Is Bowman Middle a good school?

Bowman Middle ranks 239 th of 793 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bowman Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 189 students attended Bowman Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Bowman Middle?

Students at Bowman Middle are 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What high school do graduates of Bowman Middle attend?

Students who attend Bowman Middle usually go on to attend Mayland Early College

Bowman Middle

Summary:

Bowman Middle is a public middle school located in Bakersville, North Carolina, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 202 students. The school is part of the Mitchell County Schools district, which is ranked 108 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bowman Middle stands out for its strong academic performance, particularly in the upper grades. The school's test scores in mathematics, reading, and science are generally higher than the Mitchell County Schools district average and the state average. For example, in 2023-2024, 74.4% of 7th-grade students at Bowman Middle were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 54.7% for the district and 50.4% for the state. Additionally, Bowman Middle has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.8 to 13.7 over the past three years, which is lower than the nearby Harris Middle (13.1) and Avery Middle (10.6).

However, Bowman Middle faces some challenges. While its test scores are strong, the school's statewide ranking has declined over the years, from a high of 194 out of 627 North Carolina middle schools in 2013-2014 to 239 out of 793 in 2023-2024. Additionally, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with male students consistently outperforming female students and white students performing worse than the school's overall average. Compared to nearby schools like Avery Middle and Cane River Middle, which are in different districts, Bowman Middle generally underperforms across multiple metrics, including test scores, statewide rankings, and student-teacher ratios.

Detail:

Public 5-8

410 S Mitchell Avenue
Bakersville, NC 28705

(828) 766-3370

District: Mitchell County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
239^th of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,368

Students who attend Bowman Middle usually attend:

High:	Mayland Early College
	Mitchell High

Feeder schools for Bowman Middle:

Elementary:	Deyton Elementary
	Gouge Elementary
	Greenlee Primary

Student/teacher ratio: 12.2

Number of students: 189

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.7%

Hispanic:

2.1%

Two or more races:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.4%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Bowman Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bowman Middle ranks better than 69.9% of middle schools in North Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 66.11. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (94.7%), Hispanic (2.1%), two or more races (2.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bowman Middle is 12.2. (See more...)

Compare Bowman Middle employs 15.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bowman Middle is $12,368.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bowman Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Bowman Middle 239^th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Bowman Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Mitchell County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Mitchell County Schools 108^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Bowman Middle?

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Rank History for Bowman Middle

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Rank History for all students at Bowman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	60.18	259^th	598	56.7%
2007	56.33	305^th	606	49.7%
2008	63.26	244^th	620	60.6%
2009	66.95	215^th	630	65.9%
2010	70.74	181^st	640	71.7%
2011	73.71	161^st	648	75.2%
2012	68.23	216^th	662	67.4%
2013	66.55	184^th	673	72.7%
2014	64.41	194^th	627	69.1%
2015	68.33	203^rd	705	71.2%
2016	63.04	243^rd	692	64.9%
2017	54.32	332^nd	694	52.2%
2018	47.24	392^nd	691	43.3%
2019	41.98	453^rd	737	38.5%
2021	46.38	382^nd	741	48.4%
2022	49.06	385^th	786	51.0%
2023	58.26	302^nd	784	61.5%
2024	66.11	239^th	793	69.9%

See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bowman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	62.82	192^nd	604	68.2%
2019	42.22	390^th	639	39.0%
2021	59.77	192^nd	633	69.7%
2022	44.19	369^th	689	46.4%
2023	62.28	217^th	735	70.5%
2024	53.40	315^th	743	57.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Bowman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	51.24	353^rd	656	46.2%
2019	41.35	432^nd	684	36.8%
2021	45.20	369^th	706	47.7%
2022	42.90	410^th	733	44.1%
2023	52.98	338^th	731	53.8%
2024	54.09	316^th	738	57.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Bowman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	73.07	51^st	475	89.3%
2019	50.13	204^th	504	59.5%
2021	75.78	39^th	478	91.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Bowman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	23.00	393^rd	416	5.5%
2022	56.32	244^th	450	45.8%
2023	32.31	399^th	452	11.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Bowman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	44.64	393^rd	665	40.9%
2019	41.03	434^th	697	37.7%
2021	46.65	366^th	711	48.5%
2022	53.44	331^st	748	55.7%
2023	60.08	275^th	747	63.2%
2024	72.76	174^th	751	76.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Bowman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	24.68	499^th	596	16.3%
2019	19.60	553^rd	624	11.4%
2021	22.45	526^th	632	16.8%
2022	28.10	513^th	658	22.0%
2023	34.51	452^nd	656	31.1%
2024	46.34	346^th	652	46.9%

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.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Bowman Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	239	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	239
1989	240	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	240
1990	234	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	235
1991	235	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	236
1992	225	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	226
1993	210	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	212
1994	208	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	210
1995	193	0	0	6	n/a	n/a	199
1996	193	0	0	6	n/a	n/a	199
1997	207	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	209
1998	214	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	216
1999	213	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	217
2000	216	0	0	7	n/a	n/a	223
2001	198	0	0	6	n/a	n/a	204
2002	191	1	0	8	n/a	n/a	200
2003	191	1	0	8	n/a	n/a	200
2004	202	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	206
2005	199	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	203
2006	193	0	0	4	n/a	n/a	197
2007	187	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	189
2008	193	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	196
2009	182	1	0	4	n/a	n/a	187
2010	212	3	0	3	n/a	n/a	218
2011	192	0	0	7	0	0	199
2012	216	0	0	6	0	0	222
2013	269	0	0	3	0	0	272
2014	252	0	1	2	0	1	256
2015	238	0	1	1	0	0	240
2016	222	1	0	4	0	0	227
2017	203	1	0	3	0	0	207
2018	197	1	0	4	0	4	206
2019	198	1	0	9	0	8	216
2020	174	0	0	7	0	16	197
2021	185	1	0	11	0	5	202
2022	190	1	0	12	0	5	208
2023	187	1	0	7	0	7	202
2024	179	2	0	4	0	4	189

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 Bowman Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	239	16.0	14.9	39.3
1989	240	16.0	15.0	40.8
1990	235	16.0	14.6	49.4
1991	236	16.0	14.7	49.2
1992	226	16.0	14.1	37.2
1993	212	18.0	11.8	59.9
1994	210	16.0	13.1	55.7
1995	199	15.0	13.3	43.7
1996	199	15.0	13.3	43.7
1997	209	15.0	13.9	47.4
1998	216	16.0	13.5	51.4
1999	217	16.0	13.6	57.1
2000	223	16.0	13.9	68.2
2001	204	16.0	12.8	73
2002	200	12.0	16.7	65
2003	200	12.0	16.7	65
2004	206	12.0	17.2	66
2005	203	12.0	16.9	61.1
2006	197	12.0	16.4	58.9
2007	189	14.5	13.0	53.4
2008	196	14.6	13.4	55.6
2009	187	15.3	12.2	58.3
2010	218	15.7	13.9	61.9
2011	199	13.8	14.4	65.3
2012	222	15.4	14.3	61.3
2013	272	18.9	14.3	55.5
2014	256	20.5	12.4	52.3
2015	240	16.0	15.0	52.5
2016	227	17.0	13.3	50.7
2017	207	18.9	10.9	54.6
2018	206	18.5	11.0	55.3
2019	216	17.8	12.1	51.9
2020	197	18.7	10.5	54.3
2021	202	15.2	13.2	98.5
2022	208	17.5	11.8	33.2
2023	202	14.7	13.7	61.4
2024	189	15.3	12.2	98.4

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 Bowman Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	239	16.0	14.9	39.3
1989	240	16.0	15.0	40.8
1990	235	16.0	14.6	49.4
1991	236	16.0	14.7	49.2
1992	226	16.0	14.1	37.2
1993	212	18.0	11.8	59.9
1994	210	16.0	13.1	55.7
1995	199	15.0	13.3	43.7
1996	199	15.0	13.3	43.7
1997	209	15.0	13.9	47.4
1998	216	16.0	13.5	51.4
1999	217	16.0	13.6	57.1
2000	223	16.0	13.9	68.2
2001	204	16.0	12.8	73
2002	200	12.0	16.7	65
2003	200	12.0	16.7	65
2004	206	12.0	17.2	66
2005	203	12.0	16.9	61.1
2006	197	12.0	16.4	58.9
2007	189	14.5	13.0	53.4
2008	196	14.6	13.4	55.6
2009	187	15.3	12.2	58.3
2010	218	15.7	13.9	61.9
2011	199	13.8	14.4	65.3
2012	222	15.4	14.3	61.3
2013	272	18.9	14.3	55.5
2014	256	20.5	12.4	52.3
2015	240	16.0	15.0	52.5
2016	227	17.0	13.3	50.7
2017	207	18.9	10.9	54.6
2018	206	18.5	11.0	55.3
2019	216	17.8	12.1	51.9
2020	197	18.7	10.5	54.3
2021	202	15.2	13.2	98.5
2022	208	17.5	11.8	33.2
2023	202	14.7	13.7	61.4
2024	189	15.3	12.2	98.4

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 Bowman Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,185 (9.6%)	$11,183 (90.4%)	$12,368

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bowman 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 453^rd of 737 Middle schools	Ranks 302^nd of 784 Middle schools	22.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Mathematics (Bowman Middle)	55.7	26	29.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mitchell County Schools)	68.8	51.9	16.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	60.2	55.9	4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Bowman Middle)	52.5	50	2.5%
5th Grade Reading (Mitchell County Schools)	56.7	39.7	17%
5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	54.6	48	6.6%
5th Grade Science (Bowman Middle)	77	56	21%
5th Grade Science (Mitchell County Schools)	80.9	60.3	20.6%
5th Grade Science (North Carolina)	72.6	65.3	7.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Bowman Middle)	46.5	47.6	1.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Mitchell County Schools)	56.9	40.4	16.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.8	52.3	6.5%
6th Grade Reading (Bowman Middle)	60.5	61.9	1.4%
6th Grade Reading (Mitchell County Schools)	65	47.4	17.6%
6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	60	49.3	10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Bowman Middle)	52	47.6	4.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Mitchell County Schools)	51.1	50.9	0.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.4	50.1	8.3%
7th Grade Reading (Bowman Middle)	56	59.5	3.5%
7th Grade Reading (Mitchell County Schools)	65.6	61.2	4.4%
7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	58.8	50.2	8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Bowman Middle)	33.9	34.4	0.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Mitchell County Schools)	45.7	38.2	7.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	52.6	44.8	7.8%
8th Grade Reading (Bowman Middle)	44.6	53.1	8.5%
8th Grade Reading (Mitchell County Schools)	46.4	48.7	2.3%
8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	55.6	51	4.6%
8th Grade Science (Bowman Middle)	83.9	81	2.9%
8th Grade Science (Mitchell County Schools)	82.9	77.5	5.4%
8th Grade Science (North Carolina)	78.6	70.3	8.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	216	202	6.5%
African American	1	1
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	9	7	22.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	198	187	5.6%
Two or More Races	8	7	12.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51.9%	61.4%	9.5%

Schools Near Bowman Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOG Mathematics (2024)				EOG Reading (2024)				EOG Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bowman Middle	Public	5-8	410 S Mitchell Avenue	Bakersville	28705	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 766-3370	189	15	12.2	98.4%	179 (94.7%)	2 (1.1%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.1%)	66.1	239^th of 793 public middle schools	69.9%		58.3	302^nd of 784 public middle schools	61.5%	63	33.3	53.7	74.4	51.1	42.2	48.1	67.4	53.3	53.3	77.8	$12,368	$1,185	$11,183
Harris Middle	Public	6-8	121 Harris Street	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 766-3340	222	15	14.6	98.6%	163 (73.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (21.6%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.2%)	43.5	454^th of 793 public middle schools	42.7%		49.2	389^th of 784 public middle schools	50.4%	65		19.8	43.2	50.0		29.6	40.5	64.7		86.8	$10,562	$823	$9,739
East Yancey Middle	Public	6-8	285 Georges Fork Road	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 682-2281	257	20	12.9	62.6%	201 (78.2%)	1 (0.4%)	52 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	64.4	256^th of 793 public middle schools	67.7%		64.4	248^th of 784 public middle schools	68.4%	8		50.6	58.2	70.3		41.6	50.6	56.0		89.0	$10,320	$1,091	$9,229
Avery Middle	Public	6-8	102 Old Montezuma Road	Newland	28657	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-0145	208	22	9.6	98.6%	156 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (21.2%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	32.6	550^th of 793 public middle schools	30.6%		47.7	399^th of 784 public middle schools	49.1%	151		38.0	44.3	31.3		35.2	37.1	42.2		70.3	$12,188	$1,295	$10,894
Cane River Middle	Public	6-8	1128 Cane River School Road	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 682-2202	180	17	10.5	52.8%	157 (87.2%)	1 (0.6%)	17 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	75.8	163^rd of 793 public middle schools	79.4%		70	206^th of 784 public middle schools	73.7%	43		65.6	61.8	79.7		48.4	60.0	57.8		92.2	$11,216	$1,039	$10,177
Cranberry Middle	Public	6-8	6230 North US Highway 19E	Elk Park	28622	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-2932	184	15	12.6	98.4%	169 (91.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)	70.5	205^th of 793 public middle schools	74.1%		78	155^th of 784 public middle schools	80.2%	50		77.1	64.4	60.0		60.0	42.4	55.0		76.7	$11,973	$1,132	$10,841

Bowman Middle

Bowman Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Mitchell County Schools:

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Rank History for Bowman Middle

Rank History for all students at Bowman Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bowman Middle

Rank History for Female students at Bowman Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Bowman Middle

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Bowman Middle

Rank History for Male students at Bowman Middle

Rank History for White students at Bowman Middle

Enrollment information for Bowman Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bowman Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Bowman Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Bowman Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Bowman Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Bowman Middle

Bowman Middle

Harris Middle

East Yancey Middle

Avery Middle

Cane River Middle

Cranberry Middle

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