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#1563 of 2,648 schools in NC

A L Stanback Middle

Middle School · Orange County Schools · Hillsborough, NC

An Orange County Schools middle school where students score 9 points below what's typical for similar communities.

3700 NC 86 South, Hillsborough, NC 27278

  • Math 51% vs NC 54% (2025)
  • Reading 49% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress4.5Below Average40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.99 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics5.4Average35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency51.2% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency49.1% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg-6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-3.1 pts
Overall Proficiency50% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)59% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-8.9 pts
Adjusted Percentile36th
Resources & Environment8.8Excellent25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13.9:1
District spending per student$14,399
Chronic Absenteeism27%

Students at A L Stanback Middle score 50% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 59%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency51%(2025 NC)
School
State
54%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency49%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 17 points since 2020, reaching 50% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
82%
ELA
69%
2010
Math
81%
ELA
72%
2011
Math
85%
ELA
75%
2012
Math
39%
ELA
51%
2013
Math
38%
ELA
50%
2014
Math
44%
ELA
49%
2015
Math
47%
ELA
45%
2016
Math
47%
ELA
47%
2017
Math
54%
ELA
51%
2018
Math
44%
ELA
45%
2019
Math
44%
ELA
45%
2020*
Math
27%
ELA
39%
2021*
Math
27%
ELA
39%
2022
Math
44%
ELA
42%
2025
Math
51%
ELA
49%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 50% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 51% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 36 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

58.4%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where A L Stanback Middle sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 4Car-Dependent
  • Bike 13Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,904/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Hillsborough), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$101,821

Median home value

$380,000

Median rent

$1,294/mo

College educated

53.8%

Homeownership

77.3%

Poverty rate

7.3%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27278; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Emerson Waldorf SchoolPrivate · tuition7.0privatePK–122.8 mi233Compare →
Carolina Friends SchoolPrivate · tuition7.7privatePK–123.3 mi473Compare →
Orange MiddleEnrollment path unverified6.76–84.4 mi529Compare →
Gravelly Hill MiddleEnrollment path unverified5.36–8Not available415Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Orange County Schools

Schools in district
13
Rank in district
#8 of 13
District spending per student
$14,399NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

A L Stanback Middle is listed in Orange County Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About A L Stanback Middle

A L Stanback Middle is a public middle school in Hillsborough, NC, part of Orange County Schools, serving approximately 625 students in grades 6th-8th with a 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 5.9 out of 10 and ranks #1,563 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 50% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 51% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

What's said publicly about A L Stanback Middle

Sources:School's websiteWayback Machine

Synthesized from public, attributable sources. Updated April 2026.Reviewed for accuracy.

A.L. Stanback Middle School is located at 3700 NC 86 South in Hillsborough, North Carolina 2. Dr. Jalen M. Brown serves as the principal 2. The school's mascot is the Bulldogs, and its student athletes are referred to as Dragonflies 2. Stacy Noren was named the A.L. Stanback Middle School Teacher of the Year for the 2026-27 academic year 1. The school serves rising 6th-grade students and hosts transition events, such as a Middle School 101 orientation held in August 2024 12. Administrative changes within the Orange County Schools district include the Board of Education approving new hires and assignments for administrators in April 2026 1. Additionally, the district's Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Julie Pack, completed the NCSSA Aspiring Superintendents Program Cohort X in 2026 1.
Sources (2)
  1. www.orangecountyfirst.com
  2. web.archive.org
Generated by AI from public sources. Every claim is grounded in a cited source.Report inaccuracy

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about A L Stanback Middle

What grades does A L Stanback Middle serve?

A L Stanback Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend A L Stanback Middle?

A L Stanback Middle has an enrollment of approximately 625 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at A L Stanback Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at A L Stanback Middle is 13.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does A L Stanback Middle rank in NC?

A L Stanback Middle ranks #1,563 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is A L Stanback Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

A L Stanback Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.9 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at A L Stanback Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, A L Stanback Middle has 50% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 51% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is A L Stanback Middle a charter school?

No, A L Stanback Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is A L Stanback Middle a Title I school?

No, A L Stanback Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for A L Stanback Middle?

58.4% of students at A L Stanback Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
625
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
45
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Orange County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
27.0%
Area population (ZIP 27278)
28,546
Area average commute
27.2 min
Area median age
44.9
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 27278; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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