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Waccamaw

Public Grades K-8
472nd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools
Better than 68% of North Carolina elementary schools
Summary

Waccamaw is an elementary school located in Ash, North Carolina, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 441 students. It is part of the Brunswick County Schools district, which is ranked 96 out of 242 districts in the state.

Waccamaw has consistently outperformed the district and state averages in mathematics proficiency across all grade levels, with particularly strong performance in 3rd and 5th grades. However, the school's reading proficiency is more variable, with some grades exceeding the district and state averages, while others fall behind. Waccamaw's science proficiency is also strong, with 5th and 8th-grade students outperforming the district and state. The school's Hispanic and low socioeconomic status (SES) students perform exceptionally well, ranking in the top 30% and 20% of North Carolina elementary schools, respectively, while the school's African American students have struggled, ranking in the bottom 25% of North Carolina elementary schools in recent years.

When compared to nearby schools, Waccamaw generally outperforms its peers in academic metrics, particularly in mathematics. However, the nearby Classical Charter Schools of Southport demonstrates even stronger academic performance across multiple subjects and grade levels, suggesting that Waccamaw could learn from the practices and strategies employed at this high-performing charter school. Overall, Waccamaw is a school with a mix of strengths and areas for improvement, and the school's leadership and community should continue to work towards ensuring all students have the opportunity to succeed.

415
Students ?
13.6
Student/teacher ratio ?
$10,391
Per pupil spending ?
99.3%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 5901 Waccamaw School Road NW
       Ash, NC  28420

(910) 756-5560

District: Brunswick County Schools


Students who attend Waccamaw usually attend:

High:    Brunswick County Early College
    West Brunswick High
Racial breakdown:

White:
56.6%
Hispanic:
26.3%
African American:
11.8%
more
 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

 Compare Waccamaw to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 58th percentile in 2015 → 68th in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the North Carolina average (62% vs 56% meeting standards)
Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2015
Above the North Carolina median (68th percentile)
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school62%
District avg55%
North Carolina avg56%
Elementary school
472nd of 1,490
North Carolina public elementary schools ?
Top 32%▲ up 11 pts since 2015
From top 42% (2015) to top 32% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
213th of 773
North Carolina public middle schools ?
Top 28%▲ up 9 pts since 2015
From top 36% (2015) to top 28% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
3rd of 10Elementary Schools in the Brunswick County Schools
96th of 242Brunswick County Schools among North Carolina districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202565.6472 of 149068.3%★★★☆☆
202467.7449 of 150570.2%★★★★☆
202368.6431 of 150271.3%★★★★☆
202265.5490 of 151467.6%★★★☆☆
202152.2680 of 148954.3%★★★☆☆
201946.9818 of 147344.5%★★☆☆☆
201853.9678 of 143452.7%★★★☆☆
201755.4659 of 142953.9%★★★☆☆
201651.1709 of 142550.2%★★★☆☆
201557.8610 of 144057.6%★★★☆☆
201452.9648 of 139053.4%★★★☆☆
201364.2451 of 140367.9%★★★☆☆
201270.5394 of 138871.6%★★★★☆
201174.1321 of 138176.8%★★★★☆
201071.1375 of 136372.5%★★★★☆
200973.2335 of 135475.3%★★★★☆
200859.5554 of 132458.2%★★★☆☆
200761.0528 of 129359.2%★★★☆☆
200656.6592 of 127653.6%★★★☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202414.1878 of 9245.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202331.0681 of 93327.0%★☆☆☆☆
202247.1449 of 92751.6%★★★☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202228.3493 of 63422.2%★☆☆☆☆
201926.7729 of 87817.0%★☆☆☆☆
201860.1267 of 89770.2%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202564.5457 of 145168.5%★★★☆☆
202472.3333 of 145577.1%★★★★☆
202364.8475 of 145967.4%★★★☆☆
202261.9518 of 145864.5%★★★☆☆
202148.8699 of 144051.5%★★★☆☆
201947.4786 of 142444.8%★★☆☆☆
201852.1706 of 140549.8%★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202469.872 of 66989.2%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202563.6280 of 96170.9%★★★★☆
202471.1190 of 95180.0%★★★★☆
202357.5326 of 91564.4%★★★☆☆
202219.4819 of 8938.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201941.6522 of 86539.7%★★☆☆☆
201853.0376 of 85155.8%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202578.1184 of 143787.2%★★★★☆
202473.5260 of 145082.1%★★★★☆
202374.5245 of 143783.0%★★★★☆
202269.0291 of 136678.7%★★★★☆
202157.3462 of 132965.2%★★★☆☆
201960.3482 of 136164.6%★★★☆☆
201864.0413 of 133269.0%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202564.9463 of 145068.1%★★★☆☆
202459.8571 of 146461.0%★★★☆☆
202369.3392 of 146173.2%★★★★☆
202266.1454 of 146469.0%★★★☆☆
202153.7635 of 144456.0%★★★☆☆
201947.4789 of 143044.8%★★☆☆☆
201856.8615 of 141356.5%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202458.6229 of 80171.4%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202558.3474 of 117259.6%★★★☆☆
202461.2438 of 116662.4%★★★☆☆
202365.7375 of 118368.3%★★★☆☆
202255.3539 of 119454.9%★★★☆☆
202133.2821 of 117229.9%★★☆☆☆
201933.5885 of 118325.2%★☆☆☆☆
201833.7878 of 117825.5%★☆☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202569.1213 of 77372.4%★★★★☆
202467.8224 of 79371.8%★★★★☆
202372.0188 of 78476.0%★★★★☆
202275.1169 of 78678.5%★★★★☆
202161.1253 of 74165.9%★★★☆☆
201955.7331 of 73755.1%★★★☆☆
201854.1336 of 69151.4%★★★☆☆
201761.2262 of 69462.2%★★★☆☆
201665.2222 of 69267.9%★★★☆☆
201562.2255 of 70563.8%★★★☆☆
201458.5240 of 62761.7%★★★☆☆
201354.0299 of 67355.6%★★★☆☆
201274.3154 of 66276.7%★★★★☆
201176.6122 of 64881.2%★★★★☆
201071.6172 of 64073.1%★★★★☆
200970.9182 of 63071.1%★★★★☆
200857.7284 of 62054.2%★★★☆☆
200761.7257 of 60657.6%★★★☆☆
200662.6234 of 59860.9%★★★☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202347.2259 of 55953.7%★★★☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202177.834 of 47892.9%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202566.9211 of 73371.2%★★★★☆
202460.3272 of 73863.1%★★★☆☆
202372.3170 of 73176.7%★★★★☆
202276.3155 of 73378.9%★★★★☆
202153.6304 of 70656.9%★★★☆☆
201958.7285 of 68458.3%★★★☆☆
201858.9291 of 65655.6%★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202475.327 of 46194.1%★★★★★
202362.5187 of 45258.6%★★★☆☆
202249.0295 of 45034.4%★★☆☆☆
202156.7228 of 44849.1%★★☆☆☆
201963.2157 of 41662.3%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202546.7286 of 56249.1%★★☆☆☆
202461.4163 of 56471.1%★★★★☆
202375.884 of 55384.8%★★★★☆
202153.1211 of 52259.6%★★★☆☆
201951.4221 of 49355.2%★★★☆☆
201856.3176 of 47262.7%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202577.6101 of 72986.1%★★★★☆
202481.576 of 74389.8%★★★★☆
202383.866 of 73591.0%★★★★★
202287.042 of 68993.9%★★★★★
202154.9232 of 63363.3%★★★☆☆
201966.3165 of 63974.2%★★★★☆
201869.0135 of 60477.6%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202568.5198 of 73373.0%★★★★☆
202472.1181 of 75175.9%★★★★☆
202369.2200 of 74773.2%★★★★☆
202271.0182 of 74875.7%★★★★☆
202164.2219 of 71169.2%★★★☆☆
201952.0340 of 69751.2%★★★☆☆
201850.6348 of 66547.7%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202564.0218 of 64966.4%★★★☆☆
202451.2310 of 65252.5%★★★☆☆
202353.8285 of 65656.6%★★★☆☆
202263.5225 of 65865.8%★★★☆☆
202158.9234 of 63263.0%★★★☆☆
201949.0318 of 62449.0%★★☆☆☆
201840.4389 of 59634.7%★★☆☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Elementary school
Gifted and Talented (2024)89th percentile+19 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)87th percentile+19 vs school
Special Education (2024)71st percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)71st percentile+3 vs school
Female (2025)69th percentile~ school
Male (2025)68th percentile~ school
White (2025)60th percentile-9 vs school
Disabled (2022)22nd percentile-45 vs school
African American (2024)5th percentile-65 vs school
Middle school
Gifted and Talented (2024)94th percentile+22 vs school
Disabled (2021)93rd percentile+27 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)86th percentile+14 vs school
Male (2025)73rd percentile~ school
Female (2025)71st percentile~ school
White (2025)66th percentile-6 vs school
African American (2023)54th percentile-22 vs school
Hispanic (2025)49th percentile-23 vs school
By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?
Mathematics68%+11 vs state
Science67%+6 vs state
Reading54%~ state avg

5.0
1 rating · 1 written review
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What people are saying
by a parent
Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Open Quote I could have not been happier with this school. You would assume that the standards would be lower because its a little country school. . . But you would be assuming wrong. . It's a wonderful place. A place where teachers and students enjoy learning. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Waccamaw

In the 2024-25 school year, 415 students attended Waccamaw.

Waccamaw ranks 472nd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Waccamaw usually go on to attend:

High : Brunswick County Early College
High : West Brunswick High

Students at Waccamaw are 57% White, 26% Hispanic, 12% African American, 4% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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