Roland-Grise Middle

As a reasonably sized middle-grades school in Wilmington, North Carolina, Roland-Grise Middle teaches 878 students from grades 6 through 8, one of the schools within New Hanover County Schools. Enrollment runs roughly 45% above the state mean of about 605.

Across the 42 schools in New Hanover County Schools (24,791 students total), Roland-Grise Middle accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Roland-Grise Middle reports that 69% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school shows 19% Hispanic, 7% Black, 5% multiracial. That is visibly less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 77%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Roland-Grise Middle has 53 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.6:1. The state averages around 15.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 33% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is lower than New Hanover County's rate of about 67%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Roland-Grise Middle sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 68.6%; this one delivers 70.4%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for New Hanover County shows the typical household earns roughly $75,166 per year, about 45% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. In all, New Hanover County runs 50 public schools (combined enrollment of about 27,460 students), of which Roland-Grise Middle is one.

The closest other public school is John T Hoggard High, roughly 0.5 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Roland-Grise Middle. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Roland-Grise Middle at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 58.7%.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Roland-Grise Middle has expanded 5%, going from 839 students in 2018 to 878 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment climbed from 12% to 19% over that span.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Roland-Grise Middle community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.