James E Shepard Middle

James E Shepard Middle is one of the small intermediate schools in Durham, North Carolina, operated by Durham Public Schools, with 423 students on its rolls from grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 605 students per school, that is 30% smaller than typical.

Durham Public Schools runs 55 schools in total, collectively educating 31,797 students. James E Shepard Middle is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, James E Shepard Middle reports that 62% of the student body identifies as Black. Other groups include 31% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, 2% White. That is visibly more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 32%.

Looking at school resources, James E Shepard Middle logs 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.9:1, putting James E Shepard Middle tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 99% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, James E Shepard Middle sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 48.7%; this one delivers 52.6%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Durham County shows the typical household earns roughly $82,316 per year, 55% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Durham County runs 74 public schools (combined enrollment of about 46,109 students), of which James E Shepard Middle is one.

Fayetteville Street Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around James E Shepard Middle. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts James E Shepard Middle at 4th of 9; the average score across the group is 52.5%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at James E Shepard Middle has ticked down 9%, going from 466 students in 2018 to 423 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the James E Shepard Middle community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.