Best Public Schools in Locust, NC

Summary:

The city of Locust, North Carolina is home to two schools: West Stanly Middle School and Locust Elementary. These schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and are part of the Stanly County Schools district.

Of the two schools, Locust Elementary stands out as a high-performing institution, consistently ranking among the top 203 elementary schools in North Carolina and earning 4 or 5-star ratings from SchoolDigger. The school's test scores are impressive, with a high percentage of students proficient or better in mathematics, reading, and science across all grade levels. In contrast, while West Stanly Middle School performs well, its metrics are more in line with the district and state averages.

Key differences between the two schools include enrollment, with West Stanly Middle School having 633 students and Locust Elementary having 526 students. Additionally, Locust Elementary has a significantly higher free/reduced lunch rate of 96.01%, compared to 44.71% at West Stanly Middle School. Despite these differences, the per-student spending at both schools is similar, suggesting that factors beyond funding, such as instructional practices and school leadership, may play a crucial role in shaping their academic performance.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Locust Elementary	Public	K-5	103 School Rd	Locust	28097	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-5500	563	36	15.7	99.5%	408 (72.5%)	27 (4.8%)	88 (15.6%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.7%)	83	203^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	86.4%		86.3	160^th of 1505 public elementary schools	89.4%	43	72.9	69.0	89.2				59.4	64.0	75.5				89.2		$8,043	$624	$7,419
West Stanly Middle School	Public	6-8	339 Running Creek Church Rd	Locust	28097	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 961-3600	662	38	17.3	99.5%	472 (71.3%)	35 (5.3%)	101 (15.3%)	14 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (5.9%)	74.5	168^th of 773 public middle schools	78.3%		71	199^th of 793 public middle schools	74.9%	31				70.4	64.7	61.7				60.2	62.7	70.9		64.3	$8,483	$608	$7,875

Cities Near Locust

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Stanfield	2.42 mi	1	186^th
Oakboro	4.52 mi	2	36^th
Midland	6.27 mi	1	37^th
Concord	8.29 mi	35	227^th
Albemarle	8.8 mi	10	319^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.