Heritage Middle

Summary:

Heritage Middle is a public middle school located in Valdese, North Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 453. The school is part of the Burke County Schools district, which is ranked 110 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Heritage Middle consistently ranks in the top 20% of North Carolina middle schools, with students performing significantly better than the state and district averages in mathematics, reading, and science proficiency. The school's science proficiency, in particular, stands out, with 70.7% of 8th graders proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to the state average of 70.1%. However, the school has a predominantly white student population, with only 1.99% of students identifying as African American, which is lower than the nearby schools. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 44.73% in 2021-2022 to 64.46% in 2022-2023, suggesting a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

While Heritage Middle outperforms the Burke County Schools district and the state of North Carolina, some nearby schools in other districts, such as Granite Falls Middle and Northview Middle, also demonstrate strong academic performance. These schools, however, tend to have higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students and more diverse student populations, suggesting that Heritage Middle may benefit from a more advantaged student demographic. Interestingly, the nearby schools with lower academic performance, such as Walter R. Johnson Middle and Gamewell Middle, also have higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students and more diverse student populations.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 1951 Enon Road
       Valdese, NC  28690


(828) 874-0731

District: Burke County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
216th of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,601 Help


Students who attend Heritage Middle usually attend:

High:    Jimmy C Draughn High School

Feeder schools for Heritage Middle:

Elementary:    Drexel Elementary
    Valdese Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  15.1 Help
Number of students:  440

Racial breakdown:

White:
73.6%
Hispanic:
9.5%
Asian:
7.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.3% Help


 See top rated North Carolina middle schools

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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Heritage Middle ranks better than 72.8% of middle schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 5 ranked middle schools in the Burke County Schools District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 69.1. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73.6%), Hispanic (9.5%), Asian (7.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Heritage Middle is 15.1, which is the 2nd best among 5 middle schools in the Burke County Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Heritage Middle employs 29 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Heritage Middle is $8,601, which is the lowest among 5 middle schools in the Burke County Schools District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Heritage Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Heritage Middle 216th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Heritage Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Burke County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Burke County Schools 110th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Heritage Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 72.81 133rd 598 77.8%
2007 79.77 74th 606 87.8%
2008 78.25 103rd 620 83.4%
2009 81.18 86th 630 86.3%
2010 80.74 84th 640 86.9%
2011 78.87 101st 648 84.4%
2012 74.69 150th 662 77.3%
2013 66.77 183rd 673 72.8%
2014 68.88 167th 627 73.4%
2015 75.75 149th 705 78.9%
2016 71.11 174th 692 74.9%
2017 76.05 142nd 694 79.5%
2018 71.73 174th 691 74.8%
2019 74.26 165th 737 77.6%
2021 76.17 162nd 741 78.1%
2022 79.15 145th 786 81.6%
2023 79.66 143rd 784 81.8%
2024 69.10 216th 793 72.8%
See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.44 120th 221 45.7%
2019 23.86 205th 237 13.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 49.37 173rd 473 63.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.98 66th 604 89.1%
2019 80.16 66th 639 89.7%
2021 84.82 41st 633 93.5%
2022 85.25 51st 689 92.6%
2023 81.51 77th 735 89.5%
2024 74.09 113th 743 84.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.96 178th 656 72.9%
2019 78.64 130th 684 81.0%
2021 79.49 120th 706 83.0%
2022 83.08 103rd 733 85.9%
2023 80.42 123rd 731 83.2%
2024 71.88 178th 738 75.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.86 181st 475 61.9%
2019 44.07 259th 504 48.6%
2021 52.81 159th 478 66.7%
2022 55.36 122nd 449 72.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 45.77 306th 416 26.4%
2021 51.06 275th 448 38.6%
2022 57.76 226th 450 49.8%
2023 67.09 131st 452 71.0%
2024 65.45 142nd 461 69.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.19 179th 665 73.1%
2019 68.64 199th 697 71.4%
2021 70.25 184th 711 74.1%
2022 71.94 175th 748 76.6%
2023 76.50 154th 747 79.4%
2024 63.26 246th 751 67.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.94 51st 95 46.3%
2019 50.89 59th 102 42.2%
2021 43.50 58th 99 41.4%
2022 32.09 81st 109 25.7%
2023 52.24 61st 110 44.5%
2024 50.78 63rd 110 42.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.46 86th 472 81.8%
2019 70.34 93rd 493 81.1%
2021 67.20 108th 522 79.3%
2022 70.98 101st 541 81.3%
2023 62.06 158th 553 71.4%
2024 52.16 253rd 564 55.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Heritage Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.59 284th 596 52.3%
2019 54.23 281st 624 55.0%
2021 58.38 238th 632 62.3%
2022 65.14 212th 658 67.8%
2023 65.43 210th 656 68.0%
2024 44.60 364th 652 44.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Heritage Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Heritage Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1993 610 15 19 0 0 n/a n/a 0 644
1994 604 21 20 0 0 n/a n/a 0 645
1995 586 22 55 4 0 n/a n/a 0 667
1996 586 22 55 4 0 n/a n/a 0 667
1997 613 34 69 20 1 n/a n/a 0 737
1998 627 34 87 26 1 n/a n/a 0 775
1999 663 34 77 27 1 n/a n/a 0 802
2000 670 39 83 28 0 n/a n/a 0 820
2001 649 40 74 27 0 n/a n/a 0 790
2002 642 36 89 40 4 n/a n/a 0 811
2003 642 36 89 40 4 n/a n/a 0 811
2004 610 29 97 13 3 n/a n/a 0 752
2005 584 25 89 14 2 n/a n/a 0 714
2006 592 26 89 15 2 n/a n/a 0 724
2007 544 8 71 22 1 n/a n/a 11 657
2008 555 12 65 23 1 n/a n/a 22 678
2009 531 34 64 30 0 n/a n/a 0 659
2010 535 39 62 21 0 n/a n/a 0 657
2011 516 22 52 28 2 1 28 0 649
2012 498 17 40 28 2 1 28 0 614
2013 512 18 36 31 2 0 26 0 625
2014 470 26 39 36 1 0 23 0 595
2015 421 24 37 29 2 0 27 0 540
2016 379 21 33 26 1 0 27 0 487
2017 366 20 35 43 1 0 24 0 489
2018 361 18 42 50 0 3 34 0 508
2019 381 19 52 53 0 1 26 0 532
2020 401 13 48 61 1 1 26 0 551
2021 408 9 44 44 1 1 20 0 527
2022 389 8 39 43 1 3 29 0 512
2023 342 9 31 40 1 3 27 0 453
2024 324 14 34 42 0 2 24 0 440

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Heritage Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 644 44.0 14.6 23.3
1994 645 42.0 15.4 17.7
1995 667 44.0 15.2 21.4
1996 667 44.0 15.2 21.4
1997 737 49.0 15.0 18.6
1998 775 56.0 13.8 23.7
1999 802 58.0 13.8 34.5
2000 820 60.0 13.7 33.5
2001 790 60.0 13.2 36.6
2002 811 47.0 17.3 41.9
2003 811 47.0 17.3 41.9
2004 752 56.0 13.4 44.9
2005 714 60.0 11.9 48
2006 724 49.0 14.8 49.4
2007 657 46.9 14.0 49.2
2008 678 45.9 14.8 46.2
2009 659 46.1 14.3 46.1
2010 657 43.5 15.0 54.6
2011 649 41.2 15.7 52.4
2012 614 n/a n/a 52.6
2013 625 36.2 17.2 57.3
2014 595 36.1 16.4 54.5
2015 540 32.0 16.8 49.4
2016 487 29.0 16.7 53.4
2017 489 28.8 16.9 49.3
2018 508 29.7 17.0 47.8
2019 532 29.7 17.8 49.1
2020 551 31.5 17.4 53.7
2021 527 30.1 17.4 46.5
2022 512 30.7 16.6 44.7
2023 453 29.1 15.5 64.5
2024 440 29.0 15.1 99.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Heritage Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 644 44.0 14.6 23.3
1994 645 42.0 15.4 17.7
1995 667 44.0 15.2 21.4
1996 667 44.0 15.2 21.4
1997 737 49.0 15.0 18.6
1998 775 56.0 13.8 23.7
1999 802 58.0 13.8 34.5
2000 820 60.0 13.7 33.5
2001 790 60.0 13.2 36.6
2002 811 47.0 17.3 41.9
2003 811 47.0 17.3 41.9
2004 752 56.0 13.4 44.9
2005 714 60.0 11.9 48
2006 724 49.0 14.8 49.4
2007 657 46.9 14.0 49.2
2008 678 45.9 14.8 46.2
2009 659 46.1 14.3 46.1
2010 657 43.5 15.0 54.6
2011 649 41.2 15.7 52.4
2012 614 n/a n/a 52.6
2013 625 36.2 17.2 57.3
2014 595 36.1 16.4 54.5
2015 540 32.0 16.8 49.4
2016 487 29.0 16.7 53.4
2017 489 28.8 16.9 49.3
2018 508 29.7 17.0 47.8
2019 532 29.7 17.8 49.1
2020 551 31.5 17.4 53.7
2021 527 30.1 17.4 46.5
2022 512 30.7 16.6 44.7
2023 453 29.1 15.5 64.5
2024 440 29.0 15.1 99.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Heritage Middle

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $890 (10.3%) $7,711 (89.7%) $8,601

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Heritage Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 165th of 737 Middle schoolsRanks 143rd of 784 Middle schools
 4.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Heritage Middle)61.566.4
 4.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Burke County Schools)60.257.1
 3.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)58.852.3
 6.5%
6th Grade Reading (Heritage Middle)6863.4
 4.6%
   6th Grade Reading (Burke County Schools)6346.3
 16.7%
   6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)6049.3
 10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Heritage Middle)69.659.3
 10.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Burke County Schools)65.551.4
 14.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)58.450.1
 8.3%
7th Grade Reading (Heritage Middle)6357.3
 5.7%
   7th Grade Reading (Burke County Schools)59.647
 12.6%
   7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)58.850.2
 8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Heritage Middle)75.375.3
   8th Grade Mathematics (Burke County Schools)5651.6
 4.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)52.644.8
 7.8%
8th Grade Reading (Heritage Middle)65.266.9
 1.7%
   8th Grade Reading (Burke County Schools)57.553.2
 4.3%
   8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)55.651
 4.6%
8th Grade Science (Heritage Middle)92.782.9
 9.8%
   8th Grade Science (Burke County Schools)83.276.1
 7.1%
   8th Grade Science (North Carolina)78.670.3
 8.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students532453
 14.8%
African American199
 52.6%
American Indian01
Asian5231
 40.4%
Hispanic5340
 24.5%
Pacific Islander13
 200%
White381342
 10.2%
Two or More Races2627
 3.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients49.1%64.5%
 15.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Heritage Middle

Students who attend Heritage Middle usually go on to attend Jimmy C Draughn High School

Heritage Middle ranks 216th of 793 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Heritage Middle are 74% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

In the 2023-24 school year, 440 students attended Heritage Middle.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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