The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Science. The lowest is 59% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Shallotte Middle
Shallotte Middle serves the middle grades in a small coastal North Carolina town experiencing rapid suburban growth. The school enrolls a student body of mixed economic and ethnic composition, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and a population that is roughly evenly divided between white students, Hispanic students, and students of other backgrounds. The enrollment across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades is roughly balanced, with slightly more students in the upper grades.
On state End-of-Grade tests administered in 2024-25, the school's proficiency rates fall in the low-to-mid range. In mathematics, about three-fifths of students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, the rate was slightly lower, at about three-fifths as well. In science, proficiency was about the same as in mathematics. These results indicate that a meaningful share of students are meeting grade-level standards, but a substantial share are not, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school—specifically, what supports exist for students who are below proficiency and what the school's approach is to moving more students into proficiency over time.
The district, Brunswick County Schools, is in a state of significant change. The county has been one of the fastest-growing in North Carolina, and elementary schools are already operating at high capacity with all schools projected to exceed capacity within the next decade. To address this growth, voters will decide in November 2026 on a major school bond referendum that would fund a new elementary school, a new high school, and renovations to existing facilities. If the referendum passes, the district will invest substantially in infrastructure and class-size management. If it fails, the next opportunity for a bond does not arrive until 2028, which would leave the district managing growth through existing and crowded facilities—a meaningful detail for any family considering moving to the area.
At the district level, leadership has adopted a 2024-2029 strategic plan committing to standardized curricula across all state-tested subjects and a substantial expansion of work-based learning opportunities, with internships, apprenticeships, and college partnerships. The district also recently paused a planned shift to standards-based grading after parent and teacher concern, preserving the traditional 0-100 grading scale that families use for honor roll, GPA, and college applications.
Shallotte itself is a small mixed commercial-and-residential town with a downtown core anchored by the Shallotte River and a civic campus of parks and public spaces. The town functions as a commercial hub for the surrounding beach communities and is in the early phase of a growth boom, with new retail, housing subdivisions approved or under way, and town investments in riverfront parks. Employment in the area centers on retail trade, health care, and construction. The town is car-oriented, though recent developments along the riverfront have aimed to create walkable gathering spaces. No fixed-route public transit serves the area.
Data on special education enrollment, English learner identification, chronic absenteeism, and discipline were not available for this school, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about these elements to get a fuller picture of school environment and support systems.
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