The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Science. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mineral Springs Middle
Mineral Springs Middle is a regular middle school serving grades six through eight in Winston-Salem, located on Ogburn Avenue in the 27105 zip code. The school serves roughly the middle-school-sized enrollment typical of its grade band, split fairly evenly across the three grades.
The student body is composed predominantly of Hispanic and Black students, with a small white population and minimal Asian enrollment. Nearly all students—approaching universal participation—qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a predominantly low-income enrollment. The school does not report counts for students with individualized education plans or English learners, so a parent seeking those specifics would need to contact the school directly.
State testing results from the most recent year show proficiency rates well below typical benchmarks across all tested subjects. In math, about one in six students scored at or above proficiency; in English language arts, about one in five reached that threshold. Science proficiency, though higher, still sits below one in four. These numbers reflect the academic challenges students at this school face. A parent evaluating whether this school is academically strong would find the data confirms it is not, relative to state standards. The school operates within Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools, a mid-sized district covering the city and surrounding areas.
Winston-Salem itself is a mid-sized North Carolina city that reversed decades of population decline beginning in the early 2000s. The city centers around a compact, walkable downtown with mixed-use districts, a revitalized Innovation Quarter built on former tobacco-warehouse land, and anchors including Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Wake Forest University, and Winston-Salem State University. The broader metro area includes a substantial industrial and manufacturing base alongside healthcare, financial services, and research institutions.
The housing market in the 27105 area reflects moderate affordability relative to national benchmarks, with median home values below the state average. Rents are modest by contemporary standards. The economic context locally shows a stable unemployment rate and median household income above national figures. The district itself is the 81st-largest school district in the United States, serving a diverse and economically mixed set of communities.
Recent district developments include postponement in 2022 of three major bond projects—a new Smith Farm middle school and expansions to Griffith and Ward elementary schools—due to construction-cost inflation. The county later provided additional funding in 2023 to preserve the remaining bond projects without a tax-rate increase, and commissioners have signaled a potential bond referendum in 2028 under their debt-leveling plan. Additionally, the district has adopted a modified academic calendar, with school years beginning in mid-August rather than the state statutory start date, and ending in late May, a schedule change that affects childcare planning and program calendars.
For a family considering Mineral Springs Middle, the picture is a school serving a predominantly low-income, Hispanic and Black student population with substantial academic gaps relative to state proficiency targets. Strong academic performance is not a feature here. The school is situated in a reviving urban center with real assets—downtown vitality, healthcare anchors, and transit—but also in a neighborhood context where the high free-lunch rate signals concentrated economic disadvantage. A parent drawn to this school would likely be choosing it because of attendance assignment or proximity rather than program strength. Understanding the academic baseline and peer composition, and exploring available supports or targeted programming, would be important steps before enrollment.
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