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Public elementary school · Craven County Board of Education · New Bern, North Carolina

J T Barber Elementary

J T Barber Elementary rates 7.9, among the strongest elementary schools in Craven County Board of Education, where the rated median is 6.1.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.9this school

7.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the Craven County Board of Education median is 6.1.

#342 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina · Craven County Board of Education: 15 elementary schools rated, median 6.1

The brief

A Craven County Board of Education elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

It ranks 342 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 1 of 26 in Craven County Board of Education.

J T Barber Elementary is listed in Craven County Board of Education, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math51%11 points below the North Carolina average of 62%2026 NC
Reading48%8 points below the North Carolina average of 56%2026 NC
In 2026, 51% of students were proficient in math and 48% in reading, against North Carolina averages of 62% and 56%.2026 NC; 60 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.3
50% of the rating
Academics
5.7
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
7.8
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

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

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 39% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 33% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

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 · 2026 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 · 2026 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)
State assessments · 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 28560; 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, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
J T Barber Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$62,142
Median home value
$191,600
Median rent
$992/mo
College educated
25.4%
Homeownership
71.2%
Poverty rate
17.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28560; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
11
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
37
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,058/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for New Bern. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (New Bern), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
98.8%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. J T Barber Elementarythis school
    7.9
  2. 6.9Compare →
  3. 6.8Compare →
  4. 5.5Compare →
  5. 5.3Compare →
  6. 4.9Compare →
  7. 4.6Compare →
  8. 4.6Compare →
Seven grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than J T Barber Elementary.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does J T Barber Elementary serve?

J T Barber Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend J T Barber Elementary?

J T Barber Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 246 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at J T Barber Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at J T Barber Elementary is 10.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does J T Barber Elementary rank in NC?

J T Barber Elementary ranks #342 of 2,660 schools in NC.

What is J T Barber Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

J T Barber Elementary 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 J T Barber Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, J T Barber Elementary has 39% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 33% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is J T Barber Elementary a charter school?

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

Is J T Barber Elementary a Title I school?

No, J T Barber Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for J T Barber Elementary?

98.8% of students at J T Barber 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 facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
246
Student-teacher ratio
10.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
24
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Town
County
Craven County
Rank in district
#1 of 26
Schools in district
26
District spending per student
$11,893
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
16.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 28560)
27,981
Area average commute
20.9 min
Area median age
44.3

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.