Top Rankings
Richmond County Schools ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 12 public elementary schools serving 4,421 students in Richmond County Schools. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in North Carolina.
Public Elementary Schools in Richmond County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 42% (versus the North Carolina public elementary school average of 50%), and reading proficiency score of 39% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 65% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the North Carolina public elementary school average of 58% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
15 Schools
2,146 Schools
# Students
6,498 Students
1,094,560 Students
# Teachers
370 Teachers
71,669 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
18:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Richmond County Schools, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 314 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 75% has decreased from 81% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#229 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
(21-22)44%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
40%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
57%
63%
Graduation Rate
75%
86.5%
Chronically Absent Students
(2022-23)31.3%
28.7%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.71
0.72
% American Indian
3%
1%
% Asian
1%
5%
% Hispanic
15%
22%
% Black
36%
24%
% White
37%
42%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
8%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $13,716 is higher than the state median of $13,318. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,010 is higher than the state median of $13,934. The school district spending/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$89 MM
$20,622 MM
Spending
$91 MM
$21,575 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,716
$13,318
Spending / Student
$14,010
$13,934
Best Richmond County Schools Public Elementary Schools (2026-27)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Mineral Springs Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
1426 Green Lake Rd
Ellerbe, NC 28338
(910) 582-7915
Ellerbe, NC 28338
(910) 582-7915
Gr: PK-5 | 441 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 65%
Rank: #22.
Fairview Heights Elementary School
(Math: 65% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
104 Hamilton Ave
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7900
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7900
Gr: PK-5 | 480 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 62%
Rank: #33.
Ellerbe Middle School
(Math: 45% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
128 W Ballard Street
Ellerbe, NC 28338
(910) 582-7925
Ellerbe, NC 28338
(910) 582-7925
Gr: 6-8 | 182 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 65%
Rank: #44.
L J Bell Elementary School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
442 Hawthorne Ave
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9834
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9834
Gr: PK-5 | 449 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 59%
Rank: #55.
East Rockingham Elementary School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 35%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
154 Chalk Road
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 557-0900
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 557-0900
Gr: K-5 | 430 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 57%
Rank: #66.
Rockingham Middle School
(Math: 41% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
415 Wall Street
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9827
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9827
Gr: 6-8 | 606 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 64%
Rank: #77.
Hamlet Middle School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
1406 Mcdonald Ave
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7903
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7903
Gr: 6-8 | 399 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 64%
Rank: #88.
Monroe Avenue Elementary School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
400 Monroe Ave
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7907
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7907
Gr: PK-5 | 411 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 80%
Rank: #99.
Cordova Middle School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
194 Church St
Cordova, NC 28330
(910) 997-9839
Cordova, NC 28330
(910) 997-9839
Gr: 6-8 | 233 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 64%
Rank: #1010.
West Rockingham Elementary School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
271 W Us 74 Hwy
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9802
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9802
Gr: PK-5 | 314 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 65%
Rank: #1111.
Washington Street Elementary School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 31%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
566 E Washington St Ext
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9836
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9836
Gr: PK-5 | 417 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 73%
Rank: #1212.
Ashley Chapel Educational Center
Alternative School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤10%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
377 Mizpah Road
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9800
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9800
Gr: 6-12 | 59 students Student-teacher ratio: 6:1 Minority enrollment: 80%
Recent Articles
How Much Choice Do High School Students Have?
Learn how graduation requirements, prerequisites, electives, staffing, scheduling conflicts, AP courses, dual enrollment, and career pathways determine how much control high school students have over schedules each year.
Does Your Child Need More Recess?
Explore whether your child may benefit more from recess than another academic period, including research on attention, learning, physical activity, stress, social development, and school-day balance today.
Combined Grade Classrooms, What Parents Should Know
Learn how combined-grade classrooms work, why public schools use them, potential benefits and challenges, and the questions parents should ask before enrolling their child in one today.
