Summary:
Pine Level, North Carolina is represented by one school, Pine Level Elementary, a PK–5 elementary school in Johnston County Public Schools serving 341 students. The school serves an almost entirely economically disadvantaged student body—98.83% qualify for free or reduced lunch—yet it has earned a 4-star SchoolDigger rating for three consecutive years and consistently ranks in the top quartile of North Carolina elementary schools, reaching the 83rd percentile statewide in 2024–2025.
Pine Level Elementary's clearest areas of strength are mathematics and attendance. In 2024–2025, 5th-grade math proficiency hit an exceptional 93.7%, far exceeding the district (63.0%) and state (59.3%). The following year, 3rd-grade math reached 85.5%, again well above district and state averages. The school's overall math proficiency has run roughly 10–14 points above district levels and 13–18 points above state levels in recent years. Chronic absenteeism of 16.3% is notably lower than the district's 21.8% and the state's 24.2%, and with a favorable 12.8 student-teacher ratio, the school appears well positioned to support strong academic gains despite its high-poverty context.
The one notable concern is 5th-grade reading, which fell to 47.7% in 2025–2026, dipping below both district (56.4%) and state (55.3%) averages after sitting above both the prior year. That same cohort also saw year-over-year drops in 5th-grade math (93.7% to 79.5%) and science (81.0% to 72.7%), suggesting possible cohort-specific challenges rather than a schoolwide decline. Other grades improved during the same period, including 3rd- and 4th-grade reading. Overall, Pine Level Elementary stands out as a high-poverty, high-performing school whose consistent top-quartile rankings and math excellence make it one of the stronger elementary schools in the Johnston County district.
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