North Myrtle Beach Middle, Little River SC

Original Research by School Decision on North Myrtle Beach Middle

North Myrtle Beach Middle School serves grades six through eight in Horry County, part of the Horry 01 district. The school sits on Highway 90 in Little River, an unincorporated census-designated place just inland from the coast. Little River retains the feel of a historic fishing village, with waterfront businesses, marinas, and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway shaping its character. The area has grown steadily in recent decades, and the built environment is a mix of housing developments and natural spaces like swamps and pine forests. Commuting and driving are the norm across this roughly ten-square-mile area, since there is no traditional downtown core.

The middle school itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it enrolls a substantial number of students for its grade band. A little over half of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a typical marker of income diversity in a school this size. The student population is predominantly white, with noticeable shares of Black and Hispanic students and a smaller proportion of students who identify as two or more races. Asian, Native American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students each make up a very small slice of the enrollment. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support structures.

State test results give a mixed but largely solid picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates across all three grades land comfortably above the midpoint, with the highest share of students meeting the standard in eighth grade. Science results for sixth graders follow a similar pattern, with a clear majority scoring proficient or above. Math scores are softer. In sixth and eighth grades, roughly half of students reached proficiency, and the seventh-grade rate fell below that mark. Social studies data is older, coming from before the pandemic, and used a different cut-score standard, so it is not directly comparable to today's performance. The state changed its cut scores for ELA and science tests in the most recent year, which means a direct comparison with prior results is not reliable. A parent looking for clear academic trends will have to wait a few years for a consistent measurement.

The school's location in Horry County places it within a region that has seen strong housing demand. Home values in the area are near the statewide benchmark, and rents have risen modestly. For a family considering a move, the neighborhood is more affordable than the national median, though mortgage rates at the time of this assessment were running above their recent low point. The local unemployment rate was slightly above the national average, which reflects the area's seasonal tourism and hospitality economy.

No data was reported on discipline, chronic absenteeism, or staffing ratios. Those are meaningful gaps when evaluating a middle school environment. A parent or guardian should expect to follow up with the school for details on how the building handles behavior expectations and student attendance, as well as teacher experience and turnover.

Because this school serves only middle grades, it has no graduation rate to report. That is a function of the grade span, not a missing measure. For a family thinking ahead, the natural feeder pattern into North Myrtle Beach High School is worth understanding, but the high school's academic profile is a separate topic not covered here.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 47% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 41% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 41% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 58% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 764%

School 64% · District 62% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 60% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 55% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 775%

School 75% · District 72% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolHorry 01, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income61%Higher-income73%12 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income59%Higher-income74%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income66%Higher-income73%6 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income45%Higher-income63%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income60%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income45%Higher-income65%20 pp gap