Summary:
Beulaville, North Carolina is home to 2 public schools in the Duplin County Schools district that serve roughly 1,741 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, with nearly every student (99.54%) eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting an exceptionally high level of economic need across the city. The two schools are Beulaville Elementary (PK–8, 877 students) and East Duplin High (9–12, 864 students), both currently rated 1 star by the state.
Beulaville Elementary is the clear bright spot in the city. Its state ranking has climbed steadily from the 11th to the 16th percentile over three years, and it beats district averages in math (46.2% vs. 42.6%) and reading (41.7% vs. 38.9%). Upper-grade math is especially promising: 8th-grade math proficiency (53.3%) actually tops the state average, and 5th-grade math jumped from 28.4% to 51.1% in one year. The biggest concern here is attendance — 28.6% of students are chronically absent, far worse than the district's 18.9% and the state's 24.2%.
East Duplin High presents the opposite profile. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 15.1% is the best in the area, but academics are sliding: the school fell from a 2-star to a 1-star rating in one year, dropping from the 37th to the 17th percentile statewide. Proficiency declined in English II (35.5%) and Math I (26.1%), while Math III remains a relative strength at 56.4%. The graduation rate of 82.6% also trails the state average of 88.8%. So while high school students show up, the elementary school — despite its absenteeism problem — is the one making real academic gains. Both schools currently sit in the bottom fifth of North Carolina, though Beulaville Elementary's upward momentum offers genuine reason for hope.
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