Summary
East Union Middle in Marshville, NC, serves about 683 students in grades 6–8 as part of Union County Public Schools. This school stands out for its high level of economic disadvantage, with nearly all students (99.56%) eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, making it one of the highest-poverty middle schools in the area. Despite this challenging context, the school has improved its statewide ranking to the 39th percentile (474th of 778), its best showing in a decade of data, though it still sits below the state median.
Academically, East Union shows a sharp split. In mathematics, the school meets or exceeds state averages in every grade – for example, 8th-grade math proficiency is 62.8% versus 53.0% statewide. Reading tells a different story: 6th-grade reading proficiency is just 31.1%, compared with 54.8% statewide and 68.7% district-wide. The school’s per-pupil spending is notably high at $11,471, far more than nearby higher-performing schools like Weddington Middle ($6,716) or Sun Valley Middle ($7,578), but nearly identical to Monroe Middle ($11,427), another high-poverty school.
Compared with schools serving similar demographics, East Union performs well. It outpaced Monroe Middle on every reported subject in 2025–26 (e.g., 8th-grade math: 62.8% vs. 48.9%) and also has lower chronic absenteeism at 22.5%. Chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically from a pandemic peak of 93.5% in 2020–21. The school is particularly effective with several historically underserved groups, ranking in the 52nd–64th percentile for English Language Learners, Special Education students, and low-income students. The main outlier is Gifted and Talented students, who rank at only the 6th percentile, suggesting that the school’s highest-identified students may not be receiving enough challenge. With math now a clear strength, closing the reading gap and supporting advanced learners remains the key path forward for East Union.
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