Best Public Schools in Ellerbe, NC

The city of Ellerbe, North Carolina, is served by two public schools within Richmond County Schools: Mineral Springs Elementary (grades PK–5, 441 students) and Ellerbe Middle (grades 6–8, 182 students), with no high school located in the town itself. Both schools serve intensely high-poverty populations, with nearly all students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Despite this economic disadvantage, both schools post chronic absenteeism rates below both the district and state averages, a genuinely positive signal for families. Students completing 8th grade at Ellerbe Middle will continue on to a high school outside Ellerbe within the county.

Ellerbe Middle is the stronger school overall based on recent results. It posted major year-over-year gains in 6th grade math and reading, and its 8th grade stands out clearly, with proficiency exceeding both district and state averages in math, reading, and science — most notably 75% proficiency in 8th grade science, the highest single score among any grade and subject at either school. Mineral Springs Elementary, by contrast, has a genuine pocket of strength in 4th grade math, where proficiency has consistently run well above district and state averages. However, its overall statewide ranking has declined steadily, and reading proficiency remains far below state expectations in every elementary grade.

Reading is the major academic weakness across both schools. At Mineral Springs Elementary, average reading proficiency is roughly 37.5% compared with 60.3% in math, and reading scores trail the state by wide margins at every grade level. At Ellerbe Middle, 7th grade reading is the notable concern, while math is a relative strength at both schools, especially at certain grades. The two schools report nearly identical per-pupil spending, though Ellerbe Middle enjoys a much smaller student-teacher ratio of 13.0 versus 18.3 at Mineral Springs Elementary. Overall, Ellerbe Middle is trending upward academically while Mineral Springs Elementary shows a more concerning trajectory, making early literacy support an important community priority.