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Central Wilkes Middle School

Q: Is Central Wilkes Middle School a good school?

Central Wilkes Middle School ranks 283 rd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

283^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 64% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Central Wilkes Middle School in Moravian Falls, NC, serves 564 students in grades 6–8 and is part of Wilkes County Schools, a district rated in the top third of North Carolina school systems. The school holds a 3-star rating and currently ranks 283rd of 778 North Carolina middle schools, which puts it in the 64th percentile and ahead of East Wilkes Middle School, West Wilkes Middle School, and North Wilkes Middle School in this year's statewide rankings.

The defining pattern at this school is an unusually sharp drop between 6th and 7th grade. On state tests, 75.1% of 6th graders score proficient in math — more than 14 points above every other nearby school, even outpacing higher-ranked West Alexander Middle. 6th grade reading is also the strongest of the local schools. In 7th grade, though, math proficiency plunges to 48.5% — the lowest among nearby schools — and reading also slips below both the district and state averages. This 26-point math decline is far steeper than the roughly 8-point dip seen districtwide or the 3-point dip statewide, and it is the main reason the school's overall rating isn't higher. 8th grade scores recover somewhat, but West Wilkes Middle School posts stronger reading results and North Wilkes Middle School posts stronger math.

There is also encouraging news. The school ranks in the 86th percentile statewide for serving special education students, and results for English language learners and gifted students improved sharply this past year. Chronic absenteeism has been cut nearly in half, dropping from 34.7% in 2021-22 to 18.1% now — well below the state average of 24.2%, though still slightly above the district's 16.9%. Looking ahead, the clearest areas of focus are the 7th grade slump, a recent decline in outcomes for multiracial students, and closing the remaining attendance gap. If the school can bring its 7th grade results in line with its 6th grade success, it has a realistic path to consistent 4-star territory.

564

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3541 South NC Hwy 16
Moravian Falls, NC 28654

(336) 903-4180

District: Wilkes County Schools

Students who attend Central Wilkes Middle School usually attend:

High:

Wilkes Central High School

Feeder schools for Central Wilkes Middle School:

Elementary:	Boomer-Ferguson Elementary School
	C C Wright Elementary School
	Moravian Falls Elementary School
	North Wilkesboro Elementary School
	More...
	Wilkesboro Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.5%

Hispanic:

27.1%

Two or more races:

13.1%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Central Wilkes Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 53rd percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the North Carolina median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school62%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg58%

283^rd of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 36%▲ up 11 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

89^th of 246Wilkes 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	61.3	283 of 778	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.2	288 of 773	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.4	228 of 793	71.2%	★★★★☆
2023	56.6	318 of 784	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.1	484 of 786	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.4	331 of 741	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.9	323 of 737	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.3	341 of 691	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.6	255 of 694	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.4	327 of 692	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	57.4	297 of 705	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	31.0	441 of 627	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.6	373 of 673	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.7	419 of 662	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	50.8	387 of 648	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	57.9	329 of 640	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	63.7	250 of 630	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.6	197 of 620	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.8	171 of 606	71.8%	★★★★☆
2006	70.1	159 of 598	73.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.2	227 of 546	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.1	294 of 560	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.3	202 of 559	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.0	276 of 550	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	65.1	105 of 533	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	56.6	171 of 519	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.1	339 of 494	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	45.2	191 of 449	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.0	277 of 478	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.5	221 of 504	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.0	124 of 475	73.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.3	171 of 363	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	29.6	280 of 371	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.6	222 of 356	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.7	187 of 318	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.5	224 of 312	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.1	146 of 211	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.8	251 of 731	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.1	230 of 733	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.9	225 of 738	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.1	362 of 731	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.6	483 of 733	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.1	309 of 706	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.7	301 of 684	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.9	332 of 656	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.3	142 of 465	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.6	211 of 458	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.0	230 of 461	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.0	117 of 452	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	63.1	166 of 450	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	75.2	52 of 448	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	74.0	19 of 416	95.4%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.3	201 of 566	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.5	273 of 562	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.4	139 of 564	75.4%	★★★★☆
2023	55.2	214 of 553	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.9	409 of 541	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	51.0	233 of 522	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.9	310 of 493	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.9	243 of 472	48.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.3	228 of 725	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.9	169 of 729	76.8%	★★★★☆
2024	73.7	118 of 743	84.1%	★★★★☆
2023	60.3	243 of 735	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.4	387 of 689	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.4	195 of 633	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.5	359 of 639	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.6	346 of 604	42.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.2	299 of 736	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.0	341 of 733	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.2	225 of 751	70.0%	★★★★☆
2023	60.4	268 of 747	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.4	441 of 748	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.1	333 of 711	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.0	324 of 697	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.2	354 of 665	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	245 of 333	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.3	211 of 328	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.8	134 of 306	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.2	115 of 302	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	28.6	218 of 283	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.9	220 of 248	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.0	167 of 237	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.4	192 of 221	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.7	69 of 500	86.2%	★★★★☆
2025	47.0	175 of 478	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.2	124 of 473	73.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.9	274 of 644	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.0	257 of 649	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.2	243 of 652	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.2	386 of 656	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.9	493 of 658	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.6	374 of 632	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.3	340 of 624	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.8	345 of 596	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)86th percentile+23 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)69th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)66th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)64th percentile~ school

Male (2026)59th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2025)58th percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2022)57th percentile+19 vs school

White (2026)57th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)53rd percentile-11 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)26th percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science72%+3 vs state

Mathematics62%+6 vs state

Reading58%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Central Wilkes 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/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
Central Wilkes Middle School	Public	6-8	3541 South NC Hwy 16	Moravian Falls	28654	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 903-4180	564	39	14.6	99.5%	296 (52.5%)	36 (6.4%)	153 (27.1%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (13.1%)	61.3	283^rd of 778 public middle schools	63.6%		59.2	288^th of 773 public middle schools	62.7%	5	75.1	48.5	60.9	61.7	52.6	58.7	71.5	$9,136	$1,152	$7,984
West Wilkes Middle School	Public	6-8	1677 North NC Hwy 16	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 651-4381	450	29	15.5	99.3%	345 (76.7%)	1 (0.2%)	78 (17.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)	57.5	327^th of 778 public middle schools	58.0%		46	426^th of 773 public middle schools	44.9%	99	52.0	54.7	53.2	48.0	60.4	70.1	79.1	$8,888	$856	$8,032
North Wilkes Middle School	Public	6-8	2776 Yellow Banks Road	North Wilkesboro	28659	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 903-6224	484	28	17.0	99.4%	381 (78.7%)	4 (0.8%)	76 (15.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.5%)	53.1	371^st of 778 public middle schools	52.3%		56.3	311^th of 773 public middle schools	59.8%	60	59.4	53.3	66.4	39.8	55.1	56.1	73.6	$8,886	$1,017	$7,868
East Alexander Middle	Public	6-8	1285 White Plains Road	Hiddenite	28636	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-7565	510	31	16.3	98.8%	375 (73.5%)	27 (5.3%)	83 (16.3%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.9%)	51.1	388^th of 778 public middle schools	50.1%		53.2	356^th of 773 public middle schools	53.9%	32	52.6	60.6	50.6	44.1	63.3	58.0	65.9	$8,161	$691	$7,470
West Alexander Middle	Public	6-8	85 Bulldog Lane	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 495-4611	467	29	16.3	99.4%	382 (81.8%)	10 (2.1%)	39 (8.4%)	12 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.7%)	70.8	203^rd of 778 public middle schools	73.9%		79.5	141^st of 773 public middle schools	81.8%	62	59.6	70.0	76.3	51.6	60.0	69.6	82.2	$8,079	$717	$7,362
East Wilkes Middle School	Public	6-8	2202 Macedonia Church Road	Ronda	28670	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 651-4300	346	25	13.6	99.1%	285 (82.4%)	2 (0.6%)	39 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.8%)	59.2	311^th of 778 public middle schools	60.0%		67.5	226^th of 773 public middle schools	70.8%	85	56.2	63.6	47.7	52.9	66.4	64.2	71.6	$9,876	$1,000	$8,876
North Iredell Middle	Public	6-8	2467 Jennings Rd	Olin	28660	Iredell County	Iredell-Statesville Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 876-4802	556	31	17.9	99.5%	409 (73.6%)	24 (4.3%)	98 (17.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.0%)	40.3	476^th of 778 public middle schools	38.8%		36.2	501^st of 773 public middle schools	35.2%	25	60.7	57.6	38.4	45.5	62.7	49.3	49.8	$8,318	$681	$7,637

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Wilkes Middle School

What district is Central Wilkes Middle School in?

Wilkes County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Central Wilkes Middle School?

Students at Central Wilkes Middle School are 52% White, 27% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 6% African American.

What high school do graduates of Central Wilkes Middle School attend?

Students who attend Central Wilkes Middle School usually go on to attend Wilkes Central High School

How many students attend Central Wilkes Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 564 students attended Central Wilkes Middle School.

Is Central Wilkes Middle School a good school?

Central Wilkes Middle School ranks 283^rd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Central Wilkes Middle School!

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Schools in Moravian Falls, NC

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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.