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Very Good

#564 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 21% in state

Dobson Elementary

Elementary School · Surry County Schools · Dobson, NC

A Surry County Schools elementary school where students score 19 points above what's typical for similar communities.

PO Box 248, Dobson, NC 27017

  • Math 71% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 60% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 15:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress7.0Very Good50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.34 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics8.7Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency70.5% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency60.2% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+6.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+13.6 pts
Overall Proficiency65% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)47% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+18.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile80th
Resources & Environment8.5Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15:1
District spending per student$12,301
Chronic Absenteeism14.2%

Students at Dobson Elementary score 65% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 47%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency71%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency60%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 8 points since 2020, reaching 65% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
94%
ELA
78%
2010
Math
95%
ELA
79%
2011
Math
92%
ELA
82%
2012
Math
67%
ELA
47%
2013
Math
62%
ELA
52%
2014
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2015
Math
67%
ELA
57%
2016
Math
67%
ELA
52%
2017
Math
67%
ELA
52%
2018
Math
57%
ELA
52%
2019
Math
57%
ELA
52%
2020*
Math
62%
ELA
52%
2021*
Math
62%
ELA
52%
2022
Math
75%
ELA
58%
2025
Math
71%
ELA
60%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 70% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 59% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 36 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

99.1%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Dobson Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 51Somewhat Walkable
  • Bike 37Somewhat Bikeable
  • County Safety: Elevated718/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. A newer release may be available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$57,087

Median home value

$138,800

Median rent

$676/mo

College educated

15.8%

Homeownership

75.2%

Poverty rate

16.3%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27017; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Surry Online Magnet SchoolEnrollment path unverified6.1K–120.5 mi119Compare →
Salem Christian AcademyPrivate · tuition4.9privatePK–61.9 mi87Compare →
Rockford ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.5PK–52.4 mi350Compare →
White Plains ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.5PK–55.0 mi323Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Surry County Schools

Schools in district
20
Rank in district
#6 of 20
District spending per student
$12,301NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
24.2%Census SAIPE · 2024

Dobson Elementary is listed in Surry County Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Dobson Elementary

Dobson Elementary is a public elementary school in Dobson, NC, part of Surry County Schools, serving approximately 346 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 7.8 out of 10 and ranks #564 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 70% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 59% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Dobson Elementary

What grades does Dobson Elementary serve?

Dobson Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Dobson Elementary?

Dobson Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 346 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Dobson Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Dobson Elementary is 15:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Dobson Elementary rank in NC?

Dobson Elementary ranks #564 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Dobson Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Dobson Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.8 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Dobson Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Dobson Elementary has 70% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 59% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Dobson Elementary a charter school?

No, Dobson Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Dobson Elementary a Title I school?

No, Dobson Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Dobson Elementary?

99.1% of students at Dobson Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
346
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
Teachers (FTE)
23
Type
regular
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Surry County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
14.2%
Area population (ZIP 27017)
9,594
Area average commute
25.4 min
Area median age
37.1
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 27017; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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