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East Middle

Public Grades 6-8

690^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 11% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

East Middle is a grade 6–8 middle school in Biscoe, North Carolina, serving 422 students as part of Montgomery County Schools. The school has experienced a dramatic decline over the past several years: it fell from the 49th percentile statewide in 2021-22 to the 11th percentile in 2025-26, dropping from a 2-star to a 1-star rating. Nearly all students (99%) qualify for free/reduced lunch, so this is a high-poverty school that is struggling academically even when compared to other high-poverty schools.

Test scores tell a concerning story. In the most recent EOG results, East Middle's proficiency rates lagged the state average in every subject. Only 23% of 8th graders scored proficient in math, compared to 53% statewide. The school's 8th graders have seen math proficiency fall from 50.7% two years ago to 23.0% today. Nearby schools with similar poverty levels perform much better: West Pine Middle, about 16 miles away, serves a student body with 99.6% poverty eligibility yet ranks in the 93rd percentile statewide. Ellerbe Middle, another high-poverty rural school, posts an average EOG proficiency near 54% versus East Middle's 35.5%. Even West Middle, its sister school in Montgomery County, outranks East Middle, and Elise Middle scores well above both.

There is one clear bright spot: chronic absenteeism has fallen from 40.9% in 2020-21 to 22.8% in 2024-25, now better than both the district and state averages. That improvement makes the academic slide harder to explain. East Middle's subgroup ratings have dropped across nearly every measurable category — girls, boys, English learners, and students from low-income families — with the low-income subgroup falling to the 7th percentile statewide. Students are showing up more consistently, yet outcomes are not improving, which points to instructional quality and academic support issues rather than attendance. Parents considering East Middle should be prepared to ask about the school's improvement plan and what academic interventions are available at each grade level.

422

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

130 Merlin's Maze
Biscoe, NC 27209-9801

(910) 428-3278

District: Montgomery County Schools

Feeder schools for East Middle:

Elementary:	Candor Elementary
	Green Ridge Elementary
	Star Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

57.3%

White:

25.6%

African American:

10.0%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare East Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 33rd percentile in 2016 → 11th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (36% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg38%

North Carolina avg58%

690^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 11%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From bottom 33% (2016) to bottom 11% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

195^th of 246Montgomery 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	14.1	690 of 778	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.6	592 of 773	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.8	462 of 793	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.7	455 of 784	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.8	402 of 786	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.4	506 of 741	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.0	492 of 737	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.5	463 of 691	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.9	466 of 694	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.9	465 of 692	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.3	469 of 705	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	24.6	481 of 627	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	32.7	467 of 673	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.7	466 of 662	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	42.0	441 of 648	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	28.5	515 of 640	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	30.9	500 of 630	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	24.0	496 of 620	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	27.5	496 of 606	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	21.6	512 of 598	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.3	513 of 553	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	27.1	427 of 546	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.2	273 of 560	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.8	213 of 559	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.0	177 of 550	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.0	258 of 533	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.0	413 of 519	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.7	265 of 494	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	57.1	108 of 449	75.9%	★★★★☆
2021	31.5	358 of 478	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.2	419 of 504	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.8	305 of 475	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.8	250 of 363	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.9	192 of 371	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.3	193 of 356	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.1	216 of 318	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.9	164 of 312	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.8	48 of 236	79.7%	★★★★☆
2019	40.0	110 of 211	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.0	147 of 151	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.5	638 of 731	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.1	570 of 733	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.0	492 of 738	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.2	525 of 731	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.9	409 of 733	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.4	485 of 706	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.4	492 of 684	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.8	481 of 656	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	60.9	198 of 461	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.1	358 of 452	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	63.2	163 of 450	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.4	271 of 448	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.6	266 of 416	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.3	478 of 566	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.9	387 of 562	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.6	199 of 564	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.0	221 of 553	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.9	188 of 541	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.0	257 of 522	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.8	219 of 493	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.6	245 of 472	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.3	673 of 725	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	33.5	504 of 729	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.6	386 of 743	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.6	303 of 735	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.1	187 of 689	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	53.1	242 of 633	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.0	259 of 639	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.1	262 of 604	56.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.3	689 of 736	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	24.4	565 of 733	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.6	387 of 751	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.8	374 of 747	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.2	380 of 748	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.9	499 of 711	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.9	471 of 697	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.7	438 of 665	34.1%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	12.8	315 of 328	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	28.2	239 of 302	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.7	168 of 283	40.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	7.3	618 of 644	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.9	563 of 649	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.5	498 of 652	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	548 of 656	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	482 of 658	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.1	560 of 632	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.1	520 of 624	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.2	482 of 596	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)76th percentile+27 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2024)57th percentile+15 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)31st percentile+20 vs school

Hispanic (2026)16th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)13th percentile~ school

African American (2026)7th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)7th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)6th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)4th percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)4th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science46%-23 vs state

Reading35%-21 vs state

Mathematics33%-23 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Sunday, February 17, 2019

This school is the equivalent of a prison Close Quote

Schools Near East 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
East Middle	Public	6-8	130 Merlin's Maze	Biscoe	27209	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 428-3278	422	29	14.6	99.3%	108 (25.6%)	42 (10.0%)	242 (57.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.6%)	14.1	690^th of 778 public middle schools	11.3%		24.6	592^nd of 773 public middle schools	23.4%	98	30.2	45.5	23.0	31.7	39.0	33.1	45.9	$9,309	$1,204	$8,105
Tillery Charter Remote Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	170 Academy Street	Biscoe	27209	Montgomery County	Tillery Charter Academy	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(910) 828-4143	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
West Middle	Public	6-8	129 NC Hwy 109S	Mount Gilead	27306	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 572-9378	343	20	17.1	99.1%	159 (46.4%)	94 (27.4%)	54 (15.7%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (8.2%)	21.4	643^rd of 778 public middle schools	17.4%		37.4	490^th of 773 public middle schools	36.6%	153	53.7	34.7	40.0	43.5	34.7	35.5	44.5	$10,822	$825	$9,997
Elise Middle	Public	6-8	180 W Elm St	Robbins	27325	Moore County	Moore County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 948-2421	192	18	10.4	97.4%	40 (20.8%)	26 (13.5%)	114 (59.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.7%)	56.5	335^th of 778 public middle schools	56.9%		38.2	484^th of 773 public middle schools	37.4%	149	78.6	65.6	50.8	51.8	57.4	48.3	66.1	$12,902	$1,764	$11,138
West Pine Middle	Public	6-8	144 Archie Road	West End	27376	Moore County	Moore County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 673-1464	717	43	16.8	99.6%	524 (73.1%)	51 (7.1%)	76 (10.6%)	13 (1.8%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	47 (6.6%)	89.6	55^th of 778 public middle schools	92.9%		87.7	72^nd of 773 public middle schools	90.7%	17	78.9	77.4	77.7	76.9	76.6	77.3	87.2	$8,445	$445	$8,000
Ellerbe Middle	Public	6-8	128 W Ballard Street	Ellerbe	28338	Richmond County	Richmond County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 582-7925	182	14	13.0	98.4%	64 (35.2%)	40 (22.0%)	52 (28.6%)	3 (1.6%)	5 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (9.9%)	45	435^th of 778 public middle schools	44.1%		41.3	461^st of 773 public middle schools	40.4%	26	51.2	43.6	62.5	50.0	38.2	57.1	75.0	$10,518	$2,016	$8,502

Frequently Asked Questions about East Middle

Is East Middle a good school?

East Middle ranks in the bottom 11.3% of North Carolina middle schools.

What district is East Middle in?

Montgomery County Schools

How many students attend East Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 422 students attended East Middle.

What is the racial makeup of East Middle?

Students at East Middle are 57% Hispanic, 26% White, 10% African American, 7% Two or more races.

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NCNorth Carolina Middle School Rankings

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Schools in Biscoe, NC

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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.