Cleveland Middle

Located at 2323 Cornwallis Road, in Garner, North Carolina, Cleveland Middle is a big junior high that hosts 936 students (grades 6 through 8), operated by Johnston County Public Schools. Compared to the state average of about 605 students per school, that is 55% above typical.

Across the 48 schools in Johnston County Public Schools (37,320 students total), Cleveland Middle accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Cleveland Middle reports that the most-represented group is White (47%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 23% Black, 21% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 3% Asian. By comparison, Johnston County as a whole is about 64% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, Cleveland Middle has 51 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 18.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.9:1, putting Cleveland Middle higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 100% of students at Cleveland Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Cleveland Middle tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 61.2%.

Around the school, census data for Johnston County shows median household income runs about $83,384, roughly 29% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. In all, Johnston County runs 52 public schools (combined enrollment of about 41,004 students), of which Cleveland Middle is one.

Cleveland Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Cleveland Middle ranks 4th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 60.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a bedroom-community area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 6%: 997 students in 2018 compared to 936 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 68% to 47% across the same window.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.