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North Rowan Middle

Q: Is North Rowan Middle a good school?

North Rowan Middle ranks in the bottom 4.0% of North Carolina middle schools.

Q: How many students attend North Rowan Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 649 students attended North Rowan Middle.

Q: What is the racial makeup of North Rowan Middle?

Students at North Rowan Middle are 44% African American, 31% Hispanic, 16% White, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Q: What high school do graduates of North Rowan Middle attend?

Students who attend North Rowan Middle usually go on to attend North Rowan High

Public Grades 6-8

747^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 4% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

North Rowan Middle in Spencer, NC, serves 649 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Rowan-Salisbury Schools district. The school currently ranks in the 4th percentile of North Carolina middle schools with a 0-star rating, making it the lowest-performing school among all nearby comparison schools. Its math and reading proficiency rates run roughly one-third to one-half of state averages, with just 18.8% of 6th graders proficient in math compared to the state's 59.2%. Even within its own district, similar high-poverty schools post far stronger results: China Grove Middle achieves 51.4% 6th-grade math proficiency, Erwin Middle reaches 47.5%, and Corriher Lipe Middle sits at 44.8%.

One of the most significant differentiators is chronic absenteeism. North Rowan's rate stands at 44.3% — nearly half of its students miss substantial instructional time, roughly double the state average of 24.2% and far above comparable high-poverty schools in neighboring districts. William Ellis Middle in Davie County Schools has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 13.5% and ranks in the 76th percentile, while Tyro Middle and Central Davidson Middle in Davidson County Schools both serve equally disadvantaged populations yet post absenteeism rates between 13% and 16% and outperform North Rowan in every subject. Notably, Central Davidson spends about $4,000 less per student than North Rowan while achieving dramatically higher proficiency.

The school does have some strengths: it spends $11,802 per student — more than any comparison school — maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.2, and its 8th-grade science scores, while below state averages, are brighter than its reading and math results. However, subgroup analysis shows the school ranks in the bottom 0–6% statewide for effectively serving nearly every student group, including Hispanic students, low-income students, and gifted students. Special education outcomes have also declined sharply from the 60th–73rd percentile a few years ago to the 1st percentile today, raising important questions for families about how services have changed.

649

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

512 Charles St
Spencer, NC 28159

(704) 639-3018

District: Rowan-Salisbury Schools

Students who attend North Rowan Middle usually attend:

High:

North Rowan High

Feeder schools for North Rowan Middle:

Elementary:	Dole Elementary
	North Rowan Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

43.6%

Hispanic:

31.0%

White:

15.6%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare North Rowan Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 17th percentile in 2016 → 4th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (26% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg39%

North Carolina avg58%

747^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 17% (2016) to bottom 4% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

199^th of 246Rowan-Salisbury 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	5.5	747 of 778	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.1	733 of 773	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.2	762 of 793	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.0	721 of 784	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.6	756 of 786	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.6	681 of 741	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.1	708 of 737	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.7	655 of 691	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	15.7	593 of 694	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.0	574 of 692	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.8	555 of 705	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	14.9	547 of 627	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	25.2	507 of 673	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	18.9	578 of 662	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	23.6	547 of 648	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	17.8	578 of 640	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	21.4	536 of 630	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	24.8	492 of 620	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	26.8	498 of 606	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	25.2	494 of 598	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	11.6	533 of 553	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.8	513 of 546	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	531 of 560	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.2	529 of 559	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.0	544 of 550	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.9	493 of 533	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.2	492 of 519	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.8	470 of 494	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	49.2	192 of 478	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.7	134 of 504	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	52.2	171 of 475	64.0%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.1	355 of 363	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.0	362 of 371	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.3	341 of 356	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.4	304 of 318	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	28.0	256 of 312	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.4	183 of 236	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	4.9	713 of 731	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.6	721 of 733	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.9	726 of 738	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.2	707 of 731	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.0	718 of 733	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.9	647 of 706	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.7	671 of 684	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.5	645 of 656	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.1	455 of 465	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.6	441 of 458	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	439 of 461	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.1	437 of 450	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	53.1	255 of 416	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.9	552 of 566	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.0	535 of 562	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.1	537 of 564	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.3	452 of 553	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.4	514 of 541	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.3	464 of 522	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.6	470 of 493	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	25.6	392 of 472	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.0	700 of 725	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.4	692 of 729	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	707 of 743	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.0	674 of 735	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.0	662 of 689	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.8	586 of 633	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.8	622 of 639	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.3	593 of 604	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	5.4	721 of 736	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.1	692 of 733	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.1	716 of 751	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.3	683 of 747	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.7	726 of 748	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.6	669 of 711	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.1	674 of 697	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.3	636 of 665	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	312 of 333	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.6	307 of 328	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.8	294 of 306	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.8	298 of 302	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.2	280 of 283	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.3	226 of 248	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	13.6	470 of 473	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	2.7	641 of 644	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.5	637 of 649	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.2	649 of 652	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.6	651 of 656	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.1	657 of 658	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.9	597 of 632	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.3	622 of 624	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	2.5	590 of 596	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2021)60th percentile+52 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)6th percentile~ school

African American (2026)4th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)2nd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2024)1st percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)<1st percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science40%-28 vs state

Reading28%-27 vs state

Mathematics20%-36 vs state

★

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Schools Near North Rowan 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
North Rowan Middle	Public	6-8	512 Charles St	Spencer	28159	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 639-3018	649	43	15.2	—	101 (15.6%)	283 (43.6%)	201 (31.0%)	8 (1.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (8.2%)	5.5	747^th of 778 public middle schools	4.0%		7.1	733^rd of 773 public middle schools	5.2%	14	18.8	20.9	19.2	22.3	32.5	30.7	40.4	$11,802	$1,547	$10,255
Erwin Middle	Public	6-8	170 St Luke's Church Rd	Salisbury	28146	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 279-7265	763	45	17.0	—	517 (67.8%)	104 (13.6%)	93 (12.2%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (5.4%)	32.6	533^rd of 778 public middle schools	31.5%		21.1	625^th of 773 public middle schools	19.1%	92	47.5	45.9	36.0	45.1	51.8	49.8	57.7	$8,912	$644	$8,268
Tyro Middle	Public	6-8	2946 Michael Road	Lexington	27295	Davidson County	Davidson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 853-7795	528	31	17.3	—	394 (74.6%)	31 (5.9%)	73 (13.8%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.5%)	37	503^rd of 778 public middle schools	35.3%		42.8	453^rd of 773 public middle schools	41.4%	50	45.3	56.3	46.2	40.6	52.3	47.1	61.5	$7,746	$737	$7,010
Southeast Middle	Public	6-8	1570 Peeler Rd	Salisbury	28146	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 638-5561	628	35	18.2	—	191 (30.4%)	118 (18.8%)	271 (43.2%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.0%)	13.4	695^th of 778 public middle schools	10.7%		9.3	723^rd of 773 public middle schools	6.5%	28	41.1	25.6	33.5	31.9	33.8	38.1	43.8	$8,744	$966	$7,779
West Rowan Middle	Public	6-8	5925 Statesville Blvd	Salisbury	28147	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 633-4775	707	39	18.2	—	335 (47.4%)	157 (22.2%)	144 (20.4%)	6 (0.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (8.8%)	21.3	644^th of 778 public middle schools	17.2%		18.2	656^th of 773 public middle schools	15.1%	12	35.8	29.2	39.8	35.7	36.3	47.6	62.4	$9,051	$678	$8,373
China Grove Middle	Public	6-8	1013 North Main St	China Grove	28023	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 857-7038	572	30	19.0	—	410 (71.7%)	17 (3.0%)	111 (19.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.6%)	33	528^th of 778 public middle schools	32.1%		36.2	502^nd of 773 public middle schools	35.1%	26	51.4	51.3	30.6	49.2	51.3	42.6	56.9	$9,348	$833	$8,516
Central Davidson Middle	Public	6-8	2591 NC Hwy 47	Lexington	27292	Davidson County	Davidson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 357-2310	686	42	16.5	—	491 (71.6%)	30 (4.4%)	106 (15.5%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (7.9%)	57.3	329^th of 778 public middle schools	57.7%		61.9	268^th of 773 public middle schools	65.3%	61	72.1	65.4	49.1	51.8	56.9	50.9	71.1	$7,612	$756	$6,856
Lexington Middle School	Public	6-8	100 West Hemstead Street	Lexington	27292	Davidson County	Lexington City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 242-1567	595	40	15.0	—	80 (13.4%)	180 (30.3%)	258 (43.4%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	66 (11.1%)	43.3	451^st of 778 public middle schools	42.0%		32.7	522^nd of 773 public middle schools	32.5%	71	61.7	45.5	52.8	46.3	45.5	53.0	66.5	$9,220	$1,254	$7,966
South Davie Middle	Public	6-8	197 South Davie Drive	Mocksville	27028	Davie County	Davie County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 751-5941	492	39	12.7	72.4%	263 (53.5%)	62 (12.6%)	122 (24.8%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (7.9%)	37.9	496^th of 778 public middle schools	36.2%		42.4	454^th of 773 public middle schools	41.3%	42	51.4	62.5	51.7	40.0	44.4	38.6	65.0	$9,624	$664	$8,960
Corriher Lipe Middle	Public	6-8	214 West Rice St	Landis	28088	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 857-7946	457	26	17.9	—	246 (53.8%)	50 (10.9%)	119 (26.0%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.9%)	22.7	629^th of 778 public middle schools	19.2%		22.6	613^th of 773 public middle schools	20.7%	16	44.8	40.0	45.7	45.9	40.6	31.4	43.8	$9,905	$690	$9,216

Frequently Asked Questions about North Rowan Middle

Is North Rowan Middle a good school?

North Rowan Middle ranks in the bottom 4.0% of North Carolina middle schools.

How many students attend North Rowan Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 649 students attended North Rowan Middle.

What is the racial makeup of North Rowan Middle?

Students at North Rowan Middle are 44% African American, 31% Hispanic, 16% White, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is North Rowan Middle in?

Rowan-Salisbury Schools

What high school do graduates of North Rowan Middle attend?

Students who attend North Rowan Middle usually go on to attend North Rowan High

Rate North Rowan Middle!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.