Craven County Board of Education

The Craven County Board of Education serves approximately 12,152 students across 26 elementary, middle, and high schools in eastern North Carolina, earning a 2-star district rating and a 142nd-place ranking among 246 North Carolina districts. Families will find exceptional options at both ends of the spectrum: Craven Early College High ranks in the 95th percentile statewide with a 92.1% graduation rate and near-perfect test scores in subjects like Math III, while West Craven High sits in the 13th percentile with a 79.2% graduation rate and more than 99% of its students living in poverty. This makes Craven County a district of extremes, where individual school choice plays a major role in shaping student outcomes.

For the strongest options, parents should consider Early College EAST High, which posts the district's highest graduation rate at 94.3%. At the middle school level, Tucker Creek Middle stands out in the 88th percentile with 4 stars, alongside Grover C Fields Middle as a steady 4-star performer. The district's two elite elementary schools are Creekside Elementary (93rd percentile, 5 stars) and W Jesse Gurganus Elementary (92nd percentile, 5 stars). Albert H Bangert Elementary is a remarkable high-poverty success story, ranking in the 82nd percentile despite nearly 99% of students qualifying for free lunch.

At the other end, Oaks Road Academy and Havelock Elementary rank in the bottom 10% of elementary schools, while West Craven Middle and Graham A Barden Elementary also struggle significantly. Craven Virtual Academy is a uniquely high-risk setting with a 52% graduation rate and very low test scores. Chronic absenteeism above 26% at West Craven High, West Craven Middle, and New Bern High is a major warning sign, as is a districtwide math weakness that trails state averages at every grade level.