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Polk County Middle School

Q: Is Polk County Middle School a good school?

Polk County Middle School ranks 230 th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

230^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 773 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 70% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Polk County Middle School is a public middle school located in Mill Spring, North Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 471 students. The school is part of the Polk County Schools district, which is ranked 41 out of 242 districts in the state and rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Polk County Middle School has consistently ranked in the top 25% of North Carolina middle schools over the past several years, with a current ranking of 230 out of 773 middle schools in the state. The school's performance on state assessments is generally above the state and district averages, particularly in reading and science. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 8th-grade reading proficiency rate was 65.3%, compared to the state average of 54.2%. Additionally, the school has a strong performance in science, with 8th-grade science proficiency rates consistently above 70% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Cane Creek Middle, Rugby Middle, and East Rutherford Middle School, Polk County Middle School generally outperforms them in terms of state assessment proficiency rates and statewide rankings. This suggests that the school has developed more effective strategies and practices to support student learning and achievement, even in the context of serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population, with nearly 100% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

454

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,233

Per pupil spending ?

99.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

321 Wolverine Trail
Mill Spring, NC 28756

(828) 894-2215

District: Polk County Schools

Students who attend Polk County Middle School usually attend:

High:

Polk County High School

Feeder schools for Polk County Middle School:

Elementary:	Polk Central Elementary School
	Saluda Elementary School
	Sunny View Elementary School
	Tryon Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.7%

Hispanic:

14.1%

Two or more races:

6.4%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Polk County Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2015 → 70th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (61% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (70th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school61%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg54%

230^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 30%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From top 16% (2015) to top 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

41^st of 242Polk 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	67.0	230 of 773	70.2%	★★★★☆
2024	73.9	180 of 793	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	77.9	156 of 784	80.1%	★★★★☆
2022	82.3	127 of 786	83.8%	★★★★☆
2021	73.7	175 of 741	76.4%	★★★★☆
2019	85.2	79 of 737	89.3%	★★★★☆
2018	84.8	68 of 691	90.2%	★★★★★
2017	85.1	71 of 694	89.8%	★★★★☆
2016	79.2	117 of 692	83.1%	★★★★☆
2015	80.4	114 of 705	83.8%	★★★★☆
2014	81.6	98 of 627	84.4%	★★★★☆
2013	79.6	108 of 673	84.0%	★★★★☆
2012	78.7	103 of 662	84.4%	★★★★☆
2011	81.3	75 of 648	88.4%	★★★★☆
2010	83.4	53 of 640	91.7%	★★★★★
2009	83.7	57 of 630	91.0%	★★★★★
2008	83.5	64 of 620	89.7%	★★★★☆
2007	83.6	42 of 606	93.1%	★★★★★
2006	76.7	94 of 598	84.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	71.5	108 of 560	80.7%	★★★★☆
2022	69.3	104 of 550	81.1%	★★★★☆
2019	72.0	89 of 519	82.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.1	104 of 494	78.9%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	75.0	46 of 449	89.8%	★★★★☆
2021	52.5	161 of 478	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.9	44 of 504	91.3%	★★★★★
2018	75.8	41 of 475	91.4%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	95.8	8 of 312	97.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	67.8	205 of 733	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	71.1	184 of 738	75.1%	★★★★☆
2023	76.3	147 of 731	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	78.1	141 of 733	80.8%	★★★★☆
2021	69.5	187 of 706	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	81.5	98 of 684	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	90.2	34 of 656	94.8%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	57.1	247 of 458	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.9	134 of 461	70.9%	★★★★☆
2023	54.9	258 of 452	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	65.8	132 of 450	70.7%	★★★★☆
2021	56.1	231 of 448	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.8	116 of 416	72.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	67.3	131 of 562	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	64.4	144 of 564	74.5%	★★★★☆
2023	75.6	85 of 553	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	83.5	45 of 541	91.7%	★★★★★
2021	75.0	70 of 522	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	79.0	60 of 493	87.8%	★★★★☆
2018	87.8	22 of 472	95.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	61.8	219 of 729	70.0%	★★★★☆
2024	71.0	144 of 743	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	87 of 735	88.2%	★★★★☆
2022	93.1	24 of 689	96.5%	★★★★★
2021	78.5	74 of 633	88.3%	★★★★☆
2019	89.0	33 of 639	94.8%	★★★★★
2018	92.8	14 of 604	97.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	64.5	233 of 733	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.9	165 of 751	78.0%	★★★★☆
2023	77.0	150 of 747	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	83.7	103 of 748	86.2%	★★★★☆
2021	75.1	157 of 711	77.9%	★★★★☆
2019	86.8	66 of 697	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	77.9	116 of 665	82.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	53.3	136 of 478	71.5%	★★★★☆
2024	49.1	176 of 473	62.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	52.5	297 of 649	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.3	222 of 652	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.3	198 of 656	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	71.8	172 of 658	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	61.5	216 of 632	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.7	111 of 624	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	109 of 596	81.7%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2022)97th percentile+14 vs school

Disabled (2022)90th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2024)81st percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)77th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)72nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)72nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)70th percentile~ school

Male (2025)68th percentile~ school

White (2025)54th percentile-16 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)46th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science74%+14 vs state

Reading64%+11 vs state

Mathematics53%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Polk County 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
Polk County Middle School	Public	6-8	321 Wolverine Trail	Mill Spring	28756	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2215	454	41	11.1	99.3%	339 (74.7%)	19 (4.2%)	64 (14.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.4%)	67	230^th of 773 public middle schools	70.2%		73.9	180^th of 793 public middle schools	77.3%	50	50.7	56.8	52.1	62.9	63.6	65.3	74.3	$11,233	$636	$10,597
R-S Middle School	Public	6-8	607 Westbrook Dr.	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 286-4461	561	30	18.6	98.2%	373 (66.5%)	78 (13.9%)	51 (9.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (10.0%)	48.9	393^rd of 773 public middle schools	49.2%		61.4	278^th of 793 public middle schools	64.9%	115	55.3	50.3	35.2	52.1	61.8	54.4	54.2	$8,987	$745	$8,242
Flat Rock Middle	Public	6-8	191 Preston Lane	East Flat Rock	28726	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4775	748	44	16.8	71.0%	412 (55.1%)	14 (1.9%)	282 (37.7%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.9%)	21 (2.8%)	24.6	593^rd of 773 public middle schools	23.3%		34.6	535^th of 793 public middle schools	32.5%	58	34.7	43.3	31.1	36.4	38.3	40.8	52.7	$8,914	$670	$8,244
Apple Valley Middle	Public	6-8	43 Fruitland Road	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4545	820	55	15.0	68.5%	383 (46.7%)	21 (2.6%)	355 (43.3%)	13 (1.6%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.9%)	39 (4.8%)	43.4	446^th of 773 public middle schools	42.3%		43.3	457^th of 793 public middle schools	42.4%	11	54.3	50.3	66.4	37.6	39.5	46.9	56.3	$9,107	$1,028	$8,080
Hendersonville Middle	Public	6-8	825 North Whitted Street	Hendersonville	28791	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4800	540	37	14.5	49.6%	337 (62.4%)	46 (8.5%)	102 (18.9%)	7 (1.3%)	3 (0.6%)	5 (0.9%)	40 (7.4%)	71.3	187^th of 773 public middle schools	75.8%		66.8	234^th of 793 public middle schools	70.5%	47	69.2	70.4	57.6	62.4	66.3	56.1	62.4	$10,377	$1,128	$9,249
Chase Middle School	Public	6-8	840 Chase High Rd	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 247-1043	484	27	18.1	97.1%	338 (69.8%)	30 (6.2%)	80 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.4%)	61.1	275^th of 773 public middle schools	64.4%		61.2	279^th of 793 public middle schools	64.8%	4	70.0	57.5	36.7	60.7	62.5	54.4	63.9	$9,772	$780	$8,991
Cane Creek Middle	Public	6-8	570 Lower Brush Creek Road	Fletcher	28732	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 628-0824	499	33	14.9	98.0%	409 (82.0%)	17 (3.4%)	51 (10.2%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.4%)	83.7	106^th of 773 public middle schools	86.3%		83.3	108^th of 793 public middle schools	86.4%	2	70.4	75.7	62.7	62.9	68.9	74.6	79.5	$9,589	$601	$8,988
Rugby Middle	Public	6-8	3345 Haywood Road	Hendersonville	28791	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 891-6566	849	51	16.6	39.6%	658 (77.5%)	14 (1.6%)	133 (15.7%)	12 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.5%)	81	128^th of 773 public middle schools	83.4%		81.1	122^nd of 793 public middle schools	84.6%	6	70.9	70.2	71.6	69.5	60.7	65.2	77.1	$8,445	$526	$7,919
East Rutherford Middle School	Public	6-8	259 East Church Street	Bostic	28018	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 245-3750	533	27	20.0	98.7%	350 (65.7%)	66 (12.4%)	76 (14.3%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.9%)	37.2	492^nd of 773 public middle schools	36.4%		52	375^th of 793 public middle schools	52.7%	117	54.6	43.1	36.3	40.2	49.7	48.5	52.4	$9,615	$916	$8,699

Frequently Asked Questions about Polk County Middle School

Is Polk County Middle School a good school?

Polk County Middle School ranks 230^th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Polk County Middle School in?

Polk County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Polk County Middle School?

Students at Polk County Middle School are 75% White, 14% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American.

How many students attend Polk County Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 454 students attended Polk County Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Polk County Middle School attend?

Students who attend Polk County Middle School usually go on to attend Polk County High School

Rate Polk County Middle School!

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Schools in Mill Spring, NC

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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.