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East Garner Middle

Q: Is East Garner Middle a good school?

East Garner Middle ranks 575 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

575^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 26% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

East Garner Middle is a large public middle school in Garner, North Carolina, serving roughly 1,109 students in grades 6–8 as part of Wake County Schools. The school ranks in the bottom quarter of North Carolina middle schools—575th out of 778 in the 2025–2026 SchoolDigger ranking—and trails its district substantially on state tests. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and 34.8% were chronically absent in 2024–2025, a rate well above the district (20.5%) and state (24.2%) averages.

Academically, East Garner lags Wake County by roughly 20–26 percentage points in math and reading. In 6th grade, math proficiency was 47.8% versus a 69.7% district average, and 8th-grade reading was 42.2% compared with 66.4% districtwide. Its results closely mirror those of North Garner Middle, a demographically similar school just a few miles away. By contrast, several nearby schools post much stronger outcomes, including Carnage Middle (85th percentile), Ligon Middle (74th percentile), and Moore Square Middle (89th percentile). Even Cleveland Middle, a nearby Johnston County school with a similarly high share of students in poverty, ranks in the 72nd percentile—showing that high poverty does not have to mean low performance.

There are encouraging signs as well. Since 2022–2023, proficiency has risen meaningfully in every grade and subject, and 8th-grade science (57.4% proficient) is a relative bright spot. In statewide subgroup comparisons, East Garner serves African American, homeless, and low-income students closer to the middle of the pack than the school's overall 26th-percentile ranking suggests. Still, chronic absenteeism has climbed sharply over the past two years, and outcomes for specific student groups swing considerably from year to year. Improving attendance and building on recent academic gains are the clearest paths forward for this school.

1,109

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6301 Jones Sausage Rd
Garner, NC 27529

(919) 662-2339

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend East Garner Middle usually attend:

High:	Garner High
	Wake Early College of Health and Science
	Wake STEM Early College High School
	Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
	More...
	Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

Feeder schools for East Garner Middle:

Elementary:	Aversboro Elementary
	Creech Road Elementary
	East Garner Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

46.3%

Hispanic:

32.0%

White:

13.3%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare East Garner Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 16th percentile in 2023 → 26th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 26th (2026) from a 16th-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (46% vs 58% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 24% North Carolina)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg58%

575^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From bottom 43% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

60^th of 246Wake 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	28.5	575 of 778	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.1	516 of 773	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.0	619 of 793	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.3	656 of 784	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.2	657 of 786	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.7	584 of 741	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.6	465 of 737	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.5	452 of 691	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	42.1	428 of 694	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	44.2	397 of 692	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.4	445 of 705	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	28.9	455 of 627	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.5	415 of 673	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.3	442 of 662	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	39.0	457 of 648	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	38.7	455 of 640	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	38.0	451 of 630	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	34.7	443 of 620	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	46.5	388 of 606	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	48.7	362 of 598	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.8	271 of 553	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.9	220 of 546	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.3	327 of 560	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.8	413 of 559	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.0	381 of 550	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.6	273 of 533	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.8	175 of 519	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.6	169 of 494	65.8%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.5	106 of 121	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.7	83 of 111	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.0	72 of 110	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	14.8	98 of 110	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	27.0	352 of 449	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.0	369 of 478	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.4	273 of 504	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	272 of 475	42.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	221 of 363	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.5	133 of 371	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.4	185 of 356	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.9	253 of 318	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.7	240 of 312	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.7	199 of 236	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.8	120 of 211	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.4	119 of 151	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.4	528 of 731	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.6	509 of 733	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.3	581 of 738	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.9	635 of 731	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.2	576 of 733	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.7	519 of 706	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.9	444 of 684	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.8	448 of 656	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.3	334 of 465	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.3	355 of 458	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.1	399 of 461	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.0	372 of 452	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.2	408 of 450	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	48.2	293 of 448	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.9	258 of 416	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.6	376 of 566	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.1	344 of 562	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.5	453 of 564	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.4	473 of 553	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	467 of 541	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.7	445 of 522	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.1	260 of 493	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.3	274 of 472	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.6	28 of 59	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.4	15 of 44	65.9%	★★★★☆
2024	53.5	19 of 50	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.2	39 of 50	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.0	25 of 37	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	9.7	70 of 71	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	38.6	9 of 13	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.7	466 of 725	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.8	430 of 729	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.2	549 of 743	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	618 of 735	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.6	557 of 689	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.7	437 of 633	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.1	324 of 639	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.7	327 of 604	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.5	578 of 736	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.7	487 of 733	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.1	594 of 751	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.4	633 of 747	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.4	677 of 748	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.1	594 of 711	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.4	454 of 697	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.7	450 of 665	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.9	298 of 333	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.5	251 of 306	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.9	257 of 302	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.0	171 of 283	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.5	110 of 248	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.7	66 of 237	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	68.3	55 of 221	75.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.7	324 of 500	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.5	170 of 478	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	22.1	427 of 473	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.1	404 of 644	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.3	313 of 649	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.2	403 of 652	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.8	372 of 656	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.3	488 of 658	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.9	355 of 632	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.6	191 of 624	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.2	189 of 596	68.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Homeless (2026)53rd percentile+26 vs school

African American (2026)51st percentile+25 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)39th percentile+13 vs school

White (2026)37th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)36th percentile+10 vs school

Special Education (2026)35th percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)34th percentile+7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)28th percentile~ school

Female (2026)28th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)22nd percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)21st percentile-5 vs school

Asian (2026)12th percentile-14 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)11th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science57%-11 vs state

Reading45%-11 vs state

Mathematics43%-14 vs state

3.3

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, April 23, 2022

Racism at this school is HORRIBLE! The white children, who are in the minority, are made fun of and picked on by the majority black student body! I would not recommend this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, August 21, 2015

My daughter will begin her 7th grade year on Monday. We had an excellent 6th grade experience. The administration is supportive and the teachers actively engage the students. I was kept informed of her progress and assignments through the Remind system and the Powerschool system used by Wake County. I was able to hold my child accountable for outstanding assignments and projects.

Reviewing for tests and quizzes were simplified and we saved plenty of trees through electronic communications.

The principal sends out weekly messages every Sunday of upcoming school events and activities. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, August 1, 2015

My child is a rising 8th grader and will be well prepared for High School. I don't rely on school testing as a parent as I believe the parents are the first teachers and should review what their child needs to prepare for a successful future. I think the EGMMS teachers are excellent and do the best they can with the student population. The true test of education is to place a student in any school and see if they can thrive. For those interested in scoring NCEOG my child’s in the 98% and has been a Honor roll student all quarters with outside sports and activities. Close Quote

Schools Near East Garner 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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
East Garner Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	6301 Jones Sausage Rd	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 662-2339	1,109	71	15.6	99.7%	148 (13.3%)	514 (46.3%)	355 (32.0%)	51 (4.6%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	34 (3.1%)	28.5	575^th of 778 public middle schools	26.1%		34.1	516^th of 773 public middle schools	33.2%	59	47.8	40.5	39.3	45.5	46.9	42.2	57.4	$8,808	$540	$8,269
North Garner Middle	Public	6-8	720 Powell Dr	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 662-2434	831	54	15.5	99.6%	248 (29.8%)	265 (31.9%)	267 (32.1%)	14 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.5%)	28.8	569^th of 778 public middle schools	26.9%		28.6	560^th of 773 public middle schools	27.6%	9	44.6	43.5	37.5	46.5	44.9	41.6	61.7	$9,338	$475	$8,863
Carnage Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1425 Carnage Dr	Raleigh	27610	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 856-7600	924	61	15.0	30.8%	77 (8.3%)	227 (24.6%)	79 (8.5%)	514 (55.6%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (2.5%)	80.9	120^th of 778 public middle schools	84.6%		86.3	83^rd of 773 public middle schools	89.3%	37	76.3	72.3	67.3	71.2	74.9	71.6	71.6	$9,215	$431	$8,784
Ligon Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	706 E Lenoir St	Raleigh	27601	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 856-7929	959	63	15.1	34.5%	435 (45.4%)	303 (31.6%)	117 (12.2%)	58 (6.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (4.6%)	70.4	206^th of 778 public middle schools	73.5%		76.3	160^th of 773 public middle schools	79.3%	46	60.1	64.0	58.4	64.2	68.3	66.5	78.2	$8,934	$336	$8,597
Moore Square Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	301 South Person Street	Raleigh	27601	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 664-5737	594	47	12.7	29.0%	297 (50.0%)	169 (28.5%)	72 (12.1%)	20 (3.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.4%)	85.8	84^th of 778 public middle schools	89.2%		86.5	81^st of 773 public middle schools	89.5%	3	77.2	68.2	72.5	77.3	74.1	78.1	82.4	$11,326	$607	$10,719
River Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	4700 New Bern Ave	Raleigh	27610	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 231-5600	7	19	.3		1 (14.3%)	5 (71.4%)	1 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								$33,564	$1,102	$32,462
Centennial Campus Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1900 Main Campus Drive	Raleigh	27606	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 233-4217	477	37	12.9	99.4%	69 (14.5%)	231 (48.4%)	150 (31.4%)	14 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.7%)	22.4	631^st of 778 public middle schools	18.9%		17.5	667^th of 773 public middle schools	13.7%	36	41.7	44.4	33.3	40.6	46.4	37.8	48.9	$11,386	$725	$10,660
Clayton Middle	Public	6-8	490 Guy Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-5811	609	38	16.0	96.2%	169 (27.8%)	170 (27.9%)	221 (36.3%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.1%)	49.1	405^th of 778 public middle schools	47.9%		48.6	395^th of 773 public middle schools	48.9%	10	55.4	50.0	45.3	51.9	56.8	58.5	70.3	$9,361	$587	$8,774
Dillard Drive Middle	Public	6-8	5200 Dillard Drive	Raleigh	27606	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 233-4228	977	66	14.7	50.5%	381 (39.0%)	241 (24.7%)	278 (28.5%)	45 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (3.2%)	46	429^th of 778 public middle schools	44.9%		46.6	423^rd of 773 public middle schools	45.3%	6	59.3	45.0	46.2	53.6	51.2	52.7	70.6	$8,594	$467	$8,126
Oberlin Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2816 Oberlin Rd	Raleigh	27608	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 881-4860	1,049	69	15.1	30.1%	594 (56.6%)	192 (18.3%)	185 (17.6%)	34 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (4.0%)	78.6	142^nd of 778 public middle schools	81.7%		80.5	132^nd of 773 public middle schools	82.9%	10	74.5	67.3	63.7	71.1	68.9	66.9	79.8	$8,583	$379	$8,204

Frequently Asked Questions about East Garner Middle

Is East Garner Middle a good school?

East Garner Middle ranks 575^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is East Garner Middle in?

Wake County Schools

What is the racial makeup of East Garner Middle?

Students at East Garner Middle are 46% African American, 32% Hispanic, 13% White, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of East Garner Middle attend?

Students who attend East Garner Middle usually go on to attend Garner High

How many students attend East Garner Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,109 students attended East Garner Middle.

Rate East Garner Middle!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.