Best Public Schools in Semora, NC

Semora, North Carolina, is served by a single public school, Woodland Elementary, a K–5 elementary school within Person County Schools that enrolls 217 students in a small, rural setting.

For parents considering this area, Woodland Elementary stands out as an exceptionally high-performing school despite serving a student body where nearly 99% of children qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 85th percentile statewide (228 out of 1,492 schools), which is notably stronger than its district's overall 3-star rating and 58th percentile ranking. In the most recent testing year, the school outperformed both the district and state on every single End-of-Grade test across math, reading, and science. The unweighted average proficiency across all tests was 75.2% at Woodland, compared to 63.4% for the district and 61.0% for the state. Perhaps most impressive is the school's consistently low chronic absenteeism rate of 14.1%, which is roughly 10 percentage points below the district and state averages—a strong indicator of student engagement and family involvement.

Academic trends show both growth and areas of focus. The most dramatic improvement came in 3rd-grade reading, which jumped from 51.5% proficiency in 2024–2025 to 80.0% in 2025–2026, a +28.5 point gain that far exceeded district and state progress. The school has sustained 4-star ratings for three consecutive years, with its most recent rank being its strongest. With a favorable 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio, Woodland Elementary offers the kind of small, relationship-centered environment that often supports strong outcomes. The one relative weak spot is 5th-grade reading at 60% proficiency—still above district and state averages, but noticeably lower than the school's other subjects. As the only school listed in Semora, no direct local comparisons are possible, but Woodland clearly stands out as a high-poverty school delivering above-average results.