Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 28097

Zip code 28097, which covers the Locust, NC area, is served by a single middle school: West Stanly Middle School, part of Stanly County Schools, enrolling 662 students in grades 6-8. Because there is only one school in this zip code, its performance is best understood by comparing it to the district and state averages. West Stanly Middle is a standout for its steady improvement, earning 4 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger for three consecutive years and climbing from the 75th to the 83rd percentile in statewide rankings, placing it in the top 17% of North Carolina middle schools.

Academically, West Stanly Middle outperformed both its district and the state in every subject and grade level tested in the most recent school year. Its strongest results are in 6th grade math, where 80.3% of students are proficient—more than 21 percentage points above the state—and in 8th grade science, where 81.8% are proficient, outpacing the state by 13 points. Across all six math and reading tests, the school averages roughly 69.7% proficiency compared to 56.2% for the district and 55.9% for the state. The school also improved in six of seven tested areas from the prior year, including a dramatic 17.5-point jump in 8th grade science. The lone decline came in 8th grade reading, which slipped from 70.9% to 64.5%, though it still remains well above the state average.

One of the most notable aspects of this school is that 99.55% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating very high economic need—yet the school posts scores well above state and district norms. Chronic absenteeism is also better than average at 16.4%, compared to 19.7% for the district and 24.2% statewide. This combination of strong performance, continuous improvement across multiple years, and lower absenteeism suggests a school with effective support systems in place. While parents in zip code 28097 have only one middle school option, West Stanly Middle School offers a consistently high-performing and academically improving environment for its students.