Is East Middle a good school?

East Middle ranks 462 nd of 793 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend East Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 451 students attended East Middle.

What is the racial makeup of East Middle?

Students at East Middle are 53% Hispanic, 26% White, 15% African American, 6% Two or more races.

East Middle

Summary:

East Middle is a public middle school located in Biscoe, North Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 451. The school is part of the Montgomery County Schools district, which is ranked 194 out of 242 districts in the state.

While East Middle's test scores are generally higher than the district average, the school has a significantly higher Hispanic student population (52.55%) compared to nearby schools, which have a majority White student population. The school performs relatively well for its Hispanic and African American student subgroups, ranking in the top 200-300 schools in the state, but struggles with its White student subgroup, ranking in the bottom 500-600 schools. Additionally, East Middle has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 73.45% to 85.14%, significantly higher than the nearby West Middle school.

Interestingly, East Middle's statewide ranking has been declining over the years, from 463 out of 691 middle schools in 2017-2018 to 462 out of 793 in 2023-2024, suggesting the school is not keeping pace with improvements in other middle schools across the state. When compared to nearby schools, East Middle generally performs better on test scores than Ellerbe Middle, but lags behind the higher-performing West Pine Middle and Elise Middle schools, which are in the neighboring Moore County Schools district.

Detail:

Public 6-8

130 Merlin's Maze
Biscoe, NC 27209-9801

(910) 428-3278

District: Montgomery County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
462^nd of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,309

Feeder schools for East Middle:

Elementary:	Candor Elementary
	Green Ridge Elementary
	Star Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.1

Number of students: 451

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

52.5%

White:

25.7%

African American:

14.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.1%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare East Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details East Middle ranks worse than 58.3% of middle schools in North Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.82. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at East Middle is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (52.5%), White (25.7%), African American (14.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at East Middle is 16.1. (See more...)

Compare East Middle employs 27.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at East Middle is $9,309.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

East Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks East Middle 462^nd of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See East Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Montgomery County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Montgomery County Schools 194^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for East Middle.

What do you think?

Your rating for East Middle?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for East Middle

Compare

Rank History for all students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	21.58	512^th	598	14.4%
2007	27.48	496^th	606	18.2%
2008	23.99	496^th	620	20.0%
2009	30.95	500^th	630	20.6%
2010	28.50	515^th	640	19.5%
2011	41.96	441^st	648	31.9%
2012	39.69	466^th	662	29.6%
2013	32.67	467^th	673	30.6%
2014	24.57	481^st	627	23.3%
2015	35.27	469^th	705	33.5%
2016	34.88	465^th	692	32.8%
2017	35.94	466^th	694	32.9%
2018	36.55	463^rd	691	33.0%
2019	36.96	492^nd	737	33.2%
2021	31.44	506^th	741	31.7%
2022	46.83	402^nd	786	48.9%
2023	40.69	455^th	784	42.0%
2024	42.82	462^nd	793	41.7%

See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	40.73	168^th	283	40.6%
2023	28.19	239^th	302	20.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	20.01	147^th	151	2.6%
2019	39.95	110^th	211	47.9%
2021	55.83	48^th	236	79.7%
2022	40.91	164^th	312	47.4%
2023	34.11	216^th	318	32.1%
2024	41.33	193^rd	356	45.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	54.10	262^nd	604	56.6%
2019	55.04	259^th	639	59.5%
2021	53.08	242^nd	633	61.8%
2022	63.10	187^th	689	72.9%
2023	53.59	303^rd	735	58.8%
2024	45.59	386^th	743	48.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	31.84	481^st	656	26.7%
2019	34.43	492^nd	684	28.1%
2021	31.45	485^th	706	31.3%
2022	42.95	409^th	733	44.2%
2023	30.18	525^th	731	28.2%
2024	35.02	492^nd	738	33.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	35.84	305^th	475	35.8%
2019	27.24	419^th	504	16.9%
2021	31.48	358^th	478	25.1%
2022	57.09	108^th	449	75.9%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	51.56	266^th	416	36.1%
2021	51.36	271^st	448	39.5%
2022	63.20	163^rd	450	63.8%
2023	39.14	358^th	452	20.8%
2024	60.94	198^th	461	57.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	38.70	438^th	665	34.1%
2019	35.86	471^st	697	32.4%
2021	30.89	499^th	711	29.8%
2022	48.23	380^th	748	49.2%
2023	47.84	374^th	747	49.9%
2024	47.62	387^th	751	48.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	45.70	265^th	494	46.4%
2019	28.96	413^th	519	20.4%
2021	44.04	258^th	533	51.6%
2022	57.05	177^th	550	67.8%
2023	51.82	213^th	559	61.9%
2024	46.17	273^rd	560	51.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	47.62	245^th	472	48.1%
2019	51.76	219^th	493	55.6%
2021	47.96	257^th	522	50.8%
2022	58.94	188^th	541	65.2%
2023	54.05	221^st	553	60.0%
2024	58.59	199^th	564	64.7%

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

Rank History for White students at East Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	28.16	482^nd	596	19.1%
2019	25.12	520^th	624	16.7%
2021	18.12	560^th	632	11.4%
2022	30.84	482^nd	658	26.7%
2023	22.76	548^th	656	16.5%
2024	29.51	498^th	652	23.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Sunday, February 17, 2019

This school is the equivalent of a prison Close Quote

Enrollment information for East Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	264	149	1	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	432
1992	280	146	1	23	1	n/a	n/a	-1	450
1993	286	128	0	35	1	n/a	n/a	0	450
1994	289	123	0	47	1	n/a	n/a	0	460
1995	290	135	0	71	0	n/a	n/a	0	496
1996	290	135	0	71	0	n/a	n/a	0	496
1997	309	139	1	82	0	n/a	n/a	0	531
1998	279	124	2	91	2	n/a	n/a	0	498
1999	250	111	2	98	0	n/a	n/a	0	461
2000	227	108	4	108	0	n/a	n/a	0	447
2001	235	104	5	137	0	n/a	n/a	0	481
2002	224	118	0	161	1	n/a	n/a	0	504
2003	224	118	0	161	1	n/a	n/a	0	504
2004	229	133	1	162	0	n/a	n/a	0	525
2005	196	118	0	176	0	n/a	n/a	0	490
2006	203	109	1	187	0	n/a	n/a	0	500
2007	172	100	1	185	0	n/a	n/a	6	464
2008	182	90	1	199	0	n/a	n/a	8	480
2009	169	87	0	203	2	n/a	n/a	0	461
2010	178	85	0	235	2	n/a	n/a	0	500
2011	161	79	0	251	1	1	8	0	501
2012	171	78	0	270	1	1	9	0	530
2013	177	83	1	283	0	2	5	0	551
2014	157	76	2	279	0	1	7	0	522
2015	141	67	1	286	0	1	8	0	504
2016	127	50	1	242	0	0	8	0	428
2017	117	56	0	264	0	0	9	0	446
2018	131	61	0	252	0	0	12	0	456
2019	137	72	0	278	0	0	14	0	501
2020	124	74	0	272	0	0	18	0	488
2021	128	77	1	277	0	0	18	0	501
2022	106	77	2	257	0	0	25	0	467
2023	116	67	2	237	1	0	28	0	451

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 East Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	432	16.0	27.0	0
1992	450	16.0	28.1	26.2
1993	450	30.0	15.0	41.8
1994	460	31.0	14.8	43.5
1995	496	36.0	13.8	23
1996	496	36.0	13.8	23
1997	531	30.0	17.7	40.5
1998	498	34.0	14.6	49.6
1999	461	29.0	15.9	63.8
2000	447	29.0	15.4	62.2
2001	481	29.0	16.6	55.9
2002	504	29.0	17.4	66.9
2003	504	29.0	17.4	66.9
2004	525	29.0	18.1	65.7
2005	490	29.0	16.9	72.2
2006	500	29.0	17.2	73.2
2007	464	32.8	14.1	73.1
2008	480	33.8	14.2	76.5
2009	461	32.7	14.1	72.9
2010	500	30.3	16.5	78.4
2011	501	31.0	16.1	79.8
2012	530	31.0	17.0	80.4
2013	551	32.3	17.0	82.4
2014	522	32.6	15.9	n/a
2015	504	30.0	16.8	85.1
2016	428	28.0	15.2	83.4
2017	446	28.6	15.5	86.8
2018	456	30.6	14.8	83.6
2019	501	28.6	17.4	84
2020	488	29.6	16.4	83
2021	501	30.3	16.5	75.8
2022	467	27.9	16.6	73.4
2023	451	27.9	16.1	85.1

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 East Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	432	16.0	27.0	0
1992	450	16.0	28.1	26.2
1993	450	30.0	15.0	41.8
1994	460	31.0	14.8	43.5
1995	496	36.0	13.8	23
1996	496	36.0	13.8	23
1997	531	30.0	17.7	40.5
1998	498	34.0	14.6	49.6
1999	461	29.0	15.9	63.8
2000	447	29.0	15.4	62.2
2001	481	29.0	16.6	55.9
2002	504	29.0	17.4	66.9
2003	504	29.0	17.4	66.9
2004	525	29.0	18.1	65.7
2005	490	29.0	16.9	72.2
2006	500	29.0	17.2	73.2
2007	464	32.8	14.1	73.1
2008	480	33.8	14.2	76.5
2009	461	32.7	14.1	72.9
2010	500	30.3	16.5	78.4
2011	501	31.0	16.1	79.8
2012	530	31.0	17.0	80.4
2013	551	32.3	17.0	82.4
2014	522	32.6	15.9	n/a
2015	504	30.0	16.8	85.1
2016	428	28.0	15.2	83.4
2017	446	28.6	15.5	86.8
2018	456	30.6	14.8	83.6
2019	501	28.6	17.4	84
2020	488	29.6	16.4	83
2021	501	30.3	16.5	75.8
2022	467	27.9	16.6	73.4
2023	451	27.9	16.1	85.1

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 East Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,204 (12.9%)	$8,105 (87.1%)	$9,309

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on East 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 492^nd of 737 Middle schools	Ranks 455^th of 784 Middle schools	8.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (East Middle)	60.9	49.6	11.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Montgomery County Schools)	53.8	51.9	1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.8	52.3	6.5%
6th Grade Reading (East Middle)	45.8	34.6	11.2%
6th Grade Reading (Montgomery County Schools)	45.9	36	9.9%
6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	60	49.3	10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (East Middle)	58.7	49.3	9.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Montgomery County Schools)	52.6	42.8	9.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.4	50.1	8.3%
7th Grade Reading (East Middle)	49.3	43	6.3%
7th Grade Reading (Montgomery County Schools)	50	39.7	10.3%
7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	58.8	50.2	8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (East Middle)	44.4	38.7	5.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Montgomery County Schools)	41.6	37.3	4.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	52.6	44.8	7.8%
8th Grade Reading (East Middle)	42.7	46.6	3.9%
8th Grade Reading (Montgomery County Schools)	41.6	44.6	3%
8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	55.6	51	4.6%
8th Grade Science (East Middle)	64.3	63.2	1.1%
8th Grade Science (Montgomery County Schools)	65.6	60.3	5.3%
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	501	451	10%
African American	72	67	6.9%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	278	237	14.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	137	116	15.3%
Two or More Races	14	28	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	84%	85.1%	1.1%

Schools Near East 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 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
East Middle	Public	6-8	130 Merlin's Maze	Biscoe	27209	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 428-3278	451	28	16.1	85.1%	116 (25.7%)	67 (14.9%)	237 (52.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.2%)	42.8	462^nd of 793 public middle schools	41.7%		40.7	455^th of 784 public middle schools	42.0%	7	44.4	48.5	50.7	35.4	41.7	51.4	63.8	$9,309	$1,204	$8,105
West Middle	Public	6-8	129 NC Hwy 109S	Mount Gilead	27306	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 572-9378	309	22	14.0	72.2%	146 (47.2%)	77 (24.9%)	48 (15.5%)	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	28 (9.1%)	33.9	540^th of 793 public middle schools	31.9%		35	511^th of 784 public middle schools	34.8%	29	48.2	46.0	30.8	29.1	50.4	36.4	58.9	$10,822	$825	$9,997
Elise Middle	Public	6-8	180 W Elm St	Robbins	27325	Moore County	Moore County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 948-2421	214	18	11.7	81.3%	71 (33.2%)	26 (12.1%)	111 (51.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.3%)	44.9	438^th of 793 public middle schools	44.8%		26.5	594^th of 784 public middle schools	24.2%	156	64.5	52.6	43.1	35.5	29.8	40.3	75.0	$12,902	$1,764	$11,138
West Pine Middle	Public	6-8	144 Archie Road	West End	27376	Moore County	Moore County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 673-1464	688	41	16.9	27.9%	494 (71.8%)	56 (8.1%)	83 (12.1%)	13 (1.9%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (5.5%)	88	78^th of 793 public middle schools	90.2%		88.5	75^th of 784 public middle schools	90.4%	3	72.9	67.8	72.3	72.3	64.9	74.1	91.2	$8,445	$445	$8,000
Ellerbe Middle	Public	6-8	128 W Ballard Street	Ellerbe	28338	Richmond County	Richmond County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 582-7925	212	15	13.9	98.6%	78 (36.8%)	52 (24.5%)	55 (25.9%)	5 (2.4%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.0%)	46.4	426^th of 793 public middle schools	46.3%		41.8	440^th of 784 public middle schools	43.9%	14	64.8	45.1	23.9	48.1	45.1	40.8	80.3	$10,518	$2,016	$8,502

East Middle

East Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Montgomery County Schools:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for East Middle

Rank History for all students at East Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at East Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at East Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at East Middle

Rank History for Female students at East Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at East Middle

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at East Middle

Rank History for Male students at East Middle

Rank History for African American students at East Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at East Middle

Rank History for White students at East Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for East Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at East Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio East Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for East Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on East Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near East Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about East Middle

Rate East Middle!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!