H J MacDonald Middle

H J MacDonald Middle is a moderately sized junior high in New Bern, North Carolina, part of Craven County Board of Education. The school hosts 632 students in grades 6 through 8.

Craven County Board of Education comprises 26 schools with combined enrollment of 12,152 students; H J MacDonald Middle is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, H J MacDonald Middle lists that the largest single group is Black at 35%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 27% White, 14% Hispanic, 14% Asian, 10% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 20% Black, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, H J MacDonald Middle has 44 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.3:1. The state averages around 15.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 99% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Craven County (around 74%), the school's rate is north of typical.

After controlling for student poverty, H J MacDonald Middle tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 54.3%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Craven County shows median household income runs about $65,873, about 28% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. H J MacDonald Middle is one of 27 public schools in Craven County (combined enrollment of about 12,526 students).

Craven Early College High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around H J MacDonald Middle. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts H J MacDonald Middle at 4th of 8; the average score across the group is 54.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Looking at the recent track record. H J MacDonald Middle's enrollment has ticked down 22% since 2018, when it stood at 813 (now 632). Over the same period, the White share contracted from 39% to 27%. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 18.1:1 in 2018 to 14.3:1 today.

On the community side, the feed for H J MacDonald Middle typically covers pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.