Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 27360

Zip code 27360 is served by three public middle schools—Ledford Middle, E Lawson Brown Middle, and Thomasville Middle—which educate grades 6-8 and belong to two districts: Davidson County Schools and Thomasville City Schools. Ledford Middle is the clear standout in this area: it ranks in the 71st percentile statewide, earns 4 stars, and posts an average EOG proficiency of 64.7%, well above the state average. With 53% free/reduced lunch, it also has a much lower poverty rate than its neighbors, and its chronic absenteeism (13.6%) is roughly half the statewide average. Its only real weak spots are in 7th grade math and reading, which dip slightly below state averages.

E Lawson Brown Middle is the most encouraging story. Nearly 98.4% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch, yet the school has climbed from the 32nd to the 49th percentile over the past three years and now posts a 55.7% average proficiency rate. Its 8th grade science score (70.5%) and 7th grade math score (60%) both beat state averages. Thomasville Middle, by contrast, is the highest concern: it ranks in the 15th percentile, and nearly every test score falls 14 to 24 points below state averages. Its chronic absenteeism rate is 33.8%, roughly 2.5 times that at the other two schools, and it sits in a district ranked in the 5th percentile statewide despite spending the most per student at $11,713.

The comparison between E Lawson Brown and Thomasville is especially instructive because both have nearly universal poverty (98.4% vs. 99.4%), yet E Lawson Brown far outperforms Thomasville. Attendance appears to be a key separator, and Thomasville's higher spending has not translated into stronger outcomes. One shared bright spot is science: all three schools exceed the state average in 8th grade science, led by Ledford's exceptional 82.8%. E Lawson Brown has improved its average proficiency from 49.8% to 55.7% in one year, while Thomasville improved from 30.2% to 39.8% but remains far behind. For parents, Ledford is the top academic choice, E Lawson Brown offers a strong upward trajectory worth watching, and Thomasville's attendance patterns represent its biggest opportunity for change.