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Cranberry Middle

Summary:

Cranberry Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Elk Park, North Carolina, with a student population of 170 and a predominantly White (88.82%) racial makeup. The school consistently outperforms the Avery County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in academic performance, particularly in Mathematics and Science.

One of Cranberry Middle's key strengths is its relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.8 to 13.5 over the past three school years, which is lower than nearby Harris Middle and Avery Middle schools. Additionally, the school's special education students have consistently performed very well, ranking 16th out of 473 North Carolina middle schools in 2023-2024. However, the school faces some challenges, such as a significant population of low-socioeconomic status students (57.65% receiving free or reduced-price lunch) and potential racial achievement gaps, with the performance of its White student population ranking lower than its overall performance.

Compared to nearby middle schools, Cranberry Middle generally outperforms Harris Middle and Avery Middle, but Bowman Middle, which is part of the Mitchell County Schools district, also demonstrates strong academic performance and could be considered a peer school for Cranberry Middle. Overall, Cranberry Middle is a high-performing middle school that serves a predominantly White and economically disadvantaged student population, and continued focus on addressing areas of concern could help the school maintain its strong reputation and support the success of all its students.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 6230 North US Highway 19E
       Elk Park, NC  28622

(828) 733-2932

District: Avery County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
205th of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,973 Help


Students who attend Cranberry Middle usually attend:

High:    Avery County High

Feeder schools for Cranberry Middle:

Elementary:    Freedom Trail Elementary
    Riverside Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  10.8 Help
Number of students:  170

Racial breakdown:

White:
88.8%
Hispanic:
9.4%
Two or more races:
1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  57.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cranberry Middle ranks better than 74.1% of middle schools in North Carolina. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.52. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (88.8%), Hispanic (9.4%), two or more races (1.8%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 57.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cranberry Middle is 10.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare Cranberry Middle employs 15.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cranberry Middle is $11,973.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cranberry Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Cranberry Middle 205th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Cranberry Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
White students:


Avery County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Avery County Schools 69th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Cranberry Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Cranberry Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 73.38 128th 598 78.6%
2007 66.99 202nd 606 66.7%
2008 69.78 178th 620 71.3%
2009 81.33 83rd 630 86.8%
2010 80.84 82nd 640 87.2%
2011 75.68 135th 648 79.2%
2012 75.19 145th 662 78.1%
2013 65.70 187th 673 72.2%
2014 76.66 134th 627 78.6%
2015 87.25 66th 705 90.6%
2016 76.27 144th 692 79.2%
2017 77.67 130th 694 81.3%
2018 79.48 115th 691 83.4%
2019 87.08 63rd 737 91.5%
2021 79.48 139th 741 81.2%
2022 72.22 185th 786 76.5%
2023 77.96 155th 784 80.2%
2024 70.52 205th 793 74.1%
See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cranberry Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 89.04 16th 473 96.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cranberry Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 90.10 19th 604 96.9%
2019 91.60 20th 639 96.9%
2021 84.59 44th 633 93.0%
2022 79.85 78th 689 88.7%
2023 82.36 73rd 735 90.1%
2024 76.46 104th 743 86.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cranberry Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.39 134th 656 79.6%
2019 84.80 72nd 684 89.5%
2021 75.03 154th 706 78.2%
2022 72.23 179th 733 75.6%
2023 70.22 189th 731 74.1%
2024 64.41 240th 738 67.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Cranberry Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.73 111th 475 76.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Cranberry Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 73.03 43rd 416 89.7%
2021 73.64 65th 448 85.5%
2024 43.43 348th 461 24.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cranberry Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.82 95th 665 85.7%
2019 87.64 61st 697 91.2%
2021 81.62 108th 711 84.8%
2022 69.37 193rd 748 74.2%
2023 79.87 131st 747 82.5%
2024 74.17 163rd 751 78.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Cranberry Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.68 213th 596 64.3%
2019 75.68 132nd 624 78.8%
2021 59.72 229th 632 63.8%
2022 45.98 359th 658 45.4%
2023 53.08 289th 656 55.9%
2024 47.67 338th 652 48.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Cranberry Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Cranberry Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1997 179 2 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 184
1998 211 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 212
1999 219 3 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 223
2000 191 2 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 195
2001 199 1 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 201
2002 184 1 0 2 1 n/a n/a 0 188
2003 184 1 0 2 1 n/a n/a 0 188
2004 169 2 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 174
2005 179 1 0 2 1 n/a n/a 0 183
2006 175 3 0 2 1 n/a n/a 0 181
2007 165 0 0 4 1 n/a n/a 3 173
2008 156 0 0 7 1 n/a n/a 3 167
2009 189 0 0 4 2 n/a n/a 0 195
2010 199 1 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 206
2011 198 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 206
2012 181 0 1 13 1 0 0 0 196
2013 197 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 207
2014 203 0 1 6 0 0 2 0 212
2015 206 0 0 7 0 1 2 0 216
2016 185 1 0 6 0 1 2 0 195
2017 169 0 0 8 0 2 5 0 184
2018 171 0 1 8 0 1 5 0 186
2019 171 0 1 9 0 1 6 0 188
2020 184 0 2 13 0 0 10 0 209
2021 176 0 3 17 0 0 6 0 202
2022 153 0 3 13 0 0 4 0 173
2023 151 0 0 16 0 0 3 0 170

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cranberry Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1997 184 15.0 12.3 52.2
1998 212 16.0 13.3 35.8
1999 223 16.0 13.9 57.4
2000 195 16.0 12.2 66.2
2001 201 16.0 12.6 n/a
2002 188 16.0 11.8 53.7
2003 188 16.0 11.8 53.7
2004 174 16.0 10.9 58.6
2005 183 16.0 11.4 57.9
2006 181 16.0 11.3 47.5
2007 173 16.0 10.8 51.2
2008 167 16.7 10.0 59.1
2009 195 17.7 11.0 52.3
2010 206 17.7 11.6 58.3
2011 206 17.0 12.1 63.1
2012 196 15.7 12.4 63.8
2013 207 18.1 11.3 60.9
2014 212 16.1 13.1 66.5
2015 216 16.0 13.5 61.1
2016 195 15.0 13.0 56.4
2017 184 15.0 12.2 52.7
2018 186 15.6 11.8 58.6
2019 188 15.4 12.1 51.6
2020 209 15.3 13.6 50.7
2021 202 14.9 13.5 51.5
2022 173 13.8 12.5 47.4
2023 170 15.6 10.8 57.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cranberry Middle

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1997 184 15.0 12.3 52.2
1998 212 16.0 13.3 35.8
1999 223 16.0 13.9 57.4
2000 195 16.0 12.2 66.2
2001 201 16.0 12.6 n/a
2002 188 16.0 11.8 53.7
2003 188 16.0 11.8 53.7
2004 174 16.0 10.9 58.6
2005 183 16.0 11.4 57.9
2006 181 16.0 11.3 47.5
2007 173 16.0 10.8 51.2
2008 167 16.7 10.0 59.1
2009 195 17.7 11.0 52.3
2010 206 17.7 11.6 58.3
2011 206 17.0 12.1 63.1
2012 196 15.7 12.4 63.8
2013 207 18.1 11.3 60.9
2014 212 16.1 13.1 66.5
2015 216 16.0 13.5 61.1
2016 195 15.0 13.0 56.4
2017 184 15.0 12.2 52.7
2018 186 15.6 11.8 58.6
2019 188 15.4 12.1 51.6
2020 209 15.3 13.6 50.7
2021 202 14.9 13.5 51.5
2022 173 13.8 12.5 47.4
2023 170 15.6 10.8 57.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cranberry Middle

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,132 (9.5%) $10,841 (90.6%) $11,972

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cranberry Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 63rd of 737 Middle schoolsRanks 155th of 784 Middle schools
 11.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Cranberry Middle)86.271.9
 14.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Avery County Schools)80.563
 17.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)58.852.3
 6.5%
6th Grade Reading (Cranberry Middle)82.859.6
 23.2%
   6th Grade Reading (Avery County Schools)69.551.1
 18.4%
   6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)6049.3
 10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Cranberry Middle)76.767.7
 9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Avery County Schools)74.455.3
 19.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)58.450.1
 8.3%
7th Grade Reading (Cranberry Middle)76.759.7
 17%
   7th Grade Reading (Avery County Schools)74.552
 22.5%
   7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)58.850.2
 8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Cranberry Middle)65.561.5
 4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Avery County Schools)65.950.4
 15.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)52.644.8
 7.8%
8th Grade Reading (Cranberry Middle)74.553.8
 20.7%
   8th Grade Reading (Avery County Schools)73.352.6
 20.7%
   8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)55.651
 4.6%
8th Grade Science (Cranberry Middle)92.788.5
 4.2%
   8th Grade Science (Avery County Schools)88.173.3
 14.8%
   8th Grade Science (North Carolina)78.670.3
 8.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students188170
 9.6%
African American00
American Indian00
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic916
 77.8%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White171151
 11.7%
Two or More Races63
 50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients51.6%57.6%
 6.1%

Schools Near Cranberry Middle








Frequently Asked Questions about Cranberry Middle

Students who attend Cranberry Middle usually go on to attend Avery County High

Cranberry Middle ranks 205th of 793 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Cranberry Middle are 89% White, 9% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 170 students attended Cranberry Middle.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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