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Cape Fear Middle

Q: Is Cape Fear Middle a good school?

Cape Fear Middle ranks 482 nd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

482^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 38% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Cape Fear Middle serves 430 students in grades 6–8 in Rocky Point, NC, and is part of Pender County Schools, a district that ranks near the middle of North Carolina districts. The school's overall state ranking has fluctuated in recent years and currently sits at the 38th percentile, placing it in the lower-middle range of North Carolina middle schools. Nearly every student (over 99%) qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, making this a high-poverty school.

The most distinctive pattern at Cape Fear Middle is the split between math and reading. Eighth-grade math is a genuine strength, with 61.3% of students proficient—well above the state average of 53.0% and almost identical to Topsail Middle's 61.4%. Reading tells a very different story. Only 35.4% of 6th graders were proficient in reading, compared with 54.8% statewide, and 7th and 8th grade reading scores also trail the state by roughly 9–10 points. Science is another concern, with 8th grade proficiency at 56.2% versus 68.6% statewide. Within Pender County, Cape Fear is the second-strongest traditional middle school, ranking ahead of West Pender Middle and Burgaw Middle but well behind Topsail Middle.

There are encouraging signs. Chronic absenteeism has dropped sharply from 38.4% in 2021–22 to 21.7% in 2024–25—now better than both the district and state averages despite the school's high poverty level. Eighth-grade math proficiency also climbed from just 32.0% a few years ago to 61.3%. An interesting comparison is Holly Shelter Middle, only about 4 miles away in New Hanover County Schools, which serves a nearly identical high-poverty population yet posts much stronger reading scores (60.4% vs. 35.4% in 6th grade). That gap suggests Cape Fear's literacy challenges are not simply a reflection of student demographics. For parents, the bottom line is that Cape Fear Middle is competitive in math, has made real gains in attendance, but still has significant room for improvement in reading and science—especially 6th grade literacy.

430

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1886 NC Hwy 133
Rocky Point, NC 28457

(910) 602-3334

District: Pender County Schools

Students who attend Cape Fear Middle usually attend:

High:	Heide Trask High
	Pender Early College High

Feeder schools for Cape Fear Middle:

Elementary:	Cape Fear Elementary
	Rocky Point Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.3%

Hispanic:

37.9%

African American:

8.4%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Cape Fear Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 31st percentile in 2016 → 38th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (51% vs 58% meeting standards)

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

!Reading scores 13 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg58%

482^nd of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 38%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to bottom 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

120^th of 246Pender 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	39.5	482 of 778	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.5	397 of 773	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.3	382 of 793	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.7	467 of 784	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.0	596 of 786	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.4	443 of 741	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.9	475 of 737	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.8	450 of 691	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	38.2	448 of 694	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	33.0	477 of 692	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.9	429 of 705	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	30.2	444 of 627	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	37.8	421 of 673	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	65.1	248 of 662	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.2	216 of 648	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.0	189 of 640	70.5%	★★★★☆
2009	70.0	185 of 630	70.6%	★★★★☆
2008	66.5	215 of 620	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	52.1	339 of 606	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	52.3	339 of 598	43.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.7	177 of 553	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.9	217 of 546	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.5	209 of 560	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.4	390 of 559	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.3	261 of 550	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.8	194 of 533	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.8	184 of 519	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.1	166 of 494	66.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	23.7	385 of 449	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	45.2	225 of 478	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.1	312 of 504	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.0	316 of 475	33.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.5	306 of 363	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.2	215 of 371	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.3	82 of 356	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	43.4	153 of 318	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.3	209 of 312	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.5	83 of 236	64.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.1	489 of 731	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.8	402 of 733	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.9	308 of 738	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.9	426 of 731	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.3	598 of 733	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.3	437 of 706	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.7	480 of 684	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.4	438 of 656	33.2%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.2	317 of 465	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	71.6	78 of 458	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	64.6	157 of 461	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.1	331 of 452	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.8	390 of 450	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.8	355 of 448	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.4	343 of 416	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.7	373 of 566	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.9	367 of 562	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.7	236 of 564	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.8	289 of 553	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.2	426 of 541	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.1	310 of 522	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.4	279 of 493	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.1	306 of 472	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	69.4	16 of 71	77.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	352 of 725	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.7	240 of 729	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.0	267 of 743	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.2	347 of 735	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.1	423 of 689	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.4	223 of 633	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.1	207 of 639	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.0	223 of 604	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.7	438 of 736	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.9	351 of 733	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.4	400 of 751	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.6	462 of 747	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.0	554 of 748	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.3	423 of 711	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.3	430 of 697	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.3	445 of 665	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	172 of 333	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.6	116 of 328	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.3	165 of 302	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	160 of 283	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	305 of 500	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.2	352 of 478	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.4	195 of 473	58.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.5	483 of 644	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.6	331 of 649	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.9	389 of 652	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.1	517 of 656	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.6	624 of 658	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	26.8	496 of 632	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.1	535 of 624	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.8	514 of 596	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2019)77th percentile+42 vs school

African American (2026)68th percentile+30 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)51st percentile+13 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)48th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)40th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)39th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)34th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)33rd percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)32nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)25th percentile-13 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)16th percentile-22 vs school

Disabled (2022)14th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics58%~ state avg

Science56%-12 vs state

Reading43%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cape Fear 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 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cape Fear Middle	Public	6-8	1886 NC Hwy 133	Rocky Point	28457	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 602-3334	430	32	13.4	99.1%	199 (46.3%)	36 (8.4%)	163 (37.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.0%)	39.5	482^nd of 778 public middle schools	38.0%		48.5	397^th of 773 public middle schools	48.6%	85		57.6	55.0	61.3		35.4	46.6	46.7		56.2	$8,993	$959	$8,034
Holly Shelter Middle	Public	6-8	3921 Roger Haynes Dr	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 602-4046	801	53	15.0	99.1%	377 (47.1%)	160 (20.0%)	191 (23.8%)	19 (2.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.2%)	56.6	334^th of 778 public middle schools	57.1%		60	285^th of 773 public middle schools	63.1%	49		63.8	55.5	55.6		60.4	56.6	55.2		66.5	$10,215	$1,188	$9,026
Emma B Trask Middle	Public	6-8	2900 N College Rd	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2142	611	41	14.8	99.5%	301 (49.3%)	100 (16.4%)	138 (22.6%)	19 (3.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.2%)	62.4	274^th of 778 public middle schools	64.8%		61.2	274^th of 773 public middle schools	64.6%			70.4	62.7	60.6		52.2	59.1	58.5		71.0	$9,683	$828	$8,854
Burgaw Middle	Public	6-8	500 South Wright Street	Burgaw	28425	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 259-0149	236	23	10.2	97.9%	99 (41.9%)	76 (32.2%)	50 (21.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.2%)	17.6	667^th of 778 public middle schools	14.3%		20.4	633^rd of 773 public middle schools	18.1%	34		38.8	46.1	33.8		32.5	38.2	30.8		50.8	$12,822	$1,614	$11,208
M C S Noble Middle	Public	6-8	6520 Market St	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-2112	690	40	17.3	38.3%	473 (68.6%)	86 (12.5%)	92 (13.3%)	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.3%)	71.5	200^th of 778 public middle schools	74.3%		73.9	173^rd of 773 public middle schools	77.6%	27		70.7	76.9	57.8		64.4	66.7	60.9		70.7	$9,109	$612	$8,497
Williston Middle	Public	6-8	401 S 10th St	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 815-6906	666	47	14.0	99.5%	80 (12.0%)	269 (40.4%)	274 (41.1%)	9 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.0%)	11.6	711^th of 778 public middle schools	8.6%		10.6	716^th of 773 public middle schools	7.4%	5		43.0	31.7	33.8		26.9	20.1	32.3		43.1	$12,800	$1,697	$11,103
Leland Middle	Public	6-8	927 Old Fayetteville Road NE	Leland	28451	Brunswick County	Brunswick County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 371-3030	806	45	17.8	99.6%	364 (45.2%)	191 (23.7%)	173 (21.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	74 (9.2%)	50.7	392^nd of 778 public middle schools	49.6%		36.9	494^th of 773 public middle schools	36.1%	102		54.2	51.7	55.7		47.4	56.3	58.2		70.7	$8,991	$1,326	$7,665
Topsail Middle	Public	5-8	17445 US Hwy 17	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-2612	837	45	18.6	20.1%	699 (83.5%)	21 (2.5%)	67 (8.0%)	8 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.5%)	78.4	143^rd of 778 public middle schools	81.6%		82.5	113^th of 773 public middle schools	85.4%	30	79.3	73.8	69.9	61.4	68.9	65.5	71.5	67.7	88.9	80.9	$8,344	$489	$7,855
West Pender Middle	Public	6-8	10750 NC Hwy 53 West	Burgaw	28425	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 283-5626	209	17	12.2	97.6%	72 (34.4%)	67 (32.1%)	62 (29.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.8%)	24.1	613^th of 778 public middle schools	21.2%		17.4	669^th of 773 public middle schools	13.5%	56		47.9	40.9	49.2		30.1	30.3	36.1		62.3	$11,639	$998	$10,642
Roland-Grise Middle	Public	6-8	4412 Lake Ave	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-2136	878	53	16.5	33.5%	602 (68.6%)	60 (6.8%)	164 (18.7%)	8 (0.9%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (4.6%)	74.1	180^th of 778 public middle schools	76.9%		82.4	114^th of 773 public middle schools	85.3%	66		66.2	73.4	63.2		60.9	67.9	68.7		76.3	$8,894	$611	$8,283

Frequently Asked Questions about Cape Fear Middle

How many students attend Cape Fear Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 430 students attended Cape Fear Middle.

What high school do graduates of Cape Fear Middle attend?

Students who attend Cape Fear Middle usually go on to attend Heide Trask High

What is the racial makeup of Cape Fear Middle?

Students at Cape Fear Middle are 46% White, 38% Hispanic, 8% African American, 7% Two or more races.

What district is Cape Fear Middle in?

Pender County Schools

Is Cape Fear Middle a good school?

Cape Fear Middle ranks 482^nd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Cape Fear Middle!

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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.