Summary:
The small city of Cleveland, North Carolina, is served by just two public elementary schools — West Rowan Elementary in Rowan-Salisbury Schools and Cool Spring Elementary in Iredell-Statesville Schools — both serving grades PK-5 and both educating student bodies where more than 99% qualify for free/reduced lunch, making them among the highest-poverty schools in the state.
Despite those nearly identical demographics, the two schools produce vastly different results. Cool Spring is a clear standout: it ranks in the 92nd percentile statewide (125th out of 1,492 schools) with a 5-star rating, and its proficiency rates far exceed state averages. For example, 84.1% of its 3rd graders are proficient in math versus 66.4% statewide, and 3rd-grade reading proficiency is 81.6% versus 55.6%. West Rowan, by contrast, sits in the 16th percentile (1,255th out of 1,492) with 1 star, trailing the state in every subject and posting just 37.4% 3rd-grade reading proficiency. The average proficiency gap in 2025-2026 was roughly 34 percentage points in math and 38 points in reading. Chronic absenteeism tracks the same divide: only 5.8% at Cool Spring versus 25.1% at West Rowan, compared to a 24.2% state average, suggesting attendance is a major factor behind the academic gap.
The two schools also moved in opposite directions between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Cool Spring improved average reading proficiency from 70.4% to 77.5% and 5th-grade science from 65.2% to an impressive 82.8%, while West Rowan declined in math (52.0% to 48.0%) and reading (43.2% to 39.1%). Cool Spring also has a slightly lower student-teacher ratio (14.3 vs. 15.0) and spends considerably more per student ($9,664 vs. $7,522, though that data is from 2018-2019). The bottom line for parents: two high-poverty elementary schools in the same small city can look completely different, and Cool Spring's results demonstrate that high achievement is possible even under challenging socioeconomic conditions.
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