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Excellent

#52 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 2% in state

Porters Neck Elementary

Elementary School · New Hanover County Schools · Wilmington, NC

A New Hanover County Schools elementary school where students score 4 points above what's typical for similar communities.

416 Edgewater Club Rd, Wilmington, NC 28411

  • Math 77% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 71% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 16:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.6Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data4
Annual Change+1.53 pts/yr
Data Period2020–2025
TrendImproving
Academics8.4Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency77.2% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency70.2% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+13.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+23.6 pts
Overall Proficiency74% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)70% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+3.7 pts
Adjusted Percentile75th
Resources & Environment8.9Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16:1
District spending per student$13,808
Chronic Absenteeism11.3%

Students at Porters Neck Elementary score 74% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 70%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency77%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency71%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Improving

Proficiency has improved 6 points since 2020, reaching 74% in 2025, across a 6-year record (2020–2025).

Show all 4 years by subject
2020*
Math
70%
ELA
65%
2021*
Math
70%
ELA
65%
2022
Math
69%
ELA
64%
2025
Math
77%
ELA
71%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 74% (multi-year average, 2020-2025) · reading/ELA 68% (multi-year average, 2020-2025)

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

Based on 14 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

22.7%

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 Porters Neck 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 4Car-Dependent
  • Bike 26Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,004/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Wilmington), 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

$94,200

Median home value

$363,600

Median rent

$1,685/mo

College educated

52.8%

Homeownership

80%

Poverty rate

3.8%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28411; 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
American Leadership Academy-coastalCharter · enrollment unverified5.7K–101.8 mi862Compare →
Ogden ElementaryEnrollment path unverified9.0K–52.5 mi607Compare →
Dr Hubert Eaton SR ElemEnrollment path unverified8.6K–53.7 mi448Compare →
John J Blair ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.4PK–54.3 mi455Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

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

New Hanover County Schools

Schools in district
42
Rank in district
#2 of 41
District spending per student
$13,808NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
12.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Porters Neck Elementary is listed in New Hanover County Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Porters Neck Elementary

Porters Neck Elementary is a public elementary school in Wilmington, NC, part of New Hanover County Schools, serving approximately 655 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 9.1 out of 10 and ranks #52 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 74% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025) and 68% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Porters Neck Elementary

What grades does Porters Neck Elementary serve?

Porters Neck Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Porters Neck Elementary?

Porters Neck Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 655 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Porters Neck Elementary?

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

How does Porters Neck Elementary rank in NC?

Porters Neck Elementary ranks #52 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Porters Neck Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Porters Neck Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 9.1 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 Porters Neck Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Porters Neck Elementary has 74% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025) and 68% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025).

Is Porters Neck Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Porters Neck Elementary a Title I school?

No, Porters Neck Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

22.7% of students at Porters Neck 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
655
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
Teachers (FTE)
41
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
New Hanover County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
11.3%
Area population (ZIP 28411)
37,303
Area average commute
22.8 min
Area median age
42.1
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 28411; 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, 2020-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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