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Very Good

#791 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 30% in state

Harkers Island Elementary

Elementary School · Carteret County Public Schools · Harkers Island, NC

A Carteret County Public Schools elementary school where students score 12 points above what's typical for similar communities.

1163 Island Road, Harkers Island, NC 28531

  • Math 66% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 76% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.9Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.64 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics8.7Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency65.2% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency73.9% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+1.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+27.3 pts
Overall Proficiency70% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)57% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+12.2 pts
Adjusted Percentile80th
Resources & Environment8.8Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio12.3:1
District spending per student$12,846
Chronic Absenteeism30.6%

Students at Harkers Island Elementary score 70% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 57%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency66%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency76%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 6 points since 2020, reaching 71% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
98%
ELA
92%
2010
Math
98%
ELA
92%
2011
Math
98%
ELA
92%
2012
Math
62%
ELA
62%
2013
Math
62%
ELA
67%
2014
Math
62%
ELA
67%
2015
Math
57%
ELA
52%
2016
Math
65%
ELA
45%
2017
Math
55%
ELA
45%
2018
Math
65%
ELA
55%
2019
Math
65%
ELA
55%
2020*
Math
65%
ELA
65%
2021*
Math
65%
ELA
65%
2022
Math
71%
ELA
65%
2025
Math
66%
ELA
76%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 69% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 68% (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

64%

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 Harkers Island 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 9Car-Dependent
  • Bike 31Somewhat Bikeable
  • County Safety: Average586/100K

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

$58,750

Median home value

$295,500

Median rent

$968/mo

College educated

23.2%

Homeownership

84.2%

Poverty rate

11.9%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28531; 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
Down East Middle and Smyrna ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.8PK–84.6 mi248Compare →
Atlantic ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.9PK–5Not available91Compare →
Beaufort ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.0PK–5Not available367Compare →
Bogue Sound ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.9PK–5Not available449Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Carteret County Public Schools

Schools in district
17
Rank in district
#11 of 16
District spending per student
$12,846NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
10.8%Census SAIPE · 2024

Harkers Island Elementary is listed in Carteret County Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Harkers Island Elementary

Harkers Island Elementary is a public elementary school in Harkers Island, NC, part of Carteret County Public Schools, serving approximately 111 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 7.3 out of 10 and ranks #791 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 69% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 68% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Harkers Island Elementary

What grades does Harkers Island Elementary serve?

Harkers Island Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Harkers Island Elementary?

Harkers Island Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 111 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Harkers Island Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Harkers Island Elementary is 12.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Harkers Island Elementary rank in NC?

Harkers Island Elementary ranks #791 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Harkers Island Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Harkers Island Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.3 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 Harkers Island Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Harkers Island Elementary has 69% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 68% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Harkers Island Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Harkers Island Elementary a Title I school?

No, Harkers Island Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

64.0% of students at Harkers Island 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
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
111
Student-Teacher Ratio
12.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
9
Type
regular
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Carteret County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
30.6%
Area population (ZIP 28531)
1,080
Area median age
59.5
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 28531; 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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