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Average

#1158 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 44% in state

Orange Middle

Middle School · Orange County Schools · Hillsborough, NC

An Orange County Schools middle school serving grades 6th – 8th.

308 Orange High Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278

  • Math 62% vs NC 54% (2025)
  • Reading 61% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.5Average40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.74 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics7.0Very Good35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency62.1% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency61.2% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+4.9 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+9 pts
Overall Proficiency62% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)65% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-2.9 pts
Adjusted Percentile56th
Resources & Environment8.2Excellent25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15.6:1
District spending per student$14,399
Chronic Absenteeism21.7%

Students at Orange Middle score 62% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 65%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency62%(2025 NC)
School
State
54%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency61%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 18 points since 2020, reaching 62% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
85%
ELA
81%
2010
Math
85%
ELA
79%
2011
Math
86%
ELA
82%
2012
Math
48%
ELA
57%
2013
Math
46%
ELA
59%
2014
Math
49%
ELA
59%
2015
Math
55%
ELA
56%
2016
Math
59%
ELA
58%
2017
Math
53%
ELA
58%
2018
Math
49%
ELA
52%
2019
Math
49%
ELA
52%
2020*
Math
38%
ELA
49%
2021*
Math
38%
ELA
49%
2022
Math
55%
ELA
49%
2025
Math
62%
ELA
61%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 60% (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

40.5%

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 Orange 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 11Car-Dependent
  • Bike 23Somewhat 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

3 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Eno River AcademyCharter · enrollment unverified8.1K–121.1 mi810Compare →
A L Stanback MiddleEnrollment path unverified5.96–84.4 mi625Compare →
Gravelly Hill MiddleEnrollment path unverified5.36–8Not available415Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

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

Orange County Schools

Schools in district
13
Rank in district
#7 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

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

About Orange Middle

Orange Middle is a public middle school in Hillsborough, NC, part of Orange County Schools, serving approximately 529 students in grades 6th-8th with a 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 6.7 out of 10 and ranks #1,158 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 60% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Orange Middle

What grades does Orange Middle serve?

Orange Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Orange Middle?

Orange Middle has an enrollment of approximately 529 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Orange Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Orange Middle is 15.6:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Orange Middle rank in NC?

Orange Middle ranks #1,158 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Orange Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Orange Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.7 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 Orange Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Orange Middle has 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 60% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Orange Middle a charter school?

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

Is Orange Middle a Title I school?

No, Orange Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Orange Middle?

40.5% of students at Orange 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
529
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.6:1
Teachers (FTE)
34
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Town
County
Orange County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
21.7%
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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