Hertford County Schools

Hertford County Schools in rural northeastern North Carolina includes 7 schools spanning pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, serving about 2,367 students in a district that ranks in the 24th percentile statewide and where nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch.

The two highest-performing schools are Hertford County Early College and Cs Brown High - STEM Program. Early College ranks in the 66th percentile and posts exceptional results, especially Math III proficiency at 98.1% versus the state’s 68.9%. C.S. Brown STEM ranks in the 62nd percentile, has the district’s lowest chronic absenteeism at 16.8%, and leads in Biology with 71% proficiency. Both schools have far lower chronic absenteeism than the district norm. Meanwhile, Hertford County High is a major concern: its chronic absenteeism rate is 67.3%, its graduation rate is below the state, and its EOC scores are dramatically lower than the other high schools. For example, Biology proficiency is just 26.9% compared to 71% at C.S. Brown STEM.

At the elementary level, Bearfield Primary is the strongest, with third-grade math and reading above district averages. Ahoskie Elementary shows one bright spot – fourth-grade reading at 49.5% – but its fifth-grade scores drop sharply. Riverview Elementary is in crisis, ranking in the 1st percentile with declining math scores in every grade and fifth-grade science at just 20% versus the state’s 67.7%. The district’s one middle school, Hertford County Middle, showed impressive year-over-year gains in all subjects, though it still remains below state averages. For parents, the clearest pattern is that lower chronic absenteeism correlates strongly with higher achievement, making attendance the single most important lever in this district.