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Very Good

#479 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 18% in state

Ida Rankin Elementary School

Elementary School · Gaston County Schools · Mount Holly, NC

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

301 W Central Avenue, Mount Holly, NC 28120

  • Math 66% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 53% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 15:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress7.6Very Good50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.12 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics8.0Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency65.9% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency52.2% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+2.1 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+5.6 pts
Overall Proficiency59% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)47% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+12.5 pts
Adjusted Percentile69th
Resources & Environment8.4Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15:1
District spending per student$12,190
Chronic Absenteeism14.3%

Students at Ida Rankin Elementary School score 59% 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 Proficiency66%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency53%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 9 points since 2020, reaching 59% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
79%
ELA
70%
2010
Math
85%
ELA
73%
2011
Math
83%
ELA
72%
2012
Math
39%
ELA
41%
2013
Math
45%
ELA
42%
2014
Math
50%
ELA
47%
2015
Math
53%
ELA
44%
2016
Math
50%
ELA
46%
2017
Math
49%
ELA
44%
2018
Math
41%
ELA
45%
2019
Math
41%
ELA
45%
2020*
Math
53%
ELA
48%
2021*
Math
53%
ELA
48%
2022
Math
62%
ELA
50%
2025
Math
66%
ELA
53%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 51% (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%

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 Ida Rankin Elementary School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Charlotte map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 59Somewhat Walkable
  • Bike 32Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,754/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Mount Holly), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

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

Median income

$74,809

Median home value

$272,500

Median rent

$1,179/mo

College educated

33.2%

Homeownership

72%

Poverty rate

9.9%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28120; 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
Catawba Heights ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.6PK–51.9 mi253Compare →
Whitewater AcademyEnrollment path unverified6.3PK–52.0 mi785Compare →
North Belmont ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.8PK–52.4 mi334Compare →
Pinewood ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.6PK–52.5 mi477Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Gaston County Schools

Schools in district
56
Rank in district
#7 of 56
District spending per student
$12,190NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.1%Census SAIPE · 2024

Ida Rankin Elementary School is listed in Gaston County Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Ida Rankin Elementary School

Ida Rankin Elementary School is a public elementary school in Mount Holly, NC, part of Gaston County Schools, serving approximately 510 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 7.9 out of 10 and ranks #479 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 51% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Ida Rankin Elementary School

What grades does Ida Rankin Elementary School serve?

Ida Rankin Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Ida Rankin Elementary School?

Ida Rankin Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 510 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ida Rankin Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Ida Rankin Elementary School 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 Ida Rankin Elementary School rank in NC?

Ida Rankin Elementary School ranks #479 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Ida Rankin Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Ida Rankin Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.9 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 Ida Rankin Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Ida Rankin Elementary School has 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 51% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Ida Rankin Elementary School a charter school?

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

Is Ida Rankin Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Ida Rankin Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Ida Rankin Elementary School?

99.0% of students at Ida Rankin Elementary School 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
510
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
Teachers (FTE)
34
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize Suburb
County
Gaston County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
14.3%
Area population (ZIP 28120)
24,363
Area average commute
27.6 min
Area median age
40.7
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 28120; 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

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