The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Math. The lowest is 33% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Brogden Middle
Brogden Middle serves grades five through eight in Dudley, an unincorporated rural community about nine miles south of Goldsboro in Wayne County's Coastal Plain. The school sits on a stand-alone campus along US 117, in a landscape of farmland and scattered residences rather than a town center. Dudley itself has no downtown or walkable core; residents commute to Goldsboro or Mount Olive for shopping, dining, and most services. The area is in active growth, with new residential subdivisions marketed to families seeking proximity to Goldsboro, nearby Princeton, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
The school's enrollment is small to mid-sized for its grade band, with substantial growth across the grades five through eight span. The student body is overwhelmingly economically disadvantaged: nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Demographic composition reflects the broader agricultural and immigrant character of the region, with a majority of students identified as Hispanic, followed by a substantial share of Black students, and smaller numbers of white, multiracial, and Asian students.
State assessment results show academic proficiency below the midpoint. In mathematics, about four in ten students scored proficient or above on the End-of-Grade test. In English language arts, about three in ten reached proficiency. Science proficiency, measured on a newly redesigned assessment, sits just above three in ten students. These are low results by any measure. The science assessment and its cut scores changed this year, so trend comparisons are not yet available.
The school's data files do not include breakdowns by race, ethnicity, or other subgroups; student counts for English learners and students with IEPs are not publicly reported. Chronic absenteeism, attendance, discipline, and course-access information were not available. The absence of these details means a parent should speak directly with the school about student support services, specialized programming, and what academic interventions are in place for students working below grade level.
Brogden Middle is one school within Wayne County Public Schools, a district that approved significant facilities consolidation in early 2024, taking effect in August of that year. The plan reshuffled students and programs across multiple campuses in Goldsboro and surrounding areas to reduce operational costs. Brogden Middle itself was not directly affected by those moves, but the district context reflects a period of structural change and facility optimization across the county's schools.
Housing in the Dudley area is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, with home values well below the state average and mortgages accessible to families with moderate incomes. The region's economy is anchored by Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, county schools and government, UNC Health Wayne, agricultural production, and food processing. Unemployment sits near the national average, and median household income is in the mid-range for the state.
A parent considering Brogden Middle should understand that the school serves a highly economically stressed, largely Hispanic and Black student body in a rural setting with limited onsite amenities. Proficiency results are substantially below state averages across all tested subjects. The school's program offerings, student support systems, and strategic response to low achievement would benefit from direct conversation with school leadership. The growth in the Dudley area may also be relevant to families deciding whether to move into or remain in the community.
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