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Grifton

Q: Is Grifton a good school?

Grifton ranks 1008 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1008^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Grifton is an elementary school located in Grifton, North Carolina, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 389 students. Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending than the state average, Grifton consistently ranks in the bottom 25% of North Carolina elementary schools and significantly underperforms the Pitt County Schools and North Carolina averages on state assessments.

The school's academic challenges are particularly pronounced in certain student subgroups, with Hispanic students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds performing relatively better than their White and male counterparts. This stark contrast in subgroup performance suggests that Grifton may need to tailor its instructional approaches and support systems to address the unique needs of different student populations. Additionally, the school's extremely high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, consistently above 99%, indicates that the low academic performance may be closely linked to the socioeconomic challenges faced by its student population.

Despite the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending, the persistent low academic achievement at Grifton raises questions about the effectiveness of the school's instructional practices, curriculum, and support systems. Addressing these issues will likely require a multifaceted approach that addresses both instructional and broader socioeconomic factors, as well as a careful examination of the school's resource allocation and utilization.

395

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,793

Per pupil spending ?

97.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

513 E McCrae St
Grifton, NC 28530

(252) 524-5141

District: Pitt County Schools

Students who attend Grifton usually attend:

High:

Ayden-Grifton High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.1%

White:

26.8%

Hispanic:

22.0%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Grifton to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2015 → 32nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 20 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (43% vs 56% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Reading scores 13 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg56%

North Carolina avg56%

Elementary school

1,008^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 21 pts since 2015

From bottom 12% (2015) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

573^rd of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 26%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 20Elementary Schools in the Pitt County Schools

124^th of 242Pitt County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	34.7	1008 of 1490	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.5	1109 of 1505	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.5	1297 of 1502	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.4	1352 of 1514	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.3	1078 of 1489	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.0	1378 of 1473	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.9	1341 of 1434	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.0	1320 of 1429	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	12.6	1300 of 1425	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	15.6	1273 of 1440	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	8.0	1321 of 1390	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	15.1	1260 of 1403	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	13.1	1292 of 1388	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	11.5	1293 of 1381	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	11.1	1277 of 1363	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	10.9	1259 of 1354	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	23.3	1093 of 1324	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	28.1	1047 of 1293	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	22.7	1084 of 1276	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	44.3	503 of 918	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.1	648 of 924	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.1	827 of 933	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.5	751 of 927	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.3	362 of 896	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	17.4	881 of 949	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.8	826 of 927	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	949 of 1451	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.9	888 of 1455	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.2	1131 of 1459	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.3	1122 of 1458	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.8	1079 of 1440	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.7	1274 of 1424	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.0	1344 of 1405	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	61.2	307 of 961	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.0	347 of 951	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.7	443 of 915	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.8	568 of 893	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.8	518 of 843	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.6	799 of 865	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	756 of 851	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.7	674 of 1437	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.0	910 of 1450	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.4	1202 of 1437	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	1122 of 1366	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.4	790 of 1329	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.4	1261 of 1361	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.8	1270 of 1332	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	33.9	1014 of 1450	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.6	1188 of 1464	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.1	1338 of 1461	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.1	1367 of 1464	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	27.8	1027 of 1444	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.3	1360 of 1430	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.3	1291 of 1413	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	24.3	972 of 1172	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.7	920 of 1166	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	1082 of 1183	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.4	1163 of 1194	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.3	1067 of 1172	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.9	1085 of 1183	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.8	1152 of 1178	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	573 of 773	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	659 of 793	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	545 of 784	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.6	545 of 786	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.3	591 of 741	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.3	458 of 737	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	14.6	603 of 691	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	8.8	648 of 694	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	15.2	598 of 692	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	14.6	612 of 705	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	6.2	608 of 627	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	21.2	544 of 673	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	25.6	546 of 662	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	27.2	531 of 648	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	38.3	457 of 640	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.4	478 of 630	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	41.2	406 of 620	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	41.5	420 of 606	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	42.6	405 of 598	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	23.8	455 of 546	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.6	454 of 560	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.6	254 of 559	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.7	195 of 550	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.7	372 of 533	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	306 of 519	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	19.7	446 of 494	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	36.1	487 of 733	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.7	495 of 738	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.2	515 of 731	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.0	513 of 733	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.2	544 of 706	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.8	408 of 684	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	9.8	620 of 656	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	17.8	439 of 452	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.1	113 of 562	79.9%	★★★★☆
2024	37.4	375 of 564	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.3	292 of 553	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.4	398 of 541	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.6	349 of 522	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.7	163 of 493	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	26.0	389 of 472	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	42.9	410 of 729	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.2	635 of 743	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.3	397 of 735	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.8	345 of 689	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.6	438 of 633	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.4	334 of 639	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	19.7	530 of 604	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	20.4	601 of 733	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	702 of 751	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	30.3	537 of 747	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.6	505 of 748	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.4	571 of 711	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.7	440 of 697	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	18.2	576 of 665	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	33.3	459 of 649	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.7	589 of 652	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.8	616 of 656	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	27.8	515 of 658	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.6	524 of 632	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.5	336 of 624	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	10.8	565 of 596	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Hispanic (2025)68th percentile+36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)53rd percentile+21 vs school

African American (2025)45th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2025)35th percentile~ school

Male (2025)30th percentile~ school

White (2025)17th percentile-15 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2025)80th percentile+54 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)44th percentile+18 vs school

Female (2025)34th percentile+8 vs school

White (2025)29th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)18th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2025)17th percentile-9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)3rd percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science52%-9 vs state

Mathematics44%-13 vs state

Reading39%-13 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, August 1, 2012

I have 3 kids that attend this school.. it is an awesome school great teachers and small classes my sons behavior has done a total turn around since we moved here last year, all of there grades have improved as well. small quiet town, less of a detraction for kids also. Close Quote

Schools Near Grifton

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Grifton	Public	PK, KG-8	513 E McCrae St	Grifton	28530	Pitt County	Pitt County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 524-5141	395	30	12.9	97.5%	106 (26.8%)	174 (44.1%)	87 (22.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.8%)	34.7	1008^th of 1490 public elementary schools	32.3%		29.5	1109^th of 1505 public elementary schools	26.3%	101	60.0	48.5	45.5	52.3	41.7	22.9	45.0	45.5	25.0	43.2	45.8	33.3	61.4	43.8	$10,793	$1,896	$8,897
Contentnea-Savannah School	Public	PK, KG-8	3400 Ferrell Road	Kinston	28501	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-8591	789	55	14.2	99.6%	249 (31.6%)	362 (45.9%)	144 (18.3%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (3.5%)	39.5	927^th of 1490 public elementary schools	37.8%		33	1046^th of 1505 public elementary schools	30.5%	119	64.4	52.1	60.2	23.9	37.8	31.0	46.6	49.3	48.9	38.2	37.4	30.1	66.7	29.2	$9,328	$1,658	$7,670
Ayden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	187 Third Street	Ayden	28513	Pitt County	Pitt County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 746-2121	656	44	15.0	98.5%	230 (35.1%)	294 (44.8%)	76 (11.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.2%)	66.6	455^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.5%		47.6	787^th of 1505 public elementary schools	47.7%	332	78.2	74.2	66.3				49.2	59.8	45.9				72.4		$9,475	$1,346	$8,129
Northeast Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1002 E Highland Ave	Kinston	28501	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-4166	465	27	17.2	99.4%	11 (2.4%)	412 (88.6%)	23 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.9%)	15.3	1345^th of 1490 public elementary schools	9.7%		21.8	1252^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	16.8%	93	29.5	24.1	38.4				28.4	38.9	32.9				56.3		$9,018	$1,456	$7,563
Chicod	Public	PK, KG-8	3833 Stokestown-St. John Road	Greenville	27858	Pitt County	Pitt County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 746-6742	902	60	15.1	99.7%	653 (72.4%)	71 (7.9%)	132 (14.6%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (4.3%)	88.7	126^th of 1490 public elementary schools	91.5%		86.9	153^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	89.8%	27	83.3	87.0	87.1	88.2	79.4	78.4	56.5	73.9	80.2	62.4	62.6	75.9	87.1	85.3	$8,818	$645	$8,174
Southeast Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 McDaniels Street	Kinston	28501	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-4210	326	24	13.5	96.9%	24 (7.4%)	269 (82.5%)	17 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.9%)	18.8	1298^th of 1490 public elementary schools	12.9%		1.8	1501^st of 1505 public elementary schools	0.3%	203	29.4	40.7	30.8				35.3	48.1	42.3				42.3		$12,465	$2,728	$9,737
W H Robinson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2439 Railroad Street	Winterville	28590	Pitt County	Pitt County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 756-3707	692	44	15.6	99.6%	169 (24.4%)	417 (60.3%)	46 (6.6%)	13 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (6.6%)	57	607^th of 1490 public elementary schools	59.3%		61.3	557^th of 1505 public elementary schools	63.0%	50	61.0	66.0	70.4				48.0	54.6	48.7				64.3		$9,355	$1,178	$8,177
Creekside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	431 Forlines Road	Winterville	28590	Pitt County	Pitt County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 353-5253	622	43	14.6	99.5%	114 (18.3%)	412 (66.2%)	45 (7.2%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (7.2%)	56.9	611^th of 1490 public elementary schools	59.0%		49.9	749^th of 1505 public elementary schools	50.2%	138	63.5	67.3	66.0				49.4	53.3	51.5				61.2		$10,268	$1,329	$8,939
James W Smith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 Koonce Town Road	Cove City	28523	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 514-6466	325	23	14.0	96.6%	125 (38.5%)	114 (35.1%)	57 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.9%)	48.6	765^th of 1490 public elementary schools	48.7%		38.5	962^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	36.1%	197	64.7	38.1	60.4				51.0	57.1	45.8				62.5		$12,531	$1,671	$10,860
Northwest Elementary	Public	K-5	1701 Old Well Rd	Kinston	28504	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-5143	504	31	16.2	99.4%	35 (6.9%)	374 (74.2%)	41 (8.1%)	19 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.9%)	44.1	845^th of 1490 public elementary schools	43.3%		46.6	807^th of 1505 public elementary schools	46.4%	38	51.8	58.6	62.5				27.7	51.4	44.3				73.9		$8,808	$1,369	$7,440

Frequently Asked Questions about Grifton

What schools do graduates of Grifton attend?

Students who attend Grifton usually go on to attend:

High : Ayden-Grifton High

What is the racial makeup of Grifton?

Students at Grifton are 44% African American, 27% White, 22% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

How many students attend Grifton?

In the 2024-25 school year, 395 students attended Grifton.

Is Grifton a good school?

Grifton ranks 1008^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Grifton in?

Pitt County Schools

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Schools in Grifton, NC

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

2023–24 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 4, 2024

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.