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T S Cooper Elementary

Q: Is T S Cooper Elementary a good school?

T S Cooper Elementary ranks 598 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

598^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 60% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

T S Cooper Elementary is a public elementary school in Sunbury, North Carolina, serving 161 students from kindergarten to 5th grade and part of the Gates County Schools district.

The school has shown mixed performance on state assessments, with some grade levels and subjects performing better than the district and state averages, while others underperforming. T S Cooper Elementary has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 65.22% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's statewide ranking and SchoolDigger rating have fluctuated over the years, ranging from 598 out of 1,490 elementary schools in 2024-2025 to 1,283 out of 1,473 in 2018-2019, and from 3 stars out of 5 to as low as 1 star.

Despite the school's overall performance challenges, T S Cooper Elementary has shown exceptional results for its gifted and talented students, ranking 28 out of 710 North Carolina elementary schools in this category for the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, the school's female students have consistently outperformed their male counterparts. When compared to nearby schools, such as Buckland Elementary and Gatesville Elementary, T S Cooper Elementary generally performs on par or slightly below, but it appears to be underperforming compared to schools in other districts, such as Northside Elementary in the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools district.

170

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,764

Per pupil spending ?

57.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

237 NC 32 South
Sunbury, NC 27979

(252) 465-4091

District: Gates County Schools

Students who attend T S Cooper Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Central Middle School
High:	Gates County Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.4%

African American:

25.3%

Two or more races:

6.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare T S Cooper Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 28th percentile in 2015 → 60th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 32 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the North Carolina median (60th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school60%

District avg52%

North Carolina avg57%

598^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 40%▲ up 31 pts since 2015

From bottom 28% (2015) to top 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Gates County Schools

156^th of 242Gates 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	57.9	598 of 1490	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.4	711 of 1505	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	736 of 1502	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.3	768 of 1514	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.0	1119 of 1489	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.5	1283 of 1473	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.6	932 of 1434	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.6	823 of 1429	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	51.4	704 of 1425	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	33.3	1031 of 1440	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	57.8	577 of 1390	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	48.7	685 of 1403	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.6	492 of 1388	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.0	570 of 1381	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.7	776 of 1363	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	44.3	860 of 1354	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.6	640 of 1324	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	48.6	770 of 1293	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	36.8	918 of 1276	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	21.0	852 of 949	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	8.5	917 of 927	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.4	362 of 1451	75.1%	★★★★☆
2024	65.2	452 of 1455	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	608 of 1459	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.8	690 of 1458	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	22.6	1143 of 1440	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.1	1113 of 1424	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.5	1057 of 1405	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	28 of 710	96.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.4	734 of 1437	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.1	479 of 1450	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.7	500 of 1437	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	27.7	1085 of 1366	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.2	1279 of 1329	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.4	1153 of 1361	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.1	988 of 1332	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	45.7	802 of 1450	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.8	925 of 1464	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.3	863 of 1461	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.9	826 of 1464	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.5	1016 of 1444	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.2	1302 of 1430	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	49.1	771 of 1413	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	58.4	472 of 1172	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.6	758 of 1166	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.9	842 of 1183	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.5	703 of 1194	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	11.0	1130 of 1172	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.1	1141 of 1183	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	37.0	834 of 1178	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2025)96th percentile+36 vs school

Female (2025)75th percentile+15 vs school

White (2025)60th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)49th percentile-11 vs school

Male (2025)45th percentile-15 vs school

African American (2019)10th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science79%+17 vs state

Mathematics63%~ state avg

Reading51%~ state avg

4.7

3 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, January 31, 2019

Wonderful school, teachers, students, and staff. My daughter is a Principal's to Honor Roll Student. This school has helped her achieve academic success. I am confident in her future goals thanks to this outstanding school. Close Quote

Schools Near T S Cooper Elementary

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
T S Cooper Elementary	Public	K-5	237 NC 32 South	Sunbury	27979	Gates County	Gates County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 465-4091	170	12	14.0	57.1%	106 (62.4%)	43 (25.3%)	9 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.5%)	57.9	598^th of 1490 public elementary schools	59.9%		52.4	711^th of 1505 public elementary schools	52.8%	113	53.1	65.4	71.4	31.3	76.9	50.0	78.6	$11,764	$1,088	$10,676
Gatesville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	709 North Main Street	Gatesville	27938	Gates County	Gates County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 357-0613	252	15	16.5	59.5%	157 (62.3%)	51 (20.2%)	12 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (12.3%)	32.3	1050^th of 1490 public elementary schools	29.5%		42.4	879^th of 1505 public elementary schools	41.6%	171	85.7	48.8	53.6	20.0	34.1	42.9	42.9	$12,161	$1,468	$10,693
Buckland Elementary	Public	K-5	448 NC 37 North	Gates	27937	Gates County	Gates County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 357-1611	220	15	15.1	50.9%	145 (65.9%)	49 (22.3%)	8 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.8%)	37	963^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	35.4%		34	1029^th of 1505 public elementary schools	31.6%	66	66.7	43.2	47.9	36.1	54.1	45.8	54.2	$12,341	$957	$11,384
Perquimans Central	Public	PK, KG-2	181 Winfall Blvd	Winfall	27985	Perquimans County	Perquimans County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 426-5332	423	29	14.5	99.3%	277 (65.5%)	88 (20.8%)	23 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.3%)								(n/a)								$11,892	$1,462	$10,430
Hertford Grammar	Public	3-5	603 Dobbs Street	Hertford	27944	Perquimans County	Perquimans County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 426-7166	420	28	15.2	99.3%	290 (69.0%)	81 (19.3%)	23 (5.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.7%)	59.4	576^th of 1490 public elementary schools	61.3%		67.2	453^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	69.9%	123	60.4	53.3	69.8	42.7	57.8	60.9	82.8	$10,302	$1,792	$8,510
Colerain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	202 N Academy Street	Colerain	27924	Bertie County	Bertie County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 356-4714	193	17	11.6	98.4%	26 (13.5%)	159 (82.4%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.6%)	36.4	975^th of 1490 public elementary schools	34.6%		41.7	897^th of 1505 public elementary schools	40.4%	78	64.5	31.8	59.5	25.8	40.9	54.1	51.4	$13,354	$2,225	$11,129
D F Walker Elementary	Public	3-5	125 Sandy Ridge Road	Edenton	27932	Chowan County	Edenton-Chowan Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 221-4151	368	21	17.5	99.2%	167 (45.4%)	139 (37.8%)	41 (11.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.4%)	31.6	1065^th of 1490 public elementary schools	28.5%		32.1	1063^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	29.4%	2	56.2	62.4	35.9	27.3	55.3	33.7	40.2	$10,795	$1,506	$9,289
White Oak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	111 Sandy Ridge Road	Edenton	27932	Chowan County	Edenton-Chowan Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 221-4078	488	34	14.3	99.4%	226 (46.3%)	190 (38.9%)	40 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.4%)								(n/a)								$13,005	$1,702	$11,303
Northside Elementary	Public	K-5	1062 Northside Rd	Elizabeth City	27909	Pasquotank County	Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 335-2033	419	32	13.3	99.3%	204 (48.7%)	128 (30.5%)	54 (12.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.4%)	44.2	844^th of 1490 public elementary schools	43.4%		43.3	866^th of 1505 public elementary schools	42.5%	22	34.9	50.6	64.9	25.4	55.8	56.1	80.7	$10,283	$901	$9,382

Frequently Asked Questions about T S Cooper Elementary

What schools do graduates of T S Cooper Elementary attend?

Students who attend T S Cooper Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Central Middle School
High : Gates County Senior High

What district is T S Cooper Elementary in?

Gates County Schools

Is T S Cooper Elementary a good school?

T S Cooper Elementary ranks 598^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend T S Cooper Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 170 students attended T S Cooper Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of T S Cooper Elementary?

Students at T S Cooper Elementary are 62% White, 25% African American, 6% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

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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.