The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Math. The lowest is 26% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Williston Middle
Williston Middle serves a student body that is predominantly economically disadvantaged and racially diverse: almost all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is split between Black and Hispanic students, with smaller white and multiracial populations. The school sits within New Hanover County Schools in Wilmington, a mid-sized coastal city anchored by healthcare, UNCW, and a growing fintech sector, where a sustained building boom has driven up housing costs and is reshaping the region's character.
The school's most recent state test results reflect significant academic challenges. In math, the proficiency rate sits well below halfway. English language arts proficiency is even lower. Science proficiency is similarly low. The school's core academic performance indicates that substantial majorities of students are not reaching grade-level proficiency in the tested subjects, and a parent considering Williston should understand that it is not currently a strong-performing school by state testing measures. State testing at the middle grades covers these core subjects only; no information on other curricular areas, programming, or school culture was available to review. The comparison data available does not provide a meaningful reference point, as the proficiency metrics needed to place the school against other county districts were not calculable with the data on hand.
With about 200 students per grade across sixth through eighth, the school is a typical middle-sized middle school. Almost no students are learning English as an additional language according to the data reported, though the very high free-lunch rate and racial composition suggest the student body includes many living in low-income households. Special education enrollment data was not available. The school operates as a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation.
Williston sits at 401 S. 10th Street in downtown Wilmington, placing it in the walkable historic core near the Riverwalk and downtown retail and civic institutions, rather than in one of the outlying suburban campuses. Wilmington itself is a mixed character: a genuine functioning downtown with galleries, restaurants, and riverfront activity alongside sprawling suburban development, with a regional economy in growth mode but facing pressure on housing affordability as population expands into neighboring counties. The school's urban location contrasts with the auto-oriented character of much of the broader metro area.
The New Hanover County Schools district is currently preparing for a facilities bond referendum scheduled for November 2026, which would fund replacement of the middle school currently serving the area (Trask Middle) along with renovation of nearly every school in the county, and the outcome will affect facility conditions and property-tax burden for residents over the next decade. The board has also voted to incorporate the history of the Freeman family and the Seabreeze Resort, a historically Black coastal resort near Carolina Beach, into the curriculum through live oral history recordings, embedding local African American heritage into classroom instruction. A parent may want to look into the school's student supports, intervention structure, and any recent changes in academic programming or staffing, as such low proficiency rates often indicate where closer partnership between school and home can matter most.
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