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Public middle school · Onslow County Schools · Jacksonville, North Carolina

Southwest Middle

Southwest Middle rates 5.1, below most Onslow County Schools middle schools, whose rated median is 6.0.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.1this school

5.1 on a one-to-ten scale; the Onslow County Schools median is 6.0.

#2,118 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina · Onslow County Schools: 8 middle schools rated, median 6.0

The brief

An Onslow County Schools middle school where students score 23 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 2,118 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 34 of 39 in Onslow County Schools.

Southwest Middle is listed in Onslow County Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math33%24 points below the North Carolina average of 57%2026 NC
Reading46%10 points below the North Carolina average of 56%2026 NC
In 2026, 33% of students were proficient in math and 46% in reading, against North Carolina averages of 57% and 56%.2026 NC; 60 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.7
40% of the rating
Academics
2.9
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.2
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

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

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 35% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 45% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

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 · 2026 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 · 2026 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)
State assessments · 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 28540; 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, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Southwest Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$61,462
Median home value
$201,700
Median rent
$1,014/mo
College educated
23%
Homeownership
59.1%
Poverty rate
15.2%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28540; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
5
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
34
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,951/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Jacksonville. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Jacksonville), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
64.6%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 6.2Compare →
  2. 6.1Compare →
  3. Southwest Middlethis school
    5.1
  4. 4.3Compare →
Three grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and two rate higher than Southwest Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Southwest Middle serve?

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

How many students attend Southwest Middle?

Southwest Middle has an enrollment of approximately 520 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle is 16.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Southwest Middle rank in NC?

Southwest Middle ranks #2,118 of 2,660 schools in NC.

What is Southwest Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Southwest Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.1 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 Southwest Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Southwest Middle has 35% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 45% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Southwest Middle a charter school?

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

Is Southwest Middle a Title I school?

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

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

64.6% of students at Southwest 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 facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
520
Student-teacher ratio
16.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
32
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize Suburb
County
Onslow County
Rank in district
#34 of 39
Schools in district
39
District spending per student
$11,056
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
15.0%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 28540)
50,808
Area average commute
23.2 min
Area median age
29

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.