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West Stanly Middle School

Q: Is West Stanly Middle School a good school?

West Stanly Middle School ranks 131 st of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

131^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 83% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

West Stanly Middle School serves 662 students in grades 6–8 and is located in Locust, a small city in Stanly County, North Carolina. The school has earned a 4-star state rating and ranks 131st out of 778 middle schools statewide, placing it in the 83rd percentile — a steady climb from the 55th percentile in 2020–21. It is part of Stanly County Schools, a district that carries a 3-star overall rating.

West Stanly is by far the strongest middle school in its district. It outranks North Stanly Middle by 185 places, South Stanly Middle by 280 places, and Albemarle Middle by nearly 600 places in the latest state rankings. The school exceeds North Carolina proficiency rates in every subject and grade, with standout results such as 80.3% proficiency in 6th grade math and 81.8% in 8th grade science. What makes this especially impressive is that 99.55% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite that high level of economic need, the school's low-income students rank in the 93rd percentile statewide, and its African American, Hispanic, English Learner, and special education students rank between the 78th and 89th percentiles among their peers.

West Stanly also stands out for strong attendance: chronic absenteeism has fallen to 16.4%, below the district rate of 19.7% and the state rate of 24.2%. And although its home district rates below nearby Cabarrus County Schools, West Stanly outperforms most Cabarrus middle schools within roughly 15 miles, including Concord Middle, C C Griffin Middle, Roberta Road Middle, and Mount Pleasant Middle; only Hickory Ridge Middle clearly scores higher. Math and science are particular strengths, while 8th grade reading dipped slightly this year. All of this is accomplished with per-pupil spending below that of neighboring Albemarle Middle and South Stanly Middle, making West Stanly a compelling choice for Locust-area families.

662

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

339 Running Creek Church Rd
Locust, NC 28097

(704) 961-3600

District: Stanly County Schools

Students who attend West Stanly Middle School usually attend:

High:

West Stanly High

Feeder schools for West Stanly Middle School:

Elementary:	Endy Elementary
	Locust Elementary
	Stanfield Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.3%

Hispanic:

15.3%

Two or more races:

5.9%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare West Stanly Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 67th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (71% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of North Carolina middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school71%

District avg58%

North Carolina avg58%

131^st of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 17%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From top 33% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

100^th of 246Stanly 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	80.1	131 of 778	83.2%	★★★★☆
2025	74.5	168 of 773	78.3%	★★★★☆
2024	71.0	199 of 793	74.9%	★★★★☆
2023	75.3	169 of 784	78.4%	★★★★☆
2022	69.5	208 of 786	73.5%	★★★★☆
2021	52.5	330 of 741	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.1	272 of 737	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.9	217 of 691	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	78.9	123 of 694	82.3%	★★★★☆
2016	64.8	225 of 692	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.3	223 of 705	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.1	236 of 627	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.4	272 of 673	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	78.0	110 of 662	83.4%	★★★★☆
2011	54.6	352 of 648	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	67.3	215 of 640	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	75.6	137 of 630	78.3%	★★★★☆
2008	77.4	116 of 620	81.3%	★★★★☆
2007	81.8	56 of 606	90.8%	★★★★★
2006	78.7	78 of 598	87.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.2	73 of 553	86.8%	★★★★☆
2025	65.8	134 of 546	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	64.0	146 of 560	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	83.3	62 of 559	88.9%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	41.7	214 of 449	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.8	290 of 478	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.7	272 of 504	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.7	93 of 475	80.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.4	60 of 363	83.5%	★★★★☆
2025	56.3	96 of 371	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	56.2	95 of 356	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	66.2	47 of 318	85.2%	★★★★☆
2022	92.1	13 of 312	95.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.7	124 of 731	83.0%	★★★★☆
2025	69.3	197 of 733	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	72.4	172 of 738	76.7%	★★★★☆
2023	73.8	160 of 731	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	69.8	198 of 733	73.0%	★★★★☆
2021	56.2	289 of 706	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.5	263 of 684	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.5	201 of 656	69.4%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.6	132 of 465	71.6%	★★★★☆
2025	74.8	51 of 458	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	74.1	42 of 461	90.9%	★★★★★
2023	63.1	182 of 452	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.8	176 of 450	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.2	201 of 448	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.9	193 of 416	53.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	106 of 566	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	57.4	206 of 562	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.4	98 of 564	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	82.2	54 of 553	90.2%	★★★★★
2022	83.2	49 of 541	90.9%	★★★★★
2021	65.5	118 of 522	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	55.1	178 of 493	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.4	295 of 472	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	87.3	49 of 725	93.2%	★★★★★
2025	72.5	127 of 729	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	71.0	145 of 743	80.5%	★★★★☆
2023	80.7	84 of 735	88.6%	★★★★☆
2022	76.7	92 of 689	86.6%	★★★★☆
2021	62.8	174 of 633	72.5%	★★★★☆
2019	59.8	210 of 639	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.7	180 of 604	70.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.3	129 of 736	82.5%	★★★★☆
2025	77.4	136 of 733	81.4%	★★★★☆
2024	66.4	220 of 751	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	74.5	165 of 747	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	67.1	211 of 748	71.8%	★★★★☆
2021	47.7	353 of 711	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.1	272 of 697	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.2	219 of 665	67.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.9	36 of 333	89.2%	★★★★☆
2025	41.4	203 of 328	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.8	247 of 306	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	57.0	105 of 302	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	25.0	212 of 248	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.3	110 of 500	78.0%	★★★★☆
2025	41.6	226 of 478	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.0	273 of 473	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	208 of 644	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.9	219 of 649	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.2	297 of 652	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.3	281 of 656	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.9	352 of 658	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.4	466 of 632	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.1	385 of 624	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.0	293 of 596	50.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)93rd percentile+10 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)89th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2026)87th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)81st percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)78th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)72nd percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)68th percentile-15 vs school

Disabled (2022)52nd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science82%+13 vs state

Mathematics73%+17 vs state

Reading67%+11 vs state

★

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Schools Near West Stanly Middle School

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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
West Stanly Middle School	Public	6-8	339 Running Creek Church Rd	Locust	28097	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 961-3600	662	38	17.3	—	472 (71.3%)	35 (5.3%)	101 (15.3%)	14 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (5.9%)	80.1	131^st of 778 public middle schools	83.2%		74.5	168^th of 773 public middle schools	78.3%	37	80.3	68.2	68.5	64.8	72.1	64.5	81.8	$8,483	$608	$7,875
Mount Pleasant Middle	Public	6-8	466 Walker Road	Mount Pleasant	28124	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6530	660	39	16.9	47.9%	461 (69.8%)	49 (7.4%)	116 (17.6%)	12 (1.8%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.6%)	59.6	305^th of 778 public middle schools	60.8%		67	231^st of 773 public middle schools	70.1%	74	61.7	60.0	47.2	58.2	57.1	60.6	77.8	$8,999	$443	$8,556
C C Griffin Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	7650 Griffin's Gate Drive	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6410	792	43	18.5	54.8%	266 (33.6%)	230 (29.0%)	216 (27.3%)	32 (4.0%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (5.4%)	48.9	407^th of 778 public middle schools	47.7%		51.9	370^th of 773 public middle schools	52.1%	37	50.8	54.3	53.5	51.3	56.1	56.2	65.8	$8,618	$798	$7,820
North Stanly Middle	Public	6-8	36605 Old Salisbury Rd	New London	28127	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 961-3700	471	28	16.6	—	353 (74.9%)	47 (10.0%)	17 (3.6%)	16 (3.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.6%)	59	316^th of 778 public middle schools	59.4%		55.3	323^rd of 773 public middle schools	58.2%	7	69.5	52.6	48.5	57.1	57.1	62.0	76.1	$8,519	$666	$7,853
South Stanly Middle	Public	6-8	12492 Cottonville Road	Norwood	28128	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 961-5700	402	24	16.9	—	260 (64.7%)	61 (15.2%)	42 (10.4%)	17 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.2%)	48.5	411^th of 778 public middle schools	47.2%		42.9	450^th of 773 public middle schools	41.8%	39	49.6	63.5	47.4	54.5	61.2	48.9	63.7	$9,546	$628	$8,918
Albemarle Middle	Public	6-8	1811 Badin Road	Albemarle	28001	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-3400	355	25	14.3	—	93 (26.2%)	156 (43.9%)	60 (16.9%)	14 (3.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (8.5%)	10.1	722^nd of 778 public middle schools	7.2%		10.7	715^th of 773 public middle schools	7.5%	7	14.6	17.7	23.6	34.6	30.1	35.5	55.1	$10,875	$1,299	$9,576
J N Fries Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-8	133 Stonecrest Circle SW	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6510	755	44	17.3	50.9%	294 (38.9%)	190 (25.2%)	163 (21.6%)	51 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (7.4%)	53.4	366^th of 778 public middle schools	53.0%		63.1	261^st of 773 public middle schools	66.2%	105	60.2	54.0	47.1	59.3	60.3	55.6	65.8	$8,307	$482	$7,825
Concord Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1500 Gold Rush Drive	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(704) 260-6430	583	36	16.2	—	108 (18.5%)	218 (37.4%)	219 (37.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.0%)	19.3	657^th of 778 public middle schools	15.6%		7.5	732^nd of 773 public middle schools	5.3%	75	42.9	31.3	35.4	34.4	41.6	35.8	59.1	$9,893	$515	$9,378
Piedmont Middle	Public	6-8	2816 Sikes Mill Rd	Monroe	28110	Union County	Union County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 296-6350	980	53	18.4	40.8%	643 (65.6%)	58 (5.9%)	222 (22.7%)	28 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (3.0%)	69.8	208^th of 778 public middle schools	73.3%		70.3	199^th of 773 public middle schools	74.3%	9	69.3	70.1	72.9	65.0	57.7	55.7	72.9	$7,738	$507	$7,231
Hickory Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	7336 Raging Ridge Rd	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6490	1,057	51	20.8	17.1%	428 (40.5%)	198 (18.7%)	88 (8.3%)	283 (26.8%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (5.1%)	93.3	40^th of 778 public middle schools	94.9%		94.8	36^th of 773 public middle schools	95.3%	4	87.1	83.0	81.8	80.5	81.7	77.6	90.9	$7,652	$395	$7,258

Frequently Asked Questions about West Stanly Middle School

How many students attend West Stanly Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 662 students attended West Stanly Middle School.

What district is West Stanly Middle School in?

Stanly County Schools

What high school do graduates of West Stanly Middle School attend?

Students who attend West Stanly Middle School usually go on to attend West Stanly High

Is West Stanly Middle School a good school?

West Stanly Middle School ranks 131^st of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of West Stanly Middle School?

Students at West Stanly Middle School are 71% White, 15% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American, 2% Asian.

Rate West Stanly Middle School!

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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.