Caswell County Schools

Caswell County Schools is a small, rural North Carolina district with six schools serving roughly 2,100 students in grades PK-12, and it ranks in the bottom third of state districts, though the district-wide picture hides big differences between schools. Every school serves a student body with nearly universal poverty—free/reduced-price lunch eligibility ranges from 97.9% to 99.5%—and chronic absenteeism is above the state rate in all six schools, but the academic results vary widely.

North Elementary is the clear standout: it ranks in the 71st percentile statewide, and its 3rd- and 4th-grade math proficiency (84% and 81%) towers over the state averages, despite 99.1% poverty. South Elementary is the most improved, jumping from the 7th to the 50th percentile in two years, and it leads the district in 5th-grade science (79% vs. 68% statewide). At the secondary level, Bartlett Yancey High boasts a 90% graduation rate, but its EOC proficiency lags far behind state averages, especially in English II (43% vs. 65%). Meanwhile, N L Dillard Middle sits in the 6th percentile statewide, with every subject 25–30 points below the state, and Stoney Creek Elementary, the district’s smallest school, shows the toughest combination of low scores and the area’s highest chronic absenteeism rate at 41%.

A key pattern is that elementary schools are trending upward—four of the five elementary schools improved their percentile rankings over the past two years—while the middle and high schools remain stuck near the bottom. Chronic absenteeism tracks low performance closely: the two lowest-ranked schools have the highest absenteeism, while Oakwood Elementary and North Elementary show that better attendance and stronger results can coexist with high poverty. Spending also does not explain outcomes: Stoney Creek spends the most per pupil ($13,253) yet has the lowest scores, while North spends less ($11,195) and achieves much more. The transition into middle school appears to be a breaking point, making attendance support and the elementary-to-middle handoff the district’s most urgent priorities.