Summary:
Zip code 28457, serving the Rocky Point area of North Carolina, contains one public middle school, Cape Fear Middle, which enrolls 430 students in grades 6–8 as part of Pender County Schools. Because this is the only middle school in the area, this summary focuses on how Cape Fear Middle compares to its district and state averages across recent school years.
Cape Fear Middle stands out for serving an exceptionally high-poverty student body—99.07% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch—yet its chronic absenteeism rate of 21.7% is actually better than both the district (24.5%) and state (24.2%). Academically, the school shows a clear strength in 8th grade math, where proficiency exceeded the state average in both reported years: 55.3% versus 48.7% in 2024–2025, and 61.3% versus 53.0% in 2025–2026. Eighth grade reading was also a bright spot in 2024–2025 at 59.1% proficiency, above district and state, but it dropped sharply to 46.7% the following year, falling well below both averages. Science proficiency in 8th grade has been a consistent weakness, especially in 2025–2026 when only 56.2% scored proficient compared to 72.8% for the district and 68.6% for the state.
The most concerning trend is in 6th and 7th grade reading, where Cape Fear Middle lags roughly 15–20 percentage points behind state averages in both school years—for example, only 35.4% of 6th graders were proficient in reading in 2025–2026 versus 54.8% statewide. Math scores in 6th and 7th grade are closer to state averages, with slight underperformance in most years. Overall, the school’s state ranking has slipped from the 52nd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 38th percentile in 2025–2026, despite strong math results in 8th grade. For parents, the key takeaway is that Cape Fear Middle offers solid 8th grade math instruction and a supportive environment relative to its poverty level, but reading intervention in 6th and 7th grade, along with renewed focus on science, would likely have the greatest impact on improving student outcomes.
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