The top reported proficiency rate is 11% in Science. The lowest is 9% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Howard Learning Academy
Howard Learning Academy is a small alternative middle school serving grades six through eight within Cumberland County Schools. It sits in Fayetteville, a mid-sized military-adjacent city anchored by Fort Liberty and shaped by the steady churn of military families, defense contractors, and a growing regional economy. The school enrolls a small cohort of students, with enrollment concentrated evenly across grades six, seven, and eight.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Special-population enrollment data were not available, so a parent may want to reach out to the school directly to understand how it serves students with IEPs or English learners, if that is relevant to their family. The school's alternative designation means it operates outside the traditional comprehensive-school model, typically serving students who have struggled in mainstream settings or who benefit from a different pedagogical or structural approach. The specifics of Howard Learning Academy's alternative design—whether that means smaller classes, personalized learning plans, project-based instruction, a focus on re-engagement, or other features—are not detailed in available sources, so a family considering enrollment should ask the school about its philosophy and daily operation directly.
On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, proficiency results were quite low. In English language arts, a small fraction of students met proficiency. In mathematics, the proficiency rate was at or near zero. Science proficiency was similarly very low. These figures are substantially below typical performance, even accounting for the fact that alternative schools often serve higher-need populations. A parent weighing this school should understand that the students here are achieving at a significantly depressed level on state tests, and should ask the school what support and intervention strategies are in place, what the trajectory of student growth looks like, and how the school measures success beyond state testing if it does so.
Comparison data positioning Howard Learning Academy against other schools in Cumberland County were not computed because the school's enrollment and performance profile do not fit standard comparison cohorts. This reflects the nature of the school itself—very small, alternative serving, not easily grouped with comprehensive middle schools for benchmarking.
Cumberland County Schools is currently navigating a major facilities restructuring driven by a large backlog of building repair needs. The district approved school closures and consolidations that have begun reshaping attendance zones and school communities. This context is worth understanding: the district is under fiscal pressure after pandemic relief funding ended, and families are weighing choices in an environment of change. For families considering Howard Learning Academy, questions about the school's sustainability and any plans affecting its operations in coming years would be prudent.
The broader Fayetteville housing market shows modest appreciation and rents are stable relative to regional income. The median home price in the zip code where Howard Learning Academy sits is moderate, and rents are manageable for many households, though the community has identified affordable housing as a top concern. Employment is diversified across defense, healthcare, education, and logistics, with Fort Liberty remaining the largest single employer.
A family considering Howard Learning Academy should treat the school as a deliberate choice for a particular kind of learning environment and student population, not as a default or comprehensive-school alternative. The academic proficiency numbers are a serious signal worth discussing with school staff in detail. The small enrollment size means highly personalized attention but also limited peer diversity within grade levels, which may suit some families and not others. Ask what the theory of change is, how students transition back to comprehensive schools if that is the goal, and what recent results look like for student growth over time.
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