Southwest Middle School

Summary:

Southwest Middle School is a public middle school in Charlotte, North Carolina, serving 1,392 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district, which is ranked 140 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating.

Southwest Middle School faces significant academic challenges compared to state and district averages. The school has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of African American (44.25%) and Hispanic (36.64%) students than the state and district. However, the school consistently underperforms on standardized tests, with proficiency rates ranging from 24.8% to 32.4% in math, far below the state and district averages of 46.9% to 54.3%. The school's low statewide ranking, placing 664 out of 793 middle schools, and 1-star rating from SchoolDigger further highlight its struggles. Certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and English Language Learners, perform particularly poorly at the school.

When compared to nearby schools within the same district, such as Community House Middle, Carmel Middle, and South Charlotte Middle, the performance gap is significant. These schools consistently outperform Southwest Middle School across various academic metrics. Additionally, two nearby public magnet schools, Wilson STEM Academy and Quail Hollow Middle, serve a similar demographic but demonstrate much stronger academic outcomes, suggesting that the magnet school model may be more effective in supporting student achievement.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 13624 Steele Creek Rd
       Charlotte, NC  28273-6840


(980) 343-5006

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
664th of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,742 Help


Students who attend Southwest Middle School usually attend:

High:    Olympic High School

Feeder schools for Southwest Middle School:

Elementary:    Lake Wylie Elementary
    Nations Ford Elementary
    Palisades Park Elementary
    River Gate Elementary
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  20.4 Help
Number of students:  1,287

Racial breakdown:

African American:
42.6%
Hispanic:
36.9%
White:
12.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.8% Help


 See top rated North Carolina middle schools

 Compare Southwest Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Southwest Middle School ranks worse than 83.7% of middle schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 22nd among 29 ranked middle schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.35. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Student population at Southwest Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (42.6%), Hispanic (36.9%), White (12.1%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 99.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwest Middle School is 20.4. 27 middle schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Southwest Middle School employs 62.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwest Middle School is $7,742. 25 middle schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southwest Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Southwest Middle School 664th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Southwest 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:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 140th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Southwest Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 55.97 305th 598 49.0%
2007 51.87 341st 606 43.7%
2008 51.82 336th 620 45.8%
2009 55.96 337th 630 46.5%
2010 52.14 372nd 640 41.9%
2011 45.86 417th 648 35.6%
2012 57.78 331st 662 50.0%
2013 54.40 290th 673 56.9%
2014 45.37 329th 627 47.5%
2015 46.79 386th 705 45.2%
2016 43.58 406th 692 41.3%
2017 44.49 410th 694 40.9%
2018 32.75 484th 691 30.0%
2019 35.87 506th 737 31.3%
2021 24.90 567th 741 23.5%
2022 24.48 613th 786 22.0%
2023 19.61 654th 784 16.6%
2024 19.35 664th 793 16.3%
See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.51 165th 221 25.3%
2019 38.72 152nd 237 35.9%
2021 21.92 222nd 248 10.5%
2022 69.26 62nd 283 78.1%
2023 54.16 120th 302 60.3%
2024 72.37 67th 306 78.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.36 109th 151 27.8%
2019 29.55 164th 211 22.3%
2021 29.21 190th 236 19.5%
2022 21.62 292nd 312 6.4%
2023 16.21 315th 318 0.9%
2024 15.87 349th 356 2.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 16.97 461st 473 2.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.01 434th 604 28.1%
2019 35.06 454th 639 29.0%
2021 28.82 470th 633 25.8%
2022 34.89 458th 689 33.5%
2023 17.69 663rd 735 9.8%
2024 23.70 622nd 743 16.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 10.95 50th 50 0.0%
2024 29.79 43rd 50 14.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.68 499th 656 23.9%
2019 32.65 500th 684 26.9%
2021 23.83 556th 706 21.2%
2022 25.17 575th 733 21.6%
2023 20.43 613th 731 16.1%
2024 20.15 622nd 738 15.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.90 449th 475 5.5%
2019 27.35 417th 504 17.3%
2021 22.07 442nd 478 7.5%
2022 20.76 415th 449 7.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 63.34 154th 416 63.0%
2021 49.79 286th 448 36.2%
2022 51.36 273rd 450 39.3%
2023 57.52 238th 452 47.3%
2024 53.98 267th 461 42.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.05 472nd 665 29.0%
2019 35.33 476th 697 31.7%
2021 25.51 543rd 711 23.6%
2022 22.37 607th 748 18.9%
2023 17.17 648th 747 13.3%
2024 17.19 651st 751 13.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.42 56th 95 41.1%
2019 54.94 53rd 102 48.0%
2021 37.62 62nd 99 37.4%
2022 42.93 66th 109 39.4%
2023 23.05 90th 110 18.2%
2024 31.74 81st 110 26.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.32 219th 494 55.7%
2019 59.93 144th 519 72.3%
2021 45.11 251st 533 52.9%
2022 42.66 290th 550 47.3%
2023 33.71 386th 559 30.9%
2024 34.58 373rd 560 33.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.08 386th 472 18.2%
2019 25.43 412th 493 16.4%
2021 17.80 476th 522 8.8%
2022 14.73 510th 541 5.7%
2023 14.21 523rd 553 5.4%
2024 12.51 534th 564 5.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Southwest Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.17 224th 596 62.4%
2019 63.23 221st 624 64.6%
2021 53.12 277th 632 56.2%
2022 53.60 287th 658 56.4%
2023 50.74 303rd 656 53.8%
2024 48.20 333rd 652 48.9%
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.

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





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Southwest Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2004 397 319 19 41 8 n/a n/a 0 784
2005 411 430 23 88 6 n/a n/a 0 958
2006 404 484 36 161 10 n/a n/a 0 1095
2007 397 463 43 195 11 n/a n/a 34 1143
2008 378 506 45 221 9 n/a n/a 47 1206
2009 384 560 47 264 7 n/a n/a 0 1262
2010 356 613 50 274 5 n/a n/a 0 1298
2011 343 566 55 308 3 0 69 0 1344
2012 355 590 50 323 6 0 48 0 1372
2013 375 569 60 362 7 0 52 0 1425
2014 355 566 52 382 10 1 53 0 1419
2015 333 526 56 431 11 1 45 0 1403
2016 318 535 47 420 10 1 51 0 1382
2017 300 544 61 424 5 0 54 0 1388
2018 262 570 63 459 8 1 44 0 1407
2019 232 575 69 508 5 3 29 0 1421
2020 224 558 76 581 2 6 33 0 1480
2021 192 561 69 529 1 6 25 0 1383
2022 172 559 66 490 3 4 34 0 1328
2023 170 616 57 510 3 4 32 0 1392
2024 156 548 53 475 2 1 52 0 1287

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 Southwest Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2004 784 70.0 11.2 31.3
2005 958 n/a n/a 42.8
2006 1095 n/a n/a 44.8
2007 1143 65.9 17.3 45.5
2008 1206 69.8 17.3 47.6
2009 1262 73.9 17.1 45.2
2010 1298 73.8 17.5 53.6
2011 1344 68.0 19.7 55.1
2012 1372 72.9 18.7 56.4
2013 1425 78.4 18.1 57.3
2014 1419 76.2 18.6 56
2015 1403 73.0 19.2 56.9
2016 1382 73.0 18.9 54.5
2017 1388 77.0 18.0 56.1
2018 1407 76.2 18.4 53.9
2019 1421 76.2 18.6 54.8
2020 1480 75.9 19.4 50.9
2021 1383 84.1 16.4 38.3
2022 1328 78.8 16.8 28.2
2023 1392 64.9 21.4 40.4
2024 1287 62.8 20.4 99.8

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 Southwest Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2004 784 70.0 11.2 31.3
2005 958 n/a n/a 42.8
2006 1095 n/a n/a 44.8
2007 1143 65.9 17.3 45.5
2008 1206 69.8 17.3 47.6
2009 1262 73.9 17.1 45.2
2010 1298 73.8 17.5 53.6
2011 1344 68.0 19.7 55.1
2012 1372 72.9 18.7 56.4
2013 1425 78.4 18.1 57.3
2014 1419 76.2 18.6 56
2015 1403 73.0 19.2 56.9
2016 1382 73.0 18.9 54.5
2017 1388 77.0 18.0 56.1
2018 1407 76.2 18.4 53.9
2019 1421 76.2 18.6 54.8
2020 1480 75.9 19.4 50.9
2021 1383 84.1 16.4 38.3
2022 1328 78.8 16.8 28.2
2023 1392 64.9 21.4 40.4
2024 1287 62.8 20.4 99.8

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 Southwest Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $614 (7.9%) $7,128 (92.1%) $7,742

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwest 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 506th of 737 Middle schoolsRanks 654th of 784 Middle schools
 14.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Southwest Middle School)54.631.3
 23.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)62.451
 11.4%
   6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)58.852.3
 6.5%
6th Grade Reading (Southwest Middle School)43.129.8
 13.3%
   6th Grade Reading (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)56.946.3
 10.6%
   6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)6049.3
 10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Southwest Middle School)55.231
 24.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)62.349
 13.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)58.450.1
 8.3%
7th Grade Reading (Southwest Middle School)48.637.6
 11%
   7th Grade Reading (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)55.647.4
 8.2%
   7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)58.850.2
 8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Southwest Middle School)50.725.8
 24.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)58.345.6
 12.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)52.644.8
 7.8%
8th Grade Reading (Southwest Middle School)4533.2
 11.8%
   8th Grade Reading (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)54.449.2
 5.2%
   8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)55.651
 4.6%
8th Grade Science (Southwest Middle School)64.554.2
 10.3%
   8th Grade Science (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)75.266.6
 8.6%
   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 Students14211392
 2%
African American575616
 7.1%
American Indian53
 40%
Asian6957
 17.4%
Hispanic508510
 0.4%
Pacific Islander34
 33.3%
White232170
 26.7%
Two or More Races2932
 10.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients54.8%40.4%
 14.4%


Schools Near Southwest Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest Middle School

Southwest Middle School ranks in the bottom 16.3% of North Carolina middle schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,287 students attended Southwest Middle School.

Students at Southwest Middle School are 43% African American, 37% Hispanic, 12% White, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

Students who attend Southwest Middle School usually go on to attend Olympic High School


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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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