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Dunn Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1281^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Dunn Elementary is a public elementary school located in Dunn, North Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 799 students. The school is part of the Harnett County Schools district, which is ranked 184 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dunn Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 15% of North Carolina elementary schools, with significantly below-average performance on state assessments compared to the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and Special Education students, ranking in the bottom 25-30% of North Carolina schools for these subgroups. However, the school's Gifted and Talented students perform relatively well, ranking in the top 12% of North Carolina schools. Dunn Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students (over 99%) eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Dunn Elementary to nearby schools, the other Harnett County elementary schools generally perform better on state assessments, with higher proficiency rates and higher rankings within the state. However, these schools still struggle to meet the state averages and face similar challenges with high percentages of economically disadvantaged students. Some nearby schools in the Johnston County and Sampson County districts, such as McGee's Crossroads Elementary, Meadow School, and Plain View Elementary, significantly outperform Dunn Elementary and the Harnett County schools on state assessments.

813

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,796

Per pupil spending ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

800 W Harnett St
Dunn, NC 28334

(910) 892-0126

District: Harnett County Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

43.4%

Hispanic:

31.1%

White:

17.7%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Dunn Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 9th percentile in 2023 → 14th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2023

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (41% vs 57% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Reading scores 19 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg49%

North Carolina avg57%

1,281^st of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▲ up 5 pts since 2023

From bottom 9% (2023) to bottom 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 13Elementary Schools in the Harnett County Schools

184^th of 242Harnett 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	19.9	1281 of 1490	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.7	1352 of 1505	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.2	1366 of 1502	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	31.9	677 of 918	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	807 of 924	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.2	843 of 933	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	36.6	358 of 563	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.5	351 of 533	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.3	401 of 514	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	23.1	1209 of 1451	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.3	1317 of 1455	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.2	1349 of 1459	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.7	86 of 710	87.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	27.2	784 of 961	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.0	751 of 951	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	842 of 915	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	23.7	1238 of 1437	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.8	1285 of 1450	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.5	1332 of 1437	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	19.8	1259 of 1450	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.1	1315 of 1464	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.3	1333 of 1461	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	13.3	164 of 175	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	758 of 821	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	739 of 801	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	36.8	807 of 1172	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.1	875 of 1166	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.5	989 of 1183	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)88th percentile+74 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)36th percentile+22 vs school

White (2025)31st percentile+17 vs school

African American (2025)26th percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2025)18th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)17th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)14th percentile~ school

Male (2025)13th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)8th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)6th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics47%-14 vs state

Science43%-19 vs state

Reading34%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dunn 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 Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dunn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	800 W Harnett St	Dunn	28334	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 892-0126	813	58	13.9	99.5%	144 (17.7%)	353 (43.4%)	253 (31.1%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (6.5%)	19.9	1281^st of 1490 public elementary schools	14.0%		15.7	1352^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	10.2%	71	55.4	44.7	41.4				29.2	38.2	33.8				43.3		$10,796	$1,629	$9,166
Erwin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	405 Denim Dr.	Erwin	28339	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 897-7178	637	43	14.6	97.8%	276 (43.3%)	146 (22.9%)	172 (27.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.2%)	11.3	1402^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	5.9%		14.4	1371^st of 1505 public elementary schools	8.9%	31	41.7	36.0	39.8				27.1	33.0	26.2				36.9		$10,032	$1,452	$8,580
Benson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2040 Hwy 50 N	Benson	27504	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 894-4233	719	45	15.8	99.6%	281 (39.1%)	122 (17.0%)	259 (36.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.8%)	69.1	407^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.7%		72.1	369^th of 1505 public elementary schools	75.5%	38	75.7	72.2	65.6				52.9	63.0	57.0				65.6		$10,116	$1,002	$9,114
Coats Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	585 Brick Mill Road	Coats	27521	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 897-8353	633	46	13.6	96.7%	256 (40.4%)	97 (15.3%)	253 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.3%)	13.7	1369^th of 1490 public elementary schools	8.1%		16	1344^th of 1505 public elementary schools	10.7%	25	42.7	33.3	36.4				33.3	36.7	32.7				37.4		$9,628	$1,127	$8,501
Plain View Elementary	Public	K-5	4140 Plain View Hwy	Dunn	28334	Sampson County	Sampson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 891-4354	362	20	17.6	99.2%	214 (59.1%)	26 (7.2%)	99 (27.3%)	3 (0.8%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.1%)	52.5	703^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	52.8%		65.7	481^st of 1505 public elementary schools	68.0%	222	61.3	69.4	46.8				43.8	64.5	51.6				61.3		$9,947	$1,248	$8,699
Meadow School	Public	PK, KG-8	7507 NC Hwy 50 S	Benson	27504	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 894-4226	646	43	15.0	98.3%	421 (65.2%)	22 (3.4%)	182 (28.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.6%)	63.7	502^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	66.3%		72.6	363^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	75.9%	139	57.4	75.8	61.8	76.3	81.2	70.3	45.6	64.5	53.9	67.8	71.8	70.3	61.8	68.8	$10,525	$841	$9,683
Buies Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	340 Main Street	Buies Creek	27506	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 893-3505	267	16	16.7	57.7%	127 (47.6%)	52 (19.5%)	56 (21.0%)	7 (2.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.0%)	32.9	1037^th of 1490 public elementary schools	30.4%		45.7	823^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	45.3%	214	55.1	31.0	57.9				22.4	47.6	50.0				65.8		$10,852	$1,195	$9,657
Midway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15375 Spiveys Corner Highway	Dunn	28334	Sampson County	Sampson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 567-2244	539	35	15.5	99.3%	281 (52.1%)	41 (7.6%)	189 (35.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.7%)	66.8	450^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.8%		55.2	659^th of 1505 public elementary schools	56.2%	209	87.8	68.8	71.6				44.6	57.0	56.8				64.9		$10,134	$1,173	$8,961
District No 7 Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5721 Smithfield Road	Wade	28395	Cumberland County	Cumberland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 483-0001	211	18	11.9	96.7%	136 (64.5%)	22 (10.4%)	32 (15.2%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (8.5%)	49.4	753^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	49.5%		72.9	359^th of 1505 public elementary schools	76.1%	394	45.7	61.5	53.8				40.0	80.8	48.7				66.7		$11,671	$943	$10,728
Lillington-Shawtown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	855 Old US 421	Lillington	27546	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 893-3483	695	46	15.0	99.6%	256 (36.8%)	216 (31.1%)	170 (24.5%)	8 (1.2%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	37 (5.3%)	25.8	1162^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	22.0%		23.3	1224^th of 1505 public elementary schools	18.7%	62	47.7	51.7	41.5				27.1	52.6	36.8				48.1		$11,024	$1,970	$9,053

Frequently Asked Questions about Dunn Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Dunn Elementary?

Students at Dunn Elementary are 43% African American, 31% Hispanic, 18% White, 7% Two or more races.

What district is Dunn Elementary in?

Harnett County Schools

How many students attend Dunn Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 813 students attended Dunn Elementary.

Is Dunn Elementary a good school?

Dunn Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.0% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Rate Dunn Elementary!

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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.