Summary:
Zip code 27263, covering the Archdale/High Point area of North Carolina, is home to two public middle schools: Trinity Middle School (grades 6–8, in the Randolph County School System) and Allen Jay Middle – A Preparatory Academy (grades 5–8, in the Guilford County Schools).
Allen Jay is currently the stronger of the two schools. It holds a higher state percentile ranking (42nd vs. 33rd for Trinity), ranks higher overall (#454 of 778 vs. #519), and has a much lower chronic absenteeism rate at 16.2% compared to Trinity's 25.4% — this despite Allen Jay's home district having a 29.2% absenteeism rate. Allen Jay also outperformed Trinity in reading at every shared grade level and showed dramatic 8th-grade gains from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, jumping from 36.2% to 64.1% in science proficiency and from 39.4% to 58.7% in reading. Its 8th-grade reading score now exceeds the state average. Trinity, meanwhile, shows a relative strength in 8th-grade math and science, beating its own district average in both subjects for two consecutive years, although its overall scores remain below state norms.
Both schools serve extremely high-poverty populations, with roughly 99% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and neither earns more than a 2-star rating. In most subjects, proficiency rates at both schools trail North Carolina state averages by 5 to 15 percentage points. For example, Trinity's 6th-grade reading proficiency is 43.2% versus the state's 54.8%, and Allen Jay's 8th-grade math is 40.2% versus 53.0%. Allen Jay does enjoy some resource advantages, spending about $1,172 more per student and maintaining a slightly lower student–teacher ratio (16.3 vs. 18.1). Families comparing the two should know that Allen Jay currently offers stronger overall academics, better attendance, and positive momentum, while Trinity's bright spot is its competitive 8th-grade STEM performance within the Randolph County context.
Thank you for your feedback!