Best Public Schools in Hildebran, NC

In Hildebran, North Carolina, there is just one public school, Hildebran Elementary, which serves students in grades PK through 5 and is part of Burke County Schools. Hildebran Elementary enrolls 297 students and serves a community where nearly all families face economic challenges, with about 96% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. This school is the only educational option in the city, so there are no middle or high schools listed for Hildebran itself, and parents considering this area will be looking at an elementary-focused environment.

Even though there is no other local school to compare it to, Hildebran Elementary stands out when measured against district and state benchmarks. The school has notable bright spots in 5th-grade science, where 80.5% of students are proficient, beating the district rate of 72.2% and the state rate of 67.7%. Its 4th-grade reading proficiency is also strong at 69.6%, far ahead of the district’s 55.7% and the state’s 57.7%. These achievements are particularly impressive for a high-poverty school. Additionally, chronic absenteeism is just 14.7%, which is considerably lower than the state average of 24.2% and even better than the district average of 18.3%. Parents should also note that reading scores improved sharply from the previous year, with 3rd-grade reading jumping from 36.4% to 54.3% and 4th-grade reading rising from 57.1% to 69.6%.

The main area of concern is mathematics. During the most recent school year, 3rd-grade math proficiency was 56.5%, well below the state average of 66.4%, and 5th-grade math was 61.0% compared to the state’s 62.9%. Only 4th-grade math slightly exceeded the state rate. State ranking history shows the school earned 3 stars each year, improving from a 54th percentile ranking in 2024-2025 to a 58th percentile ranking in 2025-2026, though it remains short of its earlier 61st percentile high. Overall, Hildebran Elementary is a solid choice for families in the area, showing that a high-poverty school can still achieve strong reading and science results while keeping attendance issues in check.