Summary:
The 28786 zip code area in North Carolina is home to two middle schools: Waynesville Middle and Bethel Middle, both part of the Haywood County Schools district. While both schools serve a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students, Bethel Middle stands out as the stronger performer, consistently ranking higher on statewide assessments and outpacing district and state averages in key metrics.
Bethel Middle earns a 5-out-of-5 star rating from SchoolDigger, ranking 53rd out of 784 schools in 2022-2023 and 74th out of 793 schools in 2023-2024. The school's students demonstrate particularly strong performance in mathematics, with 83.3% of 7th graders proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to 58.3% for the district and 53.5% statewide. Bethel Middle also benefits from a lower student-teacher ratio of 14:1 and higher per-student spending of $11,023, compared to $9,343 at Waynesville Middle.
In contrast, Waynesville Middle has seen relatively consistent but more modest test score performance, with proficiency rates in the 50-60% range for most subjects and grade levels. While the Haywood County Schools district as a whole is ranked 54th out of 242 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating, the significant difference in performance between the two middle schools suggests that factors beyond just district-level policies and resources may be contributing to the schools' outcomes.
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