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Washington Elementary

Q: Is Washington Elementary a good school?

Washington Elementary ranks 923 rd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

923^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 38% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Washington Elementary is a public elementary school located in Shelby, North Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 386 students. The school is part of the Cleveland County Schools district, which is ranked 97 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Washington Elementary has struggled academically in recent years, ranking in the bottom half of Washington Elementary's performance on state assessments is generally below the district and state averages. The school's high poverty rate, with over 99% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, likely contributes to these academic challenges. However, the school's relative success with Hispanic and Gifted and Talented students suggests that there may be opportunities to build on these strengths and implement targeted strategies to improve overall academic outcomes.

Interestingly, the nearby schools in the Cleveland County Schools district, such as Fallston Elementary, West Elementary, and East Elementary, generally perform better academically than Washington Elementary, with higher rankings and better test scores. However, these nearby schools also have similarly high percentages of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may be a significant driver of academic performance across the district.

376

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,971

Per pupil spending ?

97.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1907 Stony Point Road
Shelby, NC 28150-9602

(704) 476-8260

District: Cleveland County Schools

Students who attend Washington Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Burns Middle
High:	Burns High
	Cleveland ECHS

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.8%

Hispanic:

18.6%

African American:

16.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Washington Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2015 → 38th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (50% vs 57% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg57%

923^rd of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 38%▼ down 26 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to bottom 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 15Elementary Schools in the Cleveland County Schools

97^th of 242Cleveland 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.7	923 of 1490	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	14.2	1374 of 1505	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.6	1277 of 1502	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.7	887 of 1514	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.8	829 of 1489	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.8	523 of 1473	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.5	525 of 1434	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	69.3	419 of 1429	70.7%	★★★★☆
2016	67.7	432 of 1425	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.8	521 of 1440	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.2	627 of 1390	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	65.2	436 of 1403	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	67.0	461 of 1388	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.4	461 of 1381	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	75.5	285 of 1363	79.1%	★★★★☆
2009	77.9	245 of 1354	81.9%	★★★★☆
2008	51.3	687 of 1324	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	68.6	378 of 1293	70.8%	★★★★☆
2006	46.5	767 of 1276	39.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.1	555 of 918	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.5	626 of 924	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.3	702 of 933	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	60.1	285 of 927	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.2	175 of 896	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	80.8	98 of 949	89.7%	★★★★☆
2018	70.3	194 of 927	79.1%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	38.5	363 of 634	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	16.4	632 of 646	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	42.2	861 of 1451	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	13.5	1347 of 1455	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	1244 of 1459	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.3	865 of 1458	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.8	773 of 1440	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.6	461 of 1424	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.5	422 of 1405	70.0%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	60.6	23 of 69	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	65.5	262 of 961	72.7%	★★★★☆
2019	54.0	370 of 865	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.9	175 of 851	79.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	51.2	663 of 1437	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	22.8	1256 of 1450	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.7	1146 of 1437	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.0	716 of 1366	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	64.2	352 of 1329	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	75.8	214 of 1361	84.3%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	271 of 1332	79.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	37.5	939 of 1450	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.1	1299 of 1464	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	1257 of 1461	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.3	859 of 1464	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.2	836 of 1444	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.5	583 of 1430	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.6	634 of 1413	55.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	20.5	762 of 821	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	33.8	846 of 1172	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	4.4	1154 of 1166	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.0	1135 of 1183	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.6	1048 of 1194	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.5	1009 of 1172	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.6	618 of 1183	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.8	564 of 1178	52.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)73rd percentile+35 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2018)67th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile+16 vs school

Disabled (2022)43rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)41st percentile+3 vs school

African American (2025)40th percentile~ school

Male (2025)35th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)28th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2025)7th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science62%~ state avg

Mathematics56%-5 vs state

Reading42%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Washington Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Washington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1907 Stony Point Road	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8260	376	26	14.3	97.9%	206 (54.8%)	62 (16.5%)	70 (18.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.6%)	39.7	923^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	38.1%		14.2	1374^th of 1505 public elementary schools	8.7%	451	72.9	38.2	58.9	42.4	39.7	42.9	62.5	$9,971	$1,530	$8,441
W B Beam Intermediate School	Public	4-5	401 East First Street	Cherryville	28021	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 836-9114	191	10	18.4	98.4%	128 (67.0%)	23 (12.0%)	29 (15.2%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.2%)	48.9	761^st of 1490 public elementary schools	48.9%		50.2	739^th of 1505 public elementary schools	50.9%	22		49.0	64.1		54.0	52.2	60.9	$9,330	$1,251	$8,080
Cherryville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	700 East Academy Street	Cherryville	28021	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 836-9115	378	28	13.5	99.2%	290 (76.7%)	26 (6.9%)	37 (9.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.1%)								(n/a)	66.3			41.6				$10,948	$1,062	$9,886
Elizabeth Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	220 S Post Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8371	649	37	17.7	99.5%	154 (23.7%)	315 (48.5%)	115 (17.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (9.2%)	35.8	985^th of 1490 public elementary schools	33.9%		20.3	1279^th of 1505 public elementary schools	15.0%	294	64.4	50.6	45.7	38.2	48.2	38.3	58.0	$9,413	$1,457	$7,956
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1166 Wyke Road	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8390	439	30	14.6	99.3%	166 (37.8%)	196 (44.6%)	32 (7.3%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.6%)	68.6	412^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.3%		54.2	680^th of 1505 public elementary schools	54.8%	268	78.7	70.8	66.2	53.3	56.1	55.4	70.3	$10,297	$1,501	$8,795
Tryon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2620 Tryon Courthouse Road	Bessemer City	28016	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 836-9107	336	26	12.7	97.6%	229 (68.2%)	29 (8.6%)	49 (14.6%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.4%)	25.7	1163^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	21.9%		21.1	1265^th of 1505 public elementary schools	15.9%	102	44.0	41.3	48.3	32.0	47.8	41.7	51.7	$11,346	$1,912	$9,434
Bethware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	115 Bethware Drive	Kings Mountain	28086	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8346	548	38	14.4	99.5%	337 (61.5%)	110 (20.1%)	58 (10.6%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	35 (6.4%)	79.5	252^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	83.1%		73	356^th of 1505 public elementary schools	76.3%	104	80.9	77.0		57.4	64.0			$9,644	$1,089	$8,555
North Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	900 N Ramseur Street	Kings Mountain	28086	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8225	272	23	12.0	98.9%	143 (52.6%)	84 (30.9%)	23 (8.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.7%)	72.1	363^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	75.6%		51.7	719^th of 1505 public elementary schools	52.2%	356	71.7	75.5		49.1	67.3			$10,709	$1,428	$9,282
Fallston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	112 Gary Street	Fallston	28042	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8240	502	36	13.8	99.4%	374 (74.5%)	54 (10.8%)	41 (8.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.4%)	54	670^th of 1490 public elementary schools	55.0%		39.7	937^th of 1505 public elementary schools	37.7%	267	70.9	43.2	63.6	50.0	52.7	48.1	71.4	$9,874	$1,550	$8,324
West Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	500 W Mountain Street	Kings Mountain	28086	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8345	289	21	13.9	99.0%	182 (63.0%)	61 (21.1%)	24 (8.3%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.5%)	57.7	600^th of 1490 public elementary schools	59.7%		56.7	638^th of 1505 public elementary schools	57.6%	38	62.9	67.9		44.3	62.3			$9,202	$1,108	$8,094

Frequently Asked Questions about Washington Elementary

What district is Washington Elementary in?

Cleveland County Schools

How many students attend Washington Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 376 students attended Washington Elementary.

Is Washington Elementary a good school?

Washington Elementary ranks 923^rd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Washington Elementary attend?

Students who attend Washington Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Burns Middle
High : Burns High
High : Cleveland ECHS

What is the racial makeup of Washington Elementary?

Students at Washington Elementary are 55% White, 19% Hispanic, 16% African American, 10% 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.