7	285 of 500	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.5	431 of 478	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.4	315 of 473	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	21.9	553 of 656	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.8	508 of 658	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.2	612 of 632	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	37.3	424 of 624	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.1	492 of 596	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)97th percentile+73 vs school

Homeless (2026)73rd percentile+48 vs school

African American (2026)55th percentile+30 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)45th percentile+21 vs school

Special Education (2026)43rd percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)31st percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)26th percentile~ school

Female (2026)22nd percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2026)21st percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2022)18th percentile-3 vs school

White (2023)16th percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science56%-12 vs state

Mathematics46%-10 vs state

Reading40%-16 vs state

4.0

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Students now have access to iPads to use at home for homework and research purposes. The staff and admin turn around has helped this school greatly. Close Quote

by a citizen
Saturday, May 21, 2016

There have been many changes in the administration and staffing at WMS in the last few years. The changes have brought consistent expectations for academics and behavior. As a result, Whitewater Middle has implemented many new initiatives that are improving the school culture and inviting the community to become actively involved in the school. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, October 17, 2013

I was willing to give this school a chance. I really was. My child started hearing rumors about the fights at this school when he was in elementary school. That was terribly worrisome and I chalked it up to just kid rumors.

Within several weeks of school starting, we quickly realized that not only do the 6th graders have no recess but they have no gym time or outside time of ANY kind. Lunch periods were taken away at least once a week via walking the kids back and forth over and over and over again. The rumors of discipline problems are true however the methods of the teachers seem to add to it instead of modeling better behavior. I do NOT send my child to school to get screamed at along with the rest of his class. I mean come on.... seriously?

There are NO textbooks. All classes seem to be based on how well your child can take notes. No wonder their school performance scores are so below par for the state AND the district!

Do yourself and your family a favor - do whatever you can to send your child somewhere else. I have a TD / gifted student. I will be pulling him out. This school is a MISTAKE and a disaster. What a shame! Close Quote

Schools Near Whitewater 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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
Whitewater Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	10201 Running Rapids Rd	Charlotte	28214	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 344-3400	731	48	15.2	99.6%	20 (2.7%)	372 (50.9%)	263 (36.0%)	45 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.2%)	27.3	586^th of 778 public middle schools	24.7%		37.3	491^st of 773 public middle schools	36.5%	95	47.5	45.8	45.3	40.2	42.4	37.8	56.5	$10,408	$1,245	$9,164
Mount Holly Middle	Public	6-8	124 S Hawthorne Street	Mount Holly	28120	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9610	570	37	15.2	99.5%	281 (49.3%)	115 (20.2%)	106 (18.6%)	19 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	47 (8.2%)	60	301^st of 778 public middle schools	61.3%		53.5	350^th of 773 public middle schools	54.7%	49	55.1	60.8	59.9	50.5	60.3	63.2	76.9	$8,065	$884	$7,181
Coulwood STEM Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	500 Kentberry Dr	Charlotte	28214	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6090	632	42	14.9	99.5%	25 (4.0%)	400 (63.3%)	165 (26.1%)	20 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.3%)	63.3	266^th of 778 public middle schools	65.8%		60.3	281^st of 773 public middle schools	63.6%	15	74.2	68.5	69.8	51.3	44.9	54.5	81.7	$9,982	$1,296	$8,685
Wilson STEM Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	7020 Tuckaseegee Rd	Charlotte	28214	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6070	456	23	19.4	99.3%	16 (3.5%)	272 (59.6%)	135 (29.6%)	12 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.2%)	17.3	669^th of 778 public middle schools	14.0%		18.3	653^rd of 773 public middle schools	15.5%	16	37.7	42.0	38.7	35.1	41.4	31.6	42.2	$10,408	$1,128	$9,279
Belmont Middle	Public	6-8	1020 South Point Road	Belmont	28012	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9611	770	42	18.1	42.2%	504 (65.5%)	84 (10.9%)	122 (15.8%)	18 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.3%)	76.4	164^th of 778 public middle schools	78.9%		74.5	167^th of 773 public middle schools	78.4%	3	77.6	67.8	63.1	63.2	69.0	64.3	80.5	$7,551	$657	$6,894
Holbrook Middle	Public	6-8	418 S Church Street	Lowell	28098	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9607	712	53	13.5	97.8%	242 (34.0%)	217 (30.5%)	197 (27.7%)	9 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.5%)	27.1	589^th of 778 public middle schools	24.3%		23.2	605^th of 773 public middle schools	21.7%	16	54.2	36.9	39.2	47.4	46.3	44.3	47.4	$7,945	$752	$7,193
Cramerton Middle	Public	6-8	601 Cramer Mountain Road	Cramerton	28032	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9603	959	51	18.8	43.2%	587 (61.2%)	154 (16.1%)	117 (12.2%)	44 (4.6%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (5.5%)	88.1	69^th of 778 public middle schools	91.1%		88.9	61^st of 773 public middle schools	92.1%	8	79.3	75.4	73.5	73.3	73.1	78.6	88.9	$7,892	$734	$7,158
Stanley Middle	Public	6-8	317 Hovis Road	Stanley	28164	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9600	602	38	15.6	99.5%	357 (59.3%)	87 (14.5%)	112 (18.6%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.3%)	65	247^th of 778 public middle schools	68.3%		61.7	269^th of 773 public middle schools	65.2%	22	73.9	61.3	68.6	53.5	47.9	65.8	76.7	$8,317	$777	$7,540
Francis Bradley Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	13345 Beatties Ford Rd	Huntersville	28078	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-5750	1,089	61	17.9	46.8%	411 (37.7%)	367 (33.7%)	232 (21.3%)	31 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	46 (4.2%)	60.8	289^th of 778 public middle schools	62.9%		65.5	248^th of 773 public middle schools	67.9%	41	72.0	62.6	47.4	62.7	56.4	56.6	68.8	$8,663	$698	$7,965
Ranson Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	5850 Statesville Rd	Charlotte	28269	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6800	757	44	17.1	99.6%	13 (1.7%)	465 (61.4%)	230 (30.4%)	31 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.4%)	8.7	730^th of 778 public middle schools	6.2%		6	741^st of 773 public middle schools	4.1%	11	30.7	31.6	23.1	30.5	29.0	32.3	41.8	$8,974	$1,334	$7,640

Frequently Asked Questions about Whitewater Middle

How many students attend Whitewater Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 731 students attended Whitewater Middle.

What high school do graduates of Whitewater Middle attend?

Students who attend Whitewater Middle usually go on to attend West Mecklenburg High School

Is Whitewater Middle a good school?

Whitewater Middle ranks in the bottom 24.7% of North Carolina middle schools.

What district is Whitewater Middle in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

What is the racial makeup of Whitewater Middle?

Students at Whitewater Middle are 51% African American, 36% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 3% White.

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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.