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Dillard Drive Middle

Q: Is Dillard Drive Middle a good school?

Dillard Drive Middle ranks 429 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

429^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 45% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Dillard Drive Middle is a Raleigh middle school serving roughly 977 students in grades 6–8 and operating within Wake County Schools, a district rated 4 stars, though Dillard Drive itself holds a 2-star rating at the 45th percentile of North Carolina middle schools. The school has been remarkably steady, hovering between the 43rd and 46th percentile statewide since 2018-19, neither declining nor climbing. About half of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a much higher share than the 29–37% range seen at nearby middle schools. Chronic absenteeism is also high at 24.3%, above the district's 20.5%.

Academically, the school trails its district's average in nearly every subject and grade, with especially wide gaps in math. In 7th grade math, 45.0% of students are proficient versus 66.4% district-wide; reading runs about 12 to 15 points behind the district in every grade. The contrast with nearby schools is stark — West Cary Middle ranks at the 90th percentile, Martin Middle at the 88th, and Moore Square Middle at the 89th, far outpacing this school. There are bright spots: 8th grade science proficiency reached 70.6%, above the statewide average, and several subjects improved since 2022-23 — 6th grade math rose from 50.0% to 59.3% and 8th grade from 33.7% to 46.2%.

That progress has not shifted the school's statewide ranking because many other North Carolina schools are improving at the same time. A notable pattern is a sharp drop in math as students advance: 6th graders score essentially at the state average, but 7th and 8th graders fall well below it. Achievement also varies across different student groups, pointing to where additional support may matter most. Compared with similar groups statewide, economically disadvantaged students at the school remain in the bottom quartile, and English learners also perform at the lower end — a meaningful focus area since roughly half of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. For parents, this is a stable school in a strong district, with strengths in science, recent learning gains, and clear opportunities for growth in upper-grade math and attendance.

977

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

50.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5200 Dillard Drive
Raleigh, NC 27606

(919) 233-4228

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Dillard Drive Middle usually attend:

High:	Athens Drive 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 Dillard Drive Middle:

Elementary:	Dillard Drive Elementary
	Oak Grove Elementary
	Penny Road Elementary
	Swift Creek Elementary
	More...
	Yates Mill Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.0%

Hispanic:

28.5%

African American:

24.7%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Dillard Drive Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 63rd percentile in 2016 → 45th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg58%

429^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to bottom 45% (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	46.0	429 of 778	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.6	423 of 773	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	425 of 793	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.2	449 of 784	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	444 of 786	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.5	356 of 741	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.0	419 of 737	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.0	327 of 691	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.9	267 of 694	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	62.1	253 of 692	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	61.1	264 of 705	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.5	254 of 627	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.6	198 of 673	70.6%	★★★★☆
2012	64.0	267 of 662	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.4	266 of 648	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.2	305 of 640	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.2	284 of 630	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	71.2	165 of 620	73.4%	★★★★☆
2007	74.6	117 of 606	80.7%	★★★★☆
2006	82.2	61 of 598	89.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	401 of 553	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.1	416 of 546	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.6	372 of 560	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.3	465 of 559	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.1	451 of 550	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.0	233 of 533	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.1	305 of 519	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.3	242 of 494	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.3	74 of 121	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.4	86 of 111	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.0	79 of 110	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	51.7	63 of 110	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.0	60 of 109	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.6	70 of 99	29.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.3	77 of 102	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	57.8	47 of 95	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	19.6	423 of 449	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	44.7	230 of 478	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.9	224 of 504	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.8	275 of 475	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.8	234 of 363	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.2	223 of 371	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.0	282 of 356	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.6	313 of 318	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	33.9	212 of 312	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.7	144 of 236	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.0	161 of 211	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.3	124 of 151	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	405 of 731	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.4	417 of 733	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	426 of 738	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.0	436 of 731	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.6	428 of 733	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.4	346 of 706	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.8	437 of 684	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.3	384 of 656	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.6	254 of 465	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.4	178 of 458	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.3	106 of 461	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	57.3	242 of 452	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.9	212 of 450	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.7	151 of 448	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.5	67 of 416	83.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.4	489 of 566	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.1	510 of 562	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.2	502 of 564	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.0	529 of 553	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.0	448 of 541	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.0	457 of 522	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	457 of 493	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.6	375 of 472	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.4	44 of 59	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.0	24 of 44	45.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.2	31 of 50	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.7	43 of 50	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.9	26 of 37	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.4	6 of 12	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.9	588 of 725	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.8	635 of 729	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.3	598 of 743	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.1	672 of 735	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.8	597 of 689	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.8	465 of 633	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.4	521 of 639	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.2	402 of 604	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.5	422 of 736	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.1	388 of 733	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.2	383 of 751	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.0	445 of 747	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.3	434 of 748	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.4	336 of 711	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.6	394 of 697	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.8	277 of 665	58.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	85 of 333	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	51.4	146 of 306	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.6	182 of 302	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.5	176 of 283	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.1	135 of 248	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.9	110 of 237	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.0	75 of 221	66.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.4	256 of 500	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.3	277 of 478	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.4	357 of 473	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.9	196 of 644	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	78.1	123 of 649	81.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.1	151 of 652	76.8%	★★★★☆
2023	66.8	202 of 656	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.1	189 of 658	71.3%	★★★★☆
2021	76.8	123 of 632	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	70.5	169 of 624	72.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.5	97 of 596	83.7%	★★★★☆

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)

Multi-racial (2026)74th percentile+30 vs school

White (2026)70th percentile+25 vs school

Special Education (2026)49th percentile+4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)45th percentile~ school

Female (2026)45th percentile~ school

Male (2026)43rd percentile~ school

Asian (2026)39th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)36th percentile-9 vs school

African American (2026)27th percentile-17 vs school

Homeless (2026)25th percentile-19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile-26 vs school

Hispanic (2026)14th percentile-31 vs school

Disabled (2022)6th percentile-38 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science71%~ state avg

Reading52%-3 vs state

Mathematics50%-6 vs state

2.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Both of my children attended Dillard Drive Middle - my daughter is currently an 8th grader. A lot of positive changes have happened in the last 4 years since our new principal, Ms. Rodgers, came to our school. Her goals have been to help the students who need help, challenge the students who need challenging, and keep everyone moving UP and progressing. There are some great teachers at DDMS - really motivated and they make learning fun for the kids. I think Dillard gets a bad reputation because of a few "bad apples", but there will always be some kids who make trouble - no matter which school you go to, public or private. Our overall experience has been very positive, especially these past three years for my daughter. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, November 24, 2014

My family and I relocated from New Jersey to Cary for my work. We do not live near this school and no one else in our development goes there, however we were assigned to it. I think it is important for people relocating to know of this school. Students have been trying to steal from my daughter multiple times. My daughter tells me she sees children smoke right outside the building and use fowl language constantly. We requested a transfer to Apex but have been denied. My daughter just has this year to finish out then high school. My son will not be going to this school. I would avoid this school if possible. Close Quote

Schools Near Dillard Drive 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
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
Connections Academy	Public	6-8	1280 Buck Jones Rd	Cary	27606	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 694-8910	8	12	.6		3 (37.5%)	2 (25.0%)	3 (37.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								$38,998	$1,698	$37,300
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
East Cary Middle	Public	6-8	1111 SE Maynard Road	Cary	27511	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 466-4377	597	45	13.2	36.2%	318 (53.3%)	76 (12.7%)	144 (24.1%)	32 (5.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.0%)	80.7	123^rd of 778 public middle schools	84.2%		82.2	115^th of 773 public middle schools	85.1%	8	73.6	65.7	67.3	71.6	71.9	71.1	80.6	$10,391	$516	$9,875
Martin Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1701 Ridge Rd	Raleigh	27607	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 881-4970	1,011	61	16.6	29.6%	454 (44.9%)	174 (17.2%)	150 (14.8%)	205 (20.3%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.5%)	85	92^nd of 778 public middle schools	88.2%		84.8	96^th of 773 public middle schools	87.6%	4	76.6	77.8	65.8	73.4	78.7	73.6	79.3	$9,504	$524	$8,981
Reedy Creek Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	930 Reedy Creek Road	Cary	27513	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 460-3504	805	54	14.9	37.1%	326 (40.5%)	159 (19.8%)	166 (20.6%)	126 (15.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.4%)	66.8	230^th of 778 public middle schools	70.4%		69.5	211^th of 773 public middle schools	72.7%	19	70.4	64.1	56.6	62.5	66.5	60.7	65.6	$9,572	$485	$9,087
West Cary Middle	Public	6-8	1000 Evans Road	Cary	27513	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 460-3528	824	48	17.1	30.0%	258 (31.3%)	130 (15.8%)	142 (17.2%)	265 (32.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (3.2%)	87	78^th of 778 public middle schools	90.0%		86.4	82^nd of 773 public middle schools	89.4%	4	74.6	73.9	78.6	71.9	71.1	76.5	88.3	$7,509	$324	$7,185
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Dillard Drive Middle

What high school do graduates of Dillard Drive Middle attend?

Students who attend Dillard Drive Middle usually go on to attend Athens Drive High

What is the racial makeup of Dillard Drive Middle?

Students at Dillard Drive Middle are 39% White, 28% Hispanic, 25% African American, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Dillard Drive Middle in?

Wake County Schools

How many students attend Dillard Drive Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 977 students attended Dillard Drive Middle.

Is Dillard Drive Middle a good school?

Dillard Drive Middle ranks 429^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.