Summary:
Edgecombe County Public Schools serves about 6,310 students across 19 schools in eastern North Carolina, including 9 elementary, 5 middle, and 5 high schools. The district ranks 215th out of 246 districts in the state, placing it in the 13th percentile with a 1-star rating. Nearly every school serves an extremely high-poverty population, with roughly 98% of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. The district's chronic absenteeism rate of 38.9% is well above the state average of 24.2%, and its four-year graduation rate of 84.1% trails the statewide 88.8%.
Although district-level results are low overall, a few schools are clear standouts. Edgecombe Early College High is the district's strongest school, ranking 77th out of 662 high schools in North Carolina (88th percentile, 4 stars), with proficiency rates of 86-100% across core subjects and chronic absenteeism of just 8.7%. EDGE Academy of Health Sciences also earns 4 stars, ranking 113th (83rd percentile). Among traditional schools, South Edgecombe Middle is the top middle school, ranking at the 44th percentile and outperforming the district in every tested subject, while G. W. Carver Elementary reaches the 50th percentile with a 3-star rating. All four of these schools serve similarly high-poverty populations, showing that strong outcomes are possible across the district.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, D. S. Johnson Elementary (0th percentile), Baskerville Elementary (1st percentile), J. W. Parker Middle (2nd percentile), and North Edgecombe High (5th percentile) require close attention. Math is the district's biggest academic weakness, with high school Math I proficiency at just 14.9% versus 42.1% statewide; Tarboro High posts only 6.3% proficiency in that subject. Chronic absenteeism strongly separates the schools: low performers often exceed 40-60% while the strongest stay below 30%. Notably, spending does not clearly align with results—North Edgecombe High spends $16,211 per student yet has the district's lowest graduation rate at 71.1%, while Edgecombe Early College High spends far less and produces some of the best outcomes in the state.
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