Top Rankings
Durham School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 15 public middle schools serving 8,335 students in Durham School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in North Carolina.
Public Middle Schools in Durham School District have an average math proficiency score of 38% (versus the North Carolina public middle school average of 48%), and reading proficiency score of 45% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 79% of the student body (majority Black and Hispanic), which is more than the North Carolina public middle school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
57 Schools
882 Schools
# Students
31,339 Students
494,023 Students
# Teachers
2,341 Teachers
31,644 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1
District Rank
Durham School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 84% has increased from 81% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#214 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
42%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
44%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
56%
63%
Graduation Rate
84%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.70
0.71
# American Indian Students
41 Students
5,633 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
661 Students
19,933 Students
% Asian Students
2%
4%
# Hispanic Students
10,975 Students
98,873 Students
% Hispanic Students
35%
20%
# Black Students
11,645 Students
122,407 Students
% Black Students
37%
25%
# White Students
6,128 Students
215,701 Students
% White Students
20%
44%
# Hawaiian Students
20 Students
646 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
1,869 Students
30,848 Students
% of Two or more races Students
6%
6%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
438
1,882
# Students in K Grade:
2,232
16,660
# Students in 1st Grade:
2,248
16,806
# Students in 2nd Grade:
2,407
17,050
# Students in 3rd Grade:
2,239
16,530
# Students in 4th Grade:
2,254
16,849
# Students in 5th Grade:
2,289
19,618
# Students in 6th Grade:
2,104
111,560
# Students in 7th Grade:
2,127
116,793
# Students in 8th Grade:
2,200
119,029
# Students in 9th Grade:
3,314
12,380
# Students in 10th Grade:
2,761
10,877
# Students in 11th Grade:
2,532
9,420
# Students in 12th Grade:
2,194
8,569
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $14,541 is higher than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,270 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$456 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$447 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$14,541
$11,187
Spending / Student
$14,270
$11,612
Best Durham School District Public Middle Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Lakewood Montessori Middle School
Magnet School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 78%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
2119 Chapel Hill Rd
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 560-2894
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 560-2894
Grades: 6-8
| 303 students
Rank: #22.
Durham School Of The Arts
Magnet School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 73%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
401 North Duke Street
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 560-3926
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 560-3926
Grades: 6-12
| 1,767 students
Rank: #33.
Rogers-herr Middle School
Magnet School
(Math: 62% | Reading: 67%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
911 Cornwallis Road
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 560-3970
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 560-3970
Grades: 6-8
| 631 students
Rank: #44.
Dps Hospital School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50% )
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
Dumc Room 3605
Durham, NC 27710
(919) 684-5684
Durham, NC 27710
(919) 684-5684
Grades: PK-12
| n/a students
Rank: #55.
Little River K-8 School
(Math: 48% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
2315 Snow Hill Road
Durham, NC 27712
(919) 560-3940
Durham, NC 27712
(919) 560-3940
Grades: PK-8
| 308 students
Rank: #66.
Sherwood Githens Middle School
(Math: 43% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
4800 Chapel Hill Road
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 560-3966
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 560-3966
Grades: 6-8
| 811 students
Rank: #77.
James E Shepard Middle School
Magnet School
(Math: 43% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
2401 Dakota Street
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 560-3938
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 560-3938
Grades: 6-8
| 400 students
Rank: #88.
The School For Creative Studies
Magnet School
(Math: 28% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
5001 Red Mill Rd
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-3535
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-3535
Grades: 6-12
| 438 students
Rank: #99.
George L Carrington Middle School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
227 Milton Road
Durham, NC 27712
(919) 560-3916
Durham, NC 27712
(919) 560-3916
Grades: 6-8
| 738 students
Rank: #1010.
Ignite Online Academy
(Math: 19% | Reading: 42%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
5321 Ephesus Church Rd.
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 972-4400
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 972-4400
Grades: K-12
| 369 students
Rank: #1111.
Lucas Middle School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 36%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
923 Snow Hill Road
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-3843
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-3843
Grades: 6-8
| 413 students
Rank: #1212.
Lowe's Grove Middle School
Magnet School
(Math: 19% | Reading: 32%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
4418 S Alston Avenue
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 560-3946
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 560-3946
Grades: 6-8
| 624 students
Rank: #1313.
Brogden Middle School
(Math: 25% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
1001 Leon Street
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-3906
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-3906
Grades: 6-8
| 693 students
Rank: #1414.
Neal Middle School
Magnet School
(Math: 15% | Reading: 26%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
201 Baptist Road
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-3955
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-3955
Grades: 6-8
| 770 students
Rank: #1515.
Lakeview School
Alternative School
(Math: 6-9% | Reading: ≤5%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
3507 Dearborn Drive
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-2520
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 560-2520
Grades: 6-12
| 70 students
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