Schools in Butner, NC

Butner, North Carolina, is home to a single public school—Butner-Stem Elementary—a PK–5 elementary school in the Granville County Schools district, which enrolls 476 students and serves a community where 99.37% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Because Butner has no middle or high school of its own, every student leaves the city after 5th grade to continue their education, which makes strong early preparation especially important. The district as a whole is currently ranked 182 out of 246 in North Carolina, placing it in the 26th percentile with a 1-star rating.

Butner-Stem Elementary has experienced a sharp decline in its state ranking, falling from the 45th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 24th percentile in 2025–2026. That drop aligns with significant year-over-year score declines, particularly in 5th grade, where math fell 14.8 points, reading fell 15.6 points, and science fell 12.8 points. The school's 3rd grade results are the most concerning: only 23.3% of students are proficient in math and 26.0% in reading, less than half the state averages of 66.4% and 55.6%, respectively. Both gaps widened from the prior year, indicating that the youngest tested students are falling further behind.

Despite these challenges, there are notable bright spots. The strongest result is 4th grade math, where 65.7% of students are proficient—above both the district (56.8%) and the state (61.4%)—and the school improved by 9.6 points in this subject year over year. Several other middle-grade subjects also meet or exceed district averages, including 4th grade reading (51.4%), 5th grade math (58.8%), and 5th grade science (55.3%). Chronic absenteeism, at 25.1%, is another positive: it is drastically better than the district's 40.9% rate and nearly identical to the state average of 24.2%, suggesting strong attendance practices despite high poverty. With only one elementary school serving the city, Butner-Stem Elementary's performance defines the educational experience for all Butner families, and the recent declines in early literacy, numeracy, and 5th grade scores point to urgent areas for intervention.