The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Science. The lowest is 50% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Forbush Middle
Forbush Middle sits in rural Yadkin County, a consolidated middle school serving grades six through eight from a catchment that extends across several elementary feeder patterns in the region. The school enrolls a moderately sized population with a diverse student body: a substantial majority identifies as white, with a significant Latino population, and smaller numbers of Black and multiracial students. More than half the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a working-family community where economic support matters.
The most recent state test results show Forbush performing below the state midline in core academic areas. In math, roughly half the students scored at proficient level or above on the End-of-Grade test. English language arts performed similarly, with just over half meeting proficiency. Science showed a stronger result, with a clear majority reaching proficiency, though the science test underwent recent scoring changes that affect year-to-year comparison. The pattern across these results suggests uneven academic strength, with reading and mathematics as areas where more students fall below proficient and science representing a relative bright spot. A parent considering this school should ask directly what supports are in place for students working below grade level, especially in foundational literacy and numeracy, and what the school's specific action plans are to build momentum in math and reading.
East Bend, where the school draws its name and many of its students, is a small Piedmont Triad town with a bedroom-community character. The downtown centers on a compact Main Street with a town square and a few restaurants, but the school itself sits on a rural road several miles south of town, outside the civic core. This reflects a county pattern where five elementary schools feed into Forbush Middle and then into Forbush High School. The broader county has rejected a sales tax measure four times in recent years that would have dedicated revenue to school capital needs; facility improvements currently rely on state aid and county property tax dollars. In 2025 the county did secure financing for energy-efficient lighting and HVAC upgrades across its schools, a modest but real step toward modernizing school buildings during this constrained-revenue period.
Housing in the East Bend area remains affordable relative to the state and nation, with a median home value somewhat below the state median, and monthly carrying costs for a typical home within reach of working families. The town itself has grown only slowly in recent decades, remaining car-dependent with limited pedestrian or transit infrastructure. Most residents own homes and drive to work, many commuting to Winston-Salem.
Discipline data, attendance records, special-education enrollment, and English-learner counts were not available for this school, so a parent cannot see how the school manages behavior, tracks chronic absenteeism, or serves students with disabilities and language-learner needs from the data at hand. Staffing information and course-level details were likewise not provided. A visit to the school and direct conversation with administrators would fill these gaps and help a family understand the day-to-day culture, teacher stability, and academic pathways the school offers in its middle-grade years.
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