Chaloner Middle School

Chaloner Middle School serves roughly 605 students in grades 6–8 in Roanoke Rapids, NC, as part of the Roanoke Rapids City Schools district. The school currently ranks at the 54th percentile statewide (356th of 778 middle schools) with a 3-star rating, placing it comfortably in the upper half of North Carolina schools. What makes this achievement especially notable is that 99.5% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — a widely used indicator of economic disadvantage — yet the school continues to perform near or above state averages in several subjects.

Compared to the three middle schools closest to it geographically — Enfield Middle S.T.E.A.M. Academy, Weldon Middle, and William R Davie Middle S.T.E.M. Academy — Chaloner stands out as a clear academic leader. Those schools rank in the bottom 5–18% of middle schools statewide, while Chaloner sits 36 to 49 percentile points higher. In 8th grade math, 66.7% of Chaloner students are proficient, compared to just 18–20% at nearby schools. Eighth grade science is also a strength at 71.7% proficient, and the school’s economically disadvantaged students rank at the 55th percentile statewide — meaning students in poverty at Chaloner outperform their peers at most North Carolina schools. Chaloner also achieves these results more efficiently, spending roughly $8,724 per student in 2018–19 versus $14,000–$16,000 at nearby middle schools.

The school has shown strong upward momentum since the 2021–22 school year, climbing from the 32nd percentile to its current 54th percentile ranking. Subgroup results are particularly encouraging: English Language Learner students rank at the 72nd percentile, gifted students at the 83rd, and special education students jumped from the 8th percentile in 2023–24 to the 50th percentile in 2025–26. The main challenges are chronic absenteeism (32.6%, though far lower than the 44–58% at nearby schools), reading proficiency that trails math and science, and a 23-point gender gap favoring girls in statewide subgroup rankings. If the school can continue improving attendance and literacy outcomes, it is well-positioned to climb even higher in the years ahead.