The top reported proficiency rate is 81% in Math. The lowest is 72% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Charles P Murray Middle
Charles P. Murray Middle serves grades six through eight in Wilmington, North Carolina, as a regular public middle school within New Hanover County Schools. The school sits in a growing coastal metropolitan area undergoing sustained residential and commercial expansion, where families are increasingly contending with rising housing costs and traffic.
The enrollment is balanced across the three grade levels, with roughly similar cohorts in each year. Just over one-third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial students; enrollment data on English learners and special education were not available.
On the most recent state assessments, proficiency results show the school performing solidly in math, with a clear majority of students proficient or above. Science proficiency is similarly high. English language arts proficiency, while respectable, runs somewhat lower than the two other subjects tested. These are point-in-time results on North Carolina's End-of-Grade tests; multi-year trend data were not available, so growth patterns cannot be characterized. The school tested large cohorts in math and ELA but a smaller group in science, which may reflect the grade span and testing requirements.
Wilmington itself is a port city with a compact, walkable historic downtown along the Cape Fear River, anchored by museums, galleries, restaurants, and the Riverwalk. Beyond the downtown core and immediate beach areas, daily life is car-dependent. The broader region is home to a mix of employers: the large Novant Health medical center, UNCW and its enrollment, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, fintech firms including the publicly reported nCino, Corning, and port and film production activity. Median home values in the area have risen substantially, and housing affordability has become a significant resident concern. Population growth from the Wilmington metro has begun pushing outward into surrounding counties, particularly into Brunswick County, which is among the fastest-growing in the state.
Within New Hanover County Schools, a major school facilities bond referendum is headed to the November ballot that would fund replacement of two school buildings, construction of a new elementary school in the Riverlights development area, and upgrades to New Hanover High School, with an external endowment grant contingent on passage to help offset property-tax impact. The district has also recently adopted stricter cell phone policies aimed at limiting cyberbullying and student privacy violations, and has voted to incorporate the history of the Freeman family and the Seabreeze Resort, a historically Black resort near Carolina Beach during the Jim Crow era, into the curriculum through oral history materials. These curricular and policy moves shape the everyday culture and values students encounter.
No comparison data positioning Charles P. Murray against other middle schools in the county was available, as the county's middle school cohort was too small for that analysis. Program offerings, staffing, attendance rates, and special population counts for the school itself were not provided. State graduation data do not apply to a middle school. A parent may want to contact the school directly to learn more about course offerings, clubs, athletics, and counseling services, as well as to discuss any particular student needs.
See more original research from School Decision →