33 out of 10GreatSchools

Ligon Middle

Raleigh, NC
  • Public
  • |
  • Grades 6-8
  • |
  • Enrollment: 983

Overview

Ligon Middle
706 East Lenoir Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 856-7929
Ligon Middle is located in Raleigh, NC and serves grades 6-8.It received a GreatSchool rating of 3 out of 10
This information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Student Diversity

Race

Percentage

Native American
0%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0%
Two or more races
5%
Asian
9%
Hispanic
12%
Black
30%
White
44%

Reviews23 Reviews

4.5
student
Ligon is a great school. Ligon has all of the electives, The great teachers, and a amazing community. If you are looking at Magnet Schools in Wake County, Please consider Ligon as an option and take a tour! You won't regret it.
parent
Seems like folks either love love love it or have not so great experiences, but ours is middle of the road. How it seems in 6th grade will definitely change by the time 8th grade rolls around - the experience transitioning to middle school is as diverse as the electives and the student body. It's not perfect, it's middle school. The starry eyed 2nd grader who thought school was the Best Thing Ever! is now a moody tween who doesn't like to get up at 5 for the 540 bus. But, we do it because Ligon is pretty cool and the best option from our choices. The teachers are engaged but don't baby the students, which can be a stark contrast to the warm fuzzies of elementary school. My husband and his siblings went to Ligon many moons ago, and from his account its pretty much the same. The electives are what score high with the kids- the nonmagnets have one choice of language, maybe 2; home ec, some PE...maybe some IT...but the arts program is what makes Ligon special. Excellent opportunities to learn and grow in drama, music, etc and interested students can also work 'behind the scenes' on productions. Is there a rough crowd aspect? Yep. but not so much that it can't be managed, which is important for children- to learn how to handle themselves and navigate through the bullying (exists at all schools), $*%&( language (sad fact but swearing like a sailor empowers some kids), cliques (they had those in elementary school too!). It's pretty much school + puberty = awkward no matter where you go. The teachers are supportive but not enabling; the electives really mix it up and keep the students interested. The orchestra is amazing - wonderful teacher, creative culture. Some kids with thrive here and have "no adverse reactions to anything" (kudos on your well adjusted child!) and some may pause and say hey, this is weird and I wish I was back at 5th grade. In the end, they adapt, some slower than others, but Ligon is a good place to make the move from little kid to big kid.
parent
My 6th grade child has not experienced any of these issues I've seen listed here. She's in AG classes. Has a lot of homework, which is to be expected; has a couple of tardies because she had a long way to go from once class to the next; but she busts her butt to move from one spot to another & is getting straight A's with no adverse reactions to anything she's seeing/hearing. I went to Ligon as a child and am happy my child will have the same great experience!
parent
I want to love this school. My child has looked forward to Ligon since we started looking at magnets in 4th grade. The arts program in particular. Problem is, the students are just rude and appear to be oftentimes uncontrolled/unchecked and they seem to know it. I have had to address explicit sayings that my child had not encountered and frankly I didn't expect to be part of the vernacular of middle schoolers. My kid IS AG. That doesn't seem to matter though I know some reviews say that AG kids get the better experience. The 8th graders appear to be particularly rowdy - I get the transitions they are making emotionally and physically, but come on Ligon. Crack down on bullies and don't allow obscene gestures or talk to fly under the radar, looking the other way. Students don't feel empowered because it seems to them (my child at least) that consequences are selective- not guaranteed - for egregious behavior. Maybe it's just our rude awakening to middle school, but I am disappointed so far. Maybe the 8th graders will get over themselves and stop acting like jerks with mouths their mothers would leave the bar of soap in if they heard the things they were saying to each other. They spent 3 full days of orientation, going over all of the policies, and it seems they should sit the 7th and 8th graders down for a refresher at the start of the year. The should consider following Orange County's lead and increase the transition between classes from 5 to 7 minutes- with the way things are spread out, electives in particular, getting a tardy is guaranteed if you have to go to your locker or the bathroom. After my experience, I wish elementary was 1-6 like it was back at my school, with 7-8 as jr. high. The 6th graders, some of whom are a young 11, are getting negative exposure to the amped up 7th and 8th graders. Sure, they need to learn to let stuff roll off and stand up for themselves, and learn to navigate a diverse landscape but I've checked other middle schools and NONE of the parents I have spoken to have had the examples I have had in the first few weeks. Zero, and I am talking other magnets with 'zone' kids as another parent put it in the reviews..Hoping Ligon changes my mind as time goes on but not off to a good start at all. It's not just GT kids that have a rough go interacting with some of the kids at Ligon.
Showing 4 of 23 Reviews