Summary:
In zip code 28086, there are two middle schools—Kings Mountain Intermediate (grades 5–6) and Kings Mountain Middle (grades 7–8)—serving about 1,232 students in Cleveland County Schools in North Carolina. Both schools have near-universal economic need, with roughly 99% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, yet they post several results at or above state averages.
The two schools have distinct academic personalities. Kings Mountain Intermediate leads in math and science, and also has healthier attendance. Its 6th grade math proficiency of 69.5% is 10 points above the state average, and 5th grade science jumped to 71.2%, above the state. Chronic absenteeism sits at 21.3%, better than the district and state rates. However, 5th grade reading trails the state. Meanwhile, Kings Mountain Middle is the reading standout: 8th grade reading proficiency is 60.8% versus the state's 56.1%, and 7th grade reading also beats the state. That strength is especially notable given the school’s 30.7% chronic absenteeism—roughly one in three students—which is nearly 10 points higher than its feeder school. Math scores, however, fall notably from 6th grade (69.5%) to 7th grade (53.5%), raising a question about whether gains made at the intermediate school are being sustained.
Both schools improved their overall EOG averages from the previous year, and they both posted double-digit gains in science. Kings Mountain Intermediate remains the stronger overall performer, with a combined subject average near 63% versus about 58% at Kings Mountain Middle. For parents, this is a picture of high-poverty schools that are stable and often meet or exceed state expectations, with real pockets of excellence. The biggest red flag is chronic absenteeism at the middle school, and the most impressive success story is 6th grade math at the intermediate school.
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