West McDowell Middle School

Summary:

West McDowell Middle School is a public middle school serving 605 students in grades 6-8 in Marion, North Carolina, which is part of the McDowell County Schools district.

West McDowell Middle School generally performs better than the district and state on standardized tests, particularly in mathematics and science. The school stands out in its performance for certain racial subgroups, with its African American students ranking 82 out of 550 middle schools in the state and its homeless student population ranking 4th and 5th out of all North Carolina middle schools in recent years. However, the school's overall statewide ranking has declined in recent years, from 387 out of 786 middle schools in 2021-2022 to 500 out of 793 in 2023-2024, suggesting it may be struggling to keep pace with improvements at other schools. The school also faces challenges with a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant socioeconomic challenges.

When compared to nearby schools, West McDowell Middle School generally performs better than East McDowell Middle School, which is also in the McDowell County Schools district, but lags behind the higher-performing Foothills Community School, a public magnet school in the same district. This suggests there may be opportunities for West McDowell Middle School to learn from the practices and strategies of the higher-performing Foothills Community School.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 346 West McDowell Junior High
       Marion, NC  28752


(828) 652-3390

District: McDowell County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
500th of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,132 Help


Students who attend West McDowell Middle School usually attend:

High:    McDowell Early College
    McDowell High School

Feeder schools for West McDowell Middle School:

Elementary:    North Cove Elementary School
    Old Fort Elementary School
    Pleasant Gardens Elementary School
    West Marion Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.1 Help
Number of students:  605

Racial breakdown:

White:
76.9%
Hispanic:
14.2%
Two or more races:
4.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  66.9% Help


 See top rated North Carolina middle schools

 Compare West McDowell Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details West McDowell Middle School ranks worse than 63.1% of middle schools in North Carolina. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the McDowell County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.68. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details West McDowell Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the McDowell County Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (76.9%), Hispanic (14.2%), two or more races (4.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 66.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West McDowell Middle School is 15.1. 1 middle schools in the McDowell County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare West McDowell Middle School employs 40 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at West McDowell Middle School is $9,132. 1 middle schools in the McDowell County Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West McDowell Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks West McDowell Middle School 500th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See West McDowell Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


McDowell County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks McDowell County Schools 115th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for West McDowell Middle School?

Rank History for West McDowell Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 58.71 278th 598 53.5%
2007 69.94 169th 606 72.1%
2008 60.74 263rd 620 57.6%
2009 75.89 130th 630 79.4%
2010 73.27 151st 640 76.4%
2011 74.41 154th 648 76.2%
2012 66.54 232nd 662 65.0%
2013 56.64 270th 673 59.9%
2014 53.34 282nd 627 55.0%
2015 52.94 338th 705 52.1%
2016 45.17 390th 692 43.6%
2017 57.18 308th 694 55.6%
2018 45.94 399th 691 42.3%
2019 54.66 341st 737 53.7%
2021 41.06 426th 741 42.5%
2022 48.88 387th 786 50.8%
2023 44.72 417th 784 46.8%
2024 38.68 500th 793 36.9%
See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 52.05 103rd 237 56.5%
2021 27.65 200th 248 19.4%
2022 44.30 151st 283 46.6%
2024 53.00 140th 306 54.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 33.60 213th 312 31.7%
2023 49.73 118th 318 62.9%
2024 35.93 224th 356 37.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 46.46 205th 473 56.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.94 215th 604 64.4%
2019 62.58 188th 639 70.6%
2021 42.91 341st 633 46.1%
2022 57.58 250th 689 63.7%
2023 45.81 375th 735 49.0%
2024 40.54 441st 743 40.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.30 2nd 13 84.6%
2021 69.07 3rd 12 75.0%
2022 76.51 4th 37 89.2%
2023 74.81 5th 50 90.0%
2024 37.40 34th 50 32.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.83 441st 656 32.8%
2019 56.95 295th 684 56.9%
2021 40.30 406th 706 42.5%
2022 41.93 422nd 733 42.4%
2023 43.72 407th 731 44.3%
2024 40.77 443rd 738 40.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.59 188th 475 60.4%
2019 46.38 241st 504 52.2%
2021 26.38 407th 478 14.9%
2022 37.90 249th 449 44.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 63.27 156th 416 62.5%
2021 33.67 372nd 448 17.0%
2022 41.64 351st 450 22.0%
2023 45.16 326th 452 27.9%
2024 58.21 227th 461 50.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.28 353rd 665 46.9%
2019 49.75 357th 697 48.8%
2021 41.26 413th 711 41.9%
2022 52.99 336th 748 55.1%
2023 43.69 412th 747 44.8%
2024 35.35 504th 751 32.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 76.37 82nd 550 85.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.45 356th 472 24.6%
2019 38.35 329th 493 33.3%
2021 22.71 448th 522 14.2%
2022 25.81 432nd 541 20.1%
2023 34.58 393rd 553 28.9%
2024 25.33 458th 564 18.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at West McDowell Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.36 528th 596 11.4%
2019 32.70 469th 624 24.8%
2021 21.94 530th 632 16.1%
2022 32.59 463rd 658 29.6%
2023 24.19 533rd 656 18.8%
2024 21.76 541st 652 17.0%
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.

West McDowell Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Open Quote This school is an excellent school. I think this because this is a more friendly atmosphere than other middle schools around McDowell County. Also, the teachers care and they help the students and fellow staff when they ask for help. Close Quote



Enrollment information for West McDowell Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 920 29 1 2 2 n/a n/a -2 952
1989 848 28 2 0 3 n/a n/a 0 881
1990 774 23 3 0 1 n/a n/a 0 801
1991 776 23 5 2 2 n/a n/a 0 808
1992 785 20 6 2 1 n/a n/a -2 812
1993 761 32 5 3 1 n/a n/a 0 802
1994 745 37 5 2 0 n/a n/a 0 789
1995 746 33 7 2 0 n/a n/a 0 788
1996 746 33 7 2 0 n/a n/a 0 788
1997 754 28 10 4 0 n/a n/a 0 796
1998 750 27 16 2 1 n/a n/a 0 796
1999 763 27 13 1 1 n/a n/a 0 805
2000 749 37 13 1 2 n/a n/a 0 802
2001 773 41 11 7 1 n/a n/a 0 833
2002 799 36 6 22 0 n/a n/a 0 863
2003 799 36 6 22 0 n/a n/a 0 863
2004 806 38 6 25 0 n/a n/a 0 875
2005 764 39 5 25 0 n/a n/a 0 833
2006 740 28 4 31 2 n/a n/a 0 805
2007 703 25 5 40 1 n/a n/a 9 783
2008 705 21 8 40 2 n/a n/a 14 790
2009 715 34 5 55 2 n/a n/a 0 811
2010 653 34 5 63 2 n/a n/a 0 757
2011 627 19 3 64 9 1 38 0 761
2012 614 23 3 58 6 0 27 0 731
2013 656 26 2 67 3 0 26 0 780
2014 636 29 4 67 3 0 25 0 764
2015 598 21 4 85 4 0 22 0 734
2016 565 16 2 82 3 0 23 0 691
2017 474 15 3 80 3 1 15 0 591
2018 475 16 1 83 2 1 22 0 600
2019 519 17 1 83 1 1 31 0 653
2020 528 25 3 81 2 0 40 0 679
2021 535 27 5 69 2 0 34 0 672
2022 496 23 8 92 1 0 28 0 648
2023 465 19 5 86 1 0 29 0 605

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 West McDowell Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 952 52.0 18.3 11.9
1989 881 54.0 16.3 24.1
1990 801 54.0 14.8 20.5
1991 808 54.0 14.9 20.3
1992 812 47.0 17.2 9.1
1993 802 50.0 16.0 13.7
1994 789 47.0 16.8 14.4
1995 788 49.0 16.1 14.3
1996 788 49.0 16.1 14.3
1997 796 50.0 15.9 15.1
1998 796 53.0 15.0 17.8
1999 805 53.0 15.2 21.7
2000 802 53.0 15.1 22.7
2001 833 53.0 15.7 23
2002 863 53.0 16.3 39.4
2003 863 53.0 16.3 39.4
2004 875 53.0 16.5 48.3
2005 833 53.0 15.7 44.4
2006 805 53.0 15.2 47.5
2007 783 52.0 15.1 47.9
2008 790 52.0 15.2 47.7
2009 811 51.0 15.9 50.3
2010 757 51.8 14.6 57.6
2011 761 50.0 15.2 54.9
2012 731 51.0 14.3 57
2013 780 51.8 15.0 62.2
2014 764 48.9 15.5 60.6
2015 734 42.0 17.4 60.1
2016 691 42.0 16.4 99
2017 591 48.8 12.1 99
2018 600 48.5 12.3 99.5
2019 653 38.5 16.9 51.9
2020 679 42.4 15.9 52.4
2021 672 41.5 16.1 49.7
2022 648 41.1 15.7 42.4
2023 605 40.0 15.1 66.9

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 West McDowell Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 952 52.0 18.3 11.9
1989 881 54.0 16.3 24.1
1990 801 54.0 14.8 20.5
1991 808 54.0 14.9 20.3
1992 812 47.0 17.2 9.1
1993 802 50.0 16.0 13.7
1994 789 47.0 16.8 14.4
1995 788 49.0 16.1 14.3
1996 788 49.0 16.1 14.3
1997 796 50.0 15.9 15.1
1998 796 53.0 15.0 17.8
1999 805 53.0 15.2 21.7
2000 802 53.0 15.1 22.7
2001 833 53.0 15.7 23
2002 863 53.0 16.3 39.4
2003 863 53.0 16.3 39.4
2004 875 53.0 16.5 48.3
2005 833 53.0 15.7 44.4
2006 805 53.0 15.2 47.5
2007 783 52.0 15.1 47.9
2008 790 52.0 15.2 47.7
2009 811 51.0 15.9 50.3
2010 757 51.8 14.6 57.6
2011 761 50.0 15.2 54.9
2012 731 51.0 14.3 57
2013 780 51.8 15.0 62.2
2014 764 48.9 15.5 60.6
2015 734 42.0 17.4 60.1
2016 691 42.0 16.4 99
2017 591 48.8 12.1 99
2018 600 48.5 12.3 99.5
2019 653 38.5 16.9 51.9
2020 679 42.4 15.9 52.4
2021 672 41.5 16.1 49.7
2022 648 41.1 15.7 42.4
2023 605 40.0 15.1 66.9

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 West McDowell Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $764 (8.4%) $8,368 (91.6%) $9,132

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

Impact of COVID-19 on West McDowell Middle School

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 341st of 737 Middle schoolsRanks 417th of 784 Middle schools
 6.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (West McDowell Middle School)66.254.4
 11.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (McDowell County Schools)59.257.6
 1.6%
   6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)58.852.3
 6.5%
6th Grade Reading (West McDowell Middle School)59.135.9
 23.2%
   6th Grade Reading (McDowell County Schools)5938.5
 20.5%
   6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)6049.3
 10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (West McDowell Middle School)55.745.1
 10.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (McDowell County Schools)53.644.6
 9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)58.450.1
 8.3%
7th Grade Reading (West McDowell Middle School)5747.6
 9.4%
   7th Grade Reading (McDowell County Schools)54.944
 10.9%
   7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)58.850.2
 8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (West McDowell Middle School)55.934.8
 21.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (McDowell County Schools)48.540.8
 7.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)52.644.8
 7.8%
8th Grade Reading (West McDowell Middle School)5251.7
 0.3%
   8th Grade Reading (McDowell County Schools)50.451.9
 1.5%
   8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)55.651
 4.6%
8th Grade Science (West McDowell Middle School)77.868.1
 9.7%
   8th Grade Science (McDowell County Schools)7969
 10%
   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 Students653605
 7.4%
African American1719
 11.8%
American Indian11
Asian15
 400%
Hispanic8386
 3.6%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White519465
 10.4%
Two or More Races3129
 6.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients51.9%66.9%
 15%


Schools Near West McDowell Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about West McDowell Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 605 students attended West McDowell Middle School.

Students who attend West McDowell Middle School usually go on to attend McDowell Early College

West McDowell Middle School ranks 500th of 793 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at West McDowell Middle School are 77% White, 14% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.


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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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