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Below Average

#2370 of 2,648 schools in NC

Southwest Middle

Middle School · Onslow County Schools · Jacksonville, NC

An Onslow County Schools middle school where students score 16 points below what's typical for similar communities.

3000 Furia Dr, Jacksonville, NC 28540

  • Math 35% vs NC 54% (2025)
  • Reading 48% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 16.2:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress3.8Needs Improvement40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-2.14 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics4.0Below Average35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency35% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency47.9% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg-22.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-4.3 pts
Overall Proficiency41% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)57% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-15.7 pts
Adjusted Percentile20th
Resources & Environment4.2Below Average25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.2:1
District spending per student$11,056
Chronic Absenteeism33.7%

Students at Southwest Middle score 41% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 57%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency35%(2025 NC)
School
State
54%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency48%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 10 points since 2020, reaching 42% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
78%
ELA
65%
2010
Math
81%
ELA
68%
2011
Math
80%
ELA
70%
2012
Math
29%
ELA
43%
2013
Math
30%
ELA
44%
2014
Math
26%
ELA
39%
2015
Math
27%
ELA
40%
2016
Math
27%
ELA
38%
2017
Math
31%
ELA
42%
2018
Math
26%
ELA
41%
2019
Math
26%
ELA
41%
2020*
Math
22%
ELA
42%
2021*
Math
22%
ELA
42%
2022
Math
30%
ELA
44%
2025
Math
35%
ELA
48%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 38% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 47% (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

64.6%

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 Southwest 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 5Car-Dependent
  • Bike 34Somewhat Bikeable
  • County Safety: Elevated770/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. A newer release may be available.

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

Median income

$61,462

Median home value

$201,700

Median rent

$1,014/mo

College educated

23%

Homeownership

59.1%

Poverty rate

15.2%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28540; 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
One World Montessori LlcPrivate · tuition5.5privatePK–91.5 mi53Compare →
Onslow Virtual SchoolEnrollment path unverified5.4K–121.7 mi484Compare →
New Bridge MiddleEnrollment path unverified7.26–83.0 mi461Compare →
Northwoods Park MiddleEnrollment path unverified5.26–83.1 mi643Compare →

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.

Onslow County Schools

Schools in district
39
Rank in district
#38 of 39
District spending per student
$11,056NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
15.0%Census SAIPE · 2024

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

About Southwest Middle

Southwest Middle is a public middle school in Jacksonville, NC, part of Onslow County Schools, serving approximately 520 students in grades 6th-8th with a 16.2:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.0 out of 10 and ranks #2,370 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 38% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 47% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Southwest Middle

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 #2,370 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Southwest Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Southwest Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.0 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 38% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 47% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

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

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
520
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
32
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize Suburb
County
Onslow County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
33.7%
Area population (ZIP 28540)
50,808
Area average commute
23.2 min
Area median age
29
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 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, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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