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What tradition at West McDowell Middle School should never be changed?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
550
Middle
DISTRICT 381 · STATE 605
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MCDOWELL COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370294001185
West McDowell Middle School
346 West McDowell Junior High, Marion, NC 28752 · (828) 652-3390 · McDowell County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL550 STUDENTS
B-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 51% of North Carolina public middle schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded North Carolina public middle schools
Student : Teacher
15.5:1
35 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.9:1 · STATE 15.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
547 students
DISTRICT 96% · STATE 82%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 182 | 33% |
| Grade 7 | 178 | 32% |
| Grade 8 | 190 | 35% |
Student demographics
41%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 41% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
47.7%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
52.0%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 48 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 52 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all North Carolina schools, those numbers are about 51 and 52.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
50.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.5%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+1.5pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 50% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 48% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among North Carolina's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like West McDowell Middle School
West McDowell Middle School's state test result (50.0% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West McDowell Middle School this school | 550 | 99.5% | 50.0% |
| E Lawson Brown Middle Thomasville | 560 | 98.4% | 50.0% |
| North Iredell Middle Olin | 556 | 99.5% | 45.9% |
| East Alexander Middle Hiddenite | 510 | 98.8% | 53.5% |
| Tyro Middle Lexington | 528 | 98.5% | 50.0% |
| Morehead City Middle Morehead City | 506 | 99.4% | 64.9% |
Matched among North Carolina middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where West McDowell Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 50.0% | #248 of 463 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 52.0% | #200 of 461 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 47.7% | #247 of 463 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 550 | #269 of 478 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.5:1 | #174 of 456 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 40.7% | #407 of 456 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 99.5% | #119 of 472 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -8.3% | #197 of 300 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
550
-122 (-18%) vs 2020
-32% since 1990-91, when it was 808
Student : Teacher
15.5:1
was 16.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 550 | 35.5 | 15.5:1 | 99% (547) |
| 2023-24 | 581 | 39.7 | 14.7:1 | 99% (578) |
| 2022-23 | 605 | 40 | 15.1:1 | 67% (405) |
| 2020-21 | 672 | 41 | 16.4:1 | 50% (334) |
| 2017-18 | 600 | 48.6 | 12.3:1 | 100% (597) |
| 2015-16 | 691 | 42 | 16.4:1 | 99% (684) |
| 2010-11 | 761 | 50 | 15.2:1 | 55% (418) |
| 2000-01 | 833 | 53 | 15.7:1 | 23% (192) |
| 1990-91 | 808 | 54 | 15.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West McDowell Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students down 8% (600 to 550); teachers down 27% (48.6 to 35.5).
About West McDowell Middle School
West McDowell Middle School, a medium-sized middle school, is located in Marion, North Carolina. Classes run from 6 through 8, and the school has 550 students.
West McDowell Middle School is one of 16 schools in McDowell County Schools, which enrolls 5,712 students in total.
At 75%, White students outnumber all other groups at West McDowell Middle School combined. The school is also 16% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, and 3% Black. The White share of the county population is higher, at 88%. West McDowell Middle School has a diversity index of 41%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
The ratio of students to teachers is 15.5:1, with 35.5 full-time-equivalent teachers on staff. Across middle schools in North Carolina, the average ratio is about 15.9:1. The percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch is 99%. That is close to the 98% average for public schools in McDowell County.
allk12 grades West McDowell Middle School a B-. The grade compares the school only with North Carolina public middle schools, because each state gives its own test.
The model predicts 48.5% for a school in North Carolina with West McDowell Middle School's free or reduced-price lunch share. West McDowell Middle School posts 50.0%.
Within McDowell County, median household income is about $57,168, roughly 18% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 10%. The public schools of McDowell County number 16 and enroll about 5,712.
The closest public school, McDowell Virtual Academy, is less than a tenth of a mile from West McDowell Middle School. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. By average proficiency, West McDowell Middle School is 5th among 7 schools close by.
The federal government classifies West McDowell Middle School's location as Rural: Fringe.
West McDowell Middle School had 672 students in 2020-21 and 550 in 2024-25, an 18% decrease.
Questions about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week can be posted here. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
McDowell County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
44,817
Census ACS
Median income
$57,168
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
16
5,712 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in McDowell County Schools
- McDowell High SchoolHigh · 1,379 students
- Glenwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 435 students
- East McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 392 students
- West Marion Elementary SchoolElementary · 390 students
- Old Fort Elementary SchoolElementary · 360 students
- Nebo Elementary SchoolElementary · 354 students
Other schools in Marion
- McDowell High SchoolHigh · 1,379 students
- Glenwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 435 students
- East McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 392 students
- West Marion Elementary SchoolElementary · 390 students
- Marion Elementary SchoolElementary · 333 students
- Pleasant Gardens Elementary SchoolElementary · 289 students
Nearby schools
- McDowell Virtual Academy0.0 mi · 99
- McDowell High School0.3 mi · 1,379
- Pleasant Gardens Elementary School1.8 mi · 289
- Marion Elementary School2.0 mi · 333
- The Summit Academy2.2 mi · 23
- East McDowell Middle School2.6 mi · 392
Frequently asked questions
About West McDowell Middle SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at West McDowell Middle School?
West McDowell Middle School enrolls approximately 550 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does West McDowell Middle School serve?
West McDowell Middle School serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at West McDowell Middle School?
Approximately 15.5:1 students per teacher at West McDowell Middle School.
How diverse is West McDowell Middle School?
West McDowell Middle School reports a student body of 75% White, 16% Hispanic, 3% Black, 1% Asian, 5% Two or more.
What district is West McDowell Middle School in?
West McDowell Middle School is part of McDowell County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.