Summary
Monroe Middle serves 802 students in grades 6–8 in Monroe, NC, and is part of Union County Public Schools, a district ranked in the top 20% statewide. However, the school itself has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of North Carolina middle schools for the past decade, earning a 1-star rating in 2025-2026. The school serves a highly economically disadvantaged population, with 99.63% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.
Academically, Monroe Middle lags far behind both district and state averages in nearly every subject. In 2025-2026, only 25.3% of 6th graders were proficient in reading, compared to the district average of 68.7%. Math proficiency was higher but still low, ranging from 43.3% to 48.9% across grades, and science was the strongest subject at 56.1% proficiency. This achievement gap is stark when compared to nearby high-performing schools like Marvin Ridge Middle and Weddington Middle in the same district, which routinely achieve 85–96% proficiency, or Cuthbertson Middle, which shows similar high scores. Even East Union Middle, with similarly high poverty rates, ranks higher in state percentile rankings.
Chronic absenteeism remains a concern at 28.7%, though it has improved dramatically from 89% in 2020-21. There are encouraging signs: 8th-grade math, reading, and science scores saw significant gains in 2025-2026. Subgroup performance also shows nuance, with Hispanic and English Learner students ranking in the 37th and 42nd percentiles statewide, respectively, while gifted students rank at only the 8th percentile. Monroe Middle spends more per student ($11,427) than nearby high-performing schools, suggesting that additional funding alone may not be sufficient without also addressing chronic absenteeism and reading proficiency.
Thank you for your feedback!