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R Freeman School of Engineering

Public, Magnet Grades K-5
1488th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools
Better than 0% of North Carolina elementary schools
Summary

R Freeman School of Engineering is a public magnet elementary school in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving 263 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the New Hanover County Schools district, which is ranked 78 out of 242 districts in the state.

Despite its engineering focus, R Freeman School of Engineering has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in North Carolina over the past decade, with proficiency rates in mathematics, reading, and science significantly lower than the district and state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 16.7% of 3rd-grade students were proficient in mathematics, compared to 68.9% in the district and 64.1% statewide. In contrast, the nearby The International School at Gregory has significantly higher proficiency rates across all grade levels and subject areas.

The school's challenges may be linked to its high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with around 99% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Addressing these socioeconomic factors could be crucial in improving academic performance at R Freeman School of Engineering. Examining the practices and strategies employed by higher-performing magnet schools in the area, such as The International School at Gregory, may also provide valuable insights for enhancing the quality of education at this school.

241
Students ?
10.8
Student/teacher ratio ?
$16,676
Per pupil spending ?
98.8%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 2601 Princess Place Drive
       Wilmington, NC  28405

(910) 251-6011

District: New Hanover County Schools


Students who attend R Freeman School of Engineering usually attend:

Middle:    Holly Shelter Middle
High:    New Hanover High
Racial breakdown:

African American:
70.5%
Hispanic:
18.3%
Two or more races:
7.5%
more
 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

 Compare R Freeman School of Engineering to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 7th percentile in 2015 → <1st in 2025
Strengths
Small classes — about 11 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the North Carolina average (15% vs 57% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)
!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school15%
District avg63%
North Carolina avg57%
1,488th of 1,490
North Carolina public elementary schools ?
Bottom 1%▼ down 6 pts since 2015
From bottom 7% (2015) to bottom 1% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
24th of 24Elementary Schools in the New Hanover County Schools
78th of 242New Hanover 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
20251.11488 of 14900.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20241.11503 of 15050.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20232.81495 of 15020.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20221.91514 of 15140.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20214.31473 of 14891.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20194.91439 of 14732.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20188.41356 of 14345.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20172.31414 of 14291.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20164.91392 of 14252.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20159.31346 of 14406.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201412.61260 of 13909.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201319.51196 of 140314.8%★☆☆☆☆
201216.61258 of 13889.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201123.01163 of 138115.8%★☆☆☆☆
201040.0930 of 136331.8%★★☆☆☆
200919.71167 of 135413.8%★☆☆☆☆
20089.51252 of 13245.4%☆☆☆☆☆
200727.21062 of 129317.9%★☆☆☆☆
200629.51013 of 127620.6%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
20253.5917 of 9180.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20244.6923 of 9240.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20236.4926 of 9330.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20229.6917 of 9271.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202110.6894 of 8960.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201918.4874 of 9497.9%☆☆☆☆☆
201821.9801 of 92713.6%★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
201852.4354 of 89760.5%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
20251.91450 of 14510.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20241.81452 of 14550.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20232.51457 of 14590.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20224.21454 of 14580.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20216.41418 of 14401.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20196.11392 of 14242.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20184.21380 of 14051.8%☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202225.98 of 80.0%★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
20252.81435 of 14370.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20242.31446 of 14500.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20236.11423 of 14371.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20226.81359 of 13660.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202110.71303 of 13292.0%☆☆☆☆☆
201911.31309 of 13613.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201815.71233 of 13327.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
20251.21449 of 14500.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20241.31463 of 14640.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20237.21412 of 14613.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20221.61464 of 14640.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20214.91426 of 14441.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20196.61395 of 14302.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201816.71257 of 141311.0%★☆☆☆☆
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)
Disabled (2018)61st percentile+55 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)<1st percentile~ school
African American (2025)<1st percentile~ school
Male (2025)<1st percentile~ school
Female (2025)<1st percentile~ school
Homeless (2022)<1st percentile~ school
By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?
Science26%-36 vs state
Mathematics15%-46 vs state
Reading11%-41 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about R Freeman School of Engineering

R Freeman School of Engineering ranks in the bottom 0.1% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Students who attend R Freeman School of Engineering usually go on to attend:

Middle : Holly Shelter Middle
High : New Hanover High

In the 2024-25 school year, 241 students attended R Freeman School of Engineering.

Students at R Freeman School of Engineering are 71% African American, 18% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% White.


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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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