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Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 28697

New rankings! North Carolina test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

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At a glance

School

450

Students

Top rankedWest Wilkes Middle School327^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools

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Biggest riser

West Wilkes Middle School up 99 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

ZIP code 28697, encompassing the Wilkesboro, North Carolina area, is home to one public middle school: West Wilkes Middle School, serving grades 6–8 with 450 students in the Wilkes County Schools district. The district holds a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranks 89th out of 246 districts in North Carolina, placing it slightly above the statewide midpoint.

As the only middle school in the ZIP code, West Wilkes Middle School is the default standout and has shown meaningful recent improvement. Its state ranking climbed from 426th (45th percentile) in 2024–2025 to 327th (58th percentile) in 2025–2026, lifting its SchoolDigger rating from 2 stars to 3 stars. The school's strongest results appear in 8th grade: reading proficiency reached 70.1%, well above the district's 62.0% and the state's 56.1%, while science proficiency hit 79.1%, outpacing the district by 5.1 points and the state by 10.5 points. Seventh grade reading (60.4%) also exceeded both district and state averages. However, 6th grade reading (48.0%) trails the state (54.8%), and mathematics remains the relative weak spot, with 6th grade math (52.0%) below the state (59.2%) and 8th grade math (53.2%) below the district (57.9%). Overall average EOG proficiency rose substantially from 50.3% to 59.6% year over year, closing the gap with district and state averages.

Notably, 99.33% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, yet chronic absenteeism stands at just 16.1%, well below the state average of 24.2% and even below the district's 16.9%. The student-teacher ratio of 15.5:1 is moderate, and per-pupil spending data ($8,888) dates to 2018–2019, so it should be treated cautiously rather than read as a current resource indicator. For parents considering this area, West Wilkes Middle School appears to be on an upward trajectory, with excellent 8th grade reading and science outcomes, strong attendance that defies statewide trends for high-poverty schools, and an improving state ranking. Mathematics in 6th and 8th grades remains the key area to watch for continued growth.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
West Wilkes Middle School	Public	6-8	1677 North NC Hwy 16	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 651-4381	450	29	15.5	99.3%	345 (76.7%)	1 (0.2%)	78 (17.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)	57.5	327^th of 778 public middle schools	58.0%		46	426^th of 773 public middle schools	44.9%	99	52.0	54.7	53.2	48.0	60.4	70.1	79.1	$8,888	$856	$8,032

Cities Near Zip Code 28697

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wilkesboro	1.14 mi	4	162^nd
North Wilkesboro	2.91 mi	4	313^th
Moravian Falls	3.09 mi	2	70^th
Millers Creek	6.59 mi	2	160^th
Hays	7.97 mi	2	302^nd

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.