Summary:
There is just one middle school serving ZIP code 28460: Dixon Middle, a large grades 6–8 school in Sneads Ferry that is part of Onslow County Schools. Because there is no other middle school in this ZIP code to compare it with, the most useful context comes from looking at how Dixon Middle measures up against district and state averages, as well as how its own performance has changed from year to year.
Dixon Middle has about 997 students and earned 3-star ratings in both 2023–2024 and 2024–2025, placing it near the 65th percentile among North Carolina middle schools. In the most recent year shown, however, it slipped to a 2-star rating and the 48th percentile, ranking 401st out of 778 schools. The drop reflects a broad decline in math and reading proficiency: 6th-grade math fell from 60.2% proficient to 47.5%, 8th-grade reading dropped from 58.8% to 52.3%, and most other math and reading areas also slipped. In the latest year, Dixon Middle now trails the state average in every tested math and reading category. Its clear bright spot is 8th-grade science, where 77.1% of students are proficient—well above the district rate of 71.4% and the state rate of 68.6%.
A few additional factors matter for parents. Chronic absenteeism affects 24.5% of Dixon Middle students, nearly the state average of 24.2%, meaning roughly one in four students misses significant school time. About 34.3% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the student–teacher ratio is 18.4 to 1. Per-student spending of $7,866 is from 2018–2019, so it should be considered historical context only. Overall, Dixon Middle is a large school with a strong science program and a recently solid track record, but the latest downturn in math and reading performance is worth watching. The biggest question is whether the school can reverse this trend and return to the top-third statewide standing it held in the prior two years.
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