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Below Average

#2246 of 2,648 schools in NC

Wendell Middle

Middle School · Wake County Schools · Wendell, NC

A Wake County Schools middle school where students score 17 points below what's typical for similar communities.

3409 NC Highway 97, Wendell, NC 27591

  • Math 36% vs NC 54% (2025)
  • Reading 42% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress3.9Needs Improvement40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-2.13 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics3.6Needs Improvement35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency35.5% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency41.6% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg-21.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-10.6 pts
Overall Proficiency39% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)55% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-16.6 pts
Adjusted Percentile17th
Resources & Environment6.3Average25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13.9:1
District spending per student$11,691
Chronic Absenteeism33.9%

Students at Wendell Middle score 39% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 55%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency36%(2025 NC)
School
State
54%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency42%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 9 points since 2020, reaching 39% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
78%
ELA
67%
2010
Math
79%
ELA
66%
2011
Math
82%
ELA
67%
2012
Math
22%
ELA
32%
2013
Math
23%
ELA
32%
2014
Math
28%
ELA
31%
2015
Math
28%
ELA
33%
2016
Math
24%
ELA
33%
2017
Math
26%
ELA
34%
2018
Math
18%
ELA
37%
2019
Math
18%
ELA
37%
2020*
Math
21%
ELA
39%
2021*
Math
21%
ELA
39%
2022
Math
30%
ELA
45%
2025
Math
36%
ELA
42%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 36% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 42% (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

71%

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 Wendell Middle sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Raleigh map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 11Car-Dependent
  • Bike 27Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: Elevated1,228/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Wendell), 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

$76,710

Median home value

$288,100

Median rent

$1,280/mo

College educated

30.7%

Homeownership

76.3%

Poverty rate

6.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27591; 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
Heritage Christian AcademyPrivate · tuition7.9privatePK–123.8 mi101Compare →
Zebulon MiddleEnrollment path unverified5.36–84.9 mi714Compare →
Apex Friendship MiddleEnrollment path unverified8.66–8Not available1,392Compare →
Carnage MiddleEnrollment path unverified8.56–8Not available878Compare →

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.

Wake County Schools

Schools in district
197
Rank in district
#172 of 194
District spending per student
$11,691NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.5%Census SAIPE · 2024

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

About Wendell Middle

Wendell Middle is a public middle school in Wendell, NC, part of Wake County Schools, serving approximately 711 students in grades 6th-8th with a 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.4 out of 10 and ranks #2,246 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 36% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Wendell Middle

What grades does Wendell Middle serve?

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

How many students attend Wendell Middle?

Wendell Middle has an enrollment of approximately 711 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Wendell Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Wendell 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 Wendell Middle rank in NC?

Wendell Middle ranks #2,246 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Wendell Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Wendell Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.4 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 Wendell Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Wendell Middle has 36% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Wendell Middle a charter school?

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

Is Wendell Middle a Title I school?

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

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

71.0% of students at Wendell 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
711
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
51
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Wake County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
33.9%
Area population (ZIP 27591)
26,745
Area average commute
31.4 min
Area median age
40.2
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 27591; 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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