Summary:
Zip code 28403 in Wilmington, NC is served by exactly one public middle school, Roland-Grise Middle, which educates students in grades 6–8 and is part of the 3-star rated New Hanover County Schools district. Because this is the only middle school in the area, families evaluating their options should focus on how Roland-Grise performs relative to district and state averages, as well as its own year-to-year trends.
Roland-Grise Middle is a consistently high-performing school, earning 4-star ratings from SchoolDigger and ranking in the top quarter of North Carolina middle schools for the past three years. In the most recent school year, it ranked 180th out of 778 schools statewide, placing it at the 77th percentile. Its academic proficiency exceeds both the district and state averages in every subject and grade level tested. For example, 7th-grade math proficiency is 73.4%, compared with 63.9% for the district and 56.2% for the state. Eighth-grade science is a standout subject, with 76.3% of students proficient versus 69.2% in the district and 68.6% statewide. Reading scores are also strong, with all three grades landing between 60.9% and 68.7% proficiency, comfortably ahead of state levels. The school also reports lower chronic absenteeism (18.7%) than either the district (23.8%) or the state (24.2%). About one-third of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic diversity.
Some trends are worth noting for parents. From the 2024-2025 to 2025-2026 school year, Roland-Grise saw declines in 6th-grade math (-6.8 points) and reading (-7.3 points), while 7th-grade math and reading improved meaningfully. Eighth-grade scores stayed relatively flat or dipped slightly, including a 2.9-point drop in science. Even with these changes, every current score still sits above district and state benchmarks. The school’s statewide rank slipped from the 85th percentile to the 77th percentile, but it remains an elite option in North Carolina. One caveat: per-student spending data is from 2018-2019, so it is not current. Overall, Roland-Grise Middle is an excellent choice for families in 28403, offering strong academics, solid attendance, and a track record of exceeding expectations across most subjects and grade levels.
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