Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! North Carolina test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Ellendale Elementary

Public Grades K-5

1214^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Ellendale Elementary is a small K–5 school in Taylorsville, NC, serving 168 students from a predominantly economically disadvantaged community within Alexander County Schools. Despite favorable conditions that normally support student success—including a low student-teacher ratio of 14.9, per-pupil spending of $12,059, and chronic absenteeism well below state averages—the school has recently experienced a sharp academic decline in statewide rankings, falling to the 19th percentile with a 1-star rating.

Ellendale's most recent rankings are the lowest among local elementary schools in its district. Bethlehem Elementary, which is about 6.5 miles away and serves a similarly high-poverty population, ranks in the 75th percentile with 4 stars, while Taylorsville Elementary, Wittenburg Elementary, and Sugar Loaf Elementary each rank above Ellendale. Test scores in 3rd grade reading, 3rd grade math, 5th grade math, and 5th grade science all fell significantly below district and state proficiency averages. The only area where Ellendale surpassed its district was 4th grade reading. Attendance is not a likely cause of the decline—Ellendale’s chronic absenteeism rate of 12.0% is much lower than several nearby schools, including Wittenburg (21%) and Taylorsville Elementary (17%).

One of the most important takeaways for parents is that Ellendale has historically performed much better. Between 2016 and 2021, the school frequently ranked in the 65th–87th percentile and earned 4-star ratings in multiple years, demonstrating an ability to serve its students well. The recent drop is accompanied by extreme year-to-year swings in test scores—3rd grade math proficiency ranged from 82.6% one year to 40.7% the next—likely reflecting the strong influence of individual grade cohorts at a small school. Science has emerged as a particular vulnerability, with only 45.8% of 5th graders proficient versus roughly 66–68% at the district and state levels. Nearby schools such as Snow Creek Elementary, Clyde Campbell Elementary, and Bethlehem consume similar poverty rates yet achieve far better outcomes, proving that strong results are possible within the same region and demographics.

168

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

175 Ellendale Park Lane
Taylorsville, NC 28681-9570

(828) 632-4866

District: Alexander County Schools

Students who attend Ellendale Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	West Alexander Middle
High:	Alexander Central High

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.7%

Two or more races:

6.0%

African American:

3.0%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Ellendale Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2016 → 19th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (45% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 49 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg56%

North Carolina avg61%

1,214^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▼ down 50 pts since 2016

From top 32% (2016) to bottom 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

128^th of 246Alexander 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.5	1214 of 1492	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.0	918 of 1490	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.8	917 of 1505	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.8	520 of 1502	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.1	476 of 1514	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	83.8	200 of 1489	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	70.9	387 of 1473	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	70.6	388 of 1434	72.9%	★★★★☆
2017	64.7	499 of 1429	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.4	450 of 1425	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	68.6	442 of 1440	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.7	513 of 1390	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.0	521 of 1403	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	68.2	439 of 1388	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.7	457 of 1381	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.5	454 of 1363	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	70.1	389 of 1354	71.3%	★★★★☆
2008	68.4	381 of 1324	71.2%	★★★★☆
2007	76.2	237 of 1293	81.7%	★★★★☆
2006	74.3	269 of 1276	78.9%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	81.1	76 of 897	91.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	9.7	1388 of 1447	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	29.4	1096 of 1451	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.2	837 of 1455	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	71.7	363 of 1459	75.1%	★★★★☆
2022	65.6	446 of 1458	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	85.9	150 of 1440	89.6%	★★★★☆
2019	78.7	229 of 1424	83.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.3	442 of 1405	68.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.7	1054 of 1434	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	46.6	769 of 1437	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.6	915 of 1450	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.8	623 of 1437	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.3	578 of 1366	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	83.4	114 of 1329	91.4%	★★★★★
2019	72.3	278 of 1361	79.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	293 of 1332	78.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	826 of 1451	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.2	612 of 1450	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.2	863 of 1464	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.3	719 of 1461	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.7	498 of 1464	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.5	326 of 1444	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	59.7	548 of 1430	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.0	357 of 1413	74.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	1084 of 1146	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.6	1074 of 1172	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	1040 of 1166	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.9	818 of 1183	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.8	685 of 1194	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	69.8	311 of 1172	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	48.2	643 of 1183	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.0	509 of 1178	56.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Disabled (2018)92nd percentile+19 vs school

Male (2026)43rd percentile+24 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)26th percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)5th percentile-13 vs school

Female (2026)4th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics49%-15 vs state

Science46%-22 vs state

Reading41%-15 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Ellendale Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Ellendale Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Ellendale Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
Ellendale Elementary	Public	K-5	175 Ellendale Park Lane	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 632-4866	168	11	14.9	98.2%	144 (85.7%)	5 (3.0%)	4 (2.4%)	4 (2.4%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.0%)	23.5	1214^th of 1492 public elementary schools	18.6%		40	918^th of 1490 public elementary schools	38.4%	296	46.9	52.9	45.8				25.0	55.9	41.7				45.8		$12,059	$1,416	$10,642
Taylorsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 7th Street SW	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 632-3072	241	14	17.7	98.8%	131 (54.4%)	36 (14.9%)	39 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (14.5%)	46.1	801^st of 1492 public elementary schools	46.3%		48.4	769^th of 1490 public elementary schools	48.4%	32	71.4	80.0	53.8				57.1	60.0	43.6				41.0		$12,141	$1,707	$10,434
Sugar Loaf Elementary	Public	K-5	3600 NC Hwy 16N	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 632-2192	196	12	16.8	98.5%	162 (82.7%)	11 (5.6%)	6 (3.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (8.2%)	31.7	1062^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	28.8%		42.3	873^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	41.4%	189	72.0	52.8	64.7				36.0	36.1	41.2				51.5		$10,272	$854	$9,417
Bethlehem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7900 NC Hwy 127	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 495-8198	435	26	16.9	99.1%	335 (77.0%)	11 (2.5%)	43 (9.9%)	19 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.0%)	72.4	370^th of 1492 public elementary schools	75.2%		73.3	340^th of 1490 public elementary schools	77.2%	30	75.0	69.8	61.3				67.6	66.7	66.1				77.4		$9,332	$688	$8,643
Wittenburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7300 Church Road	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 632-2395	294	17	17.3	99.0%	228 (77.6%)	11 (3.7%)	37 (12.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.4%)	37.7	948^th of 1492 public elementary schools	36.5%		33.6	1022^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	31.4%	74	43.6	45.9	62.8				43.6	45.9	53.5				72.1		$10,578	$975	$9,603
Oak Hill Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	4603 Oak Hill School Rd.	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Oak Hill Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 759-1383	253	17	15.3		213 (84.2%)	6 (2.4%)	13 (5.1%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	14.9	1364^th of 1492 public elementary schools	8.6%		24.9	1188^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.3%	176	54.1	45.0	37.5	30.0	27.8	37.5	32.4	40.0	33.3	40.0	33.3	50.0	45.8	43.8
Dudley Shoals Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 Dudley Shoals Road	Granite Falls	28630	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 396-3457	433	26	16.4	99.3%	369 (85.2%)	6 (1.4%)	25 (5.8%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.5%)	39.7	910^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.0%		49.5	751^st of 1490 public elementary schools	49.6%	159	47.1	48.5	63.4				39.7	60.6	46.5				71.8		$9,484	$1,010	$8,473
Kings Creek Elementary	Public	K-8	3680 Wilkesboro Boulevard	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-6039	153	11	13.5	98.0%	137 (89.5%)	1 (0.7%)	8 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.6%)	5.1	1464^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.9%		15.9	1339^th of 1490 public elementary schools	10.1%	125	9.5	21.4	15.8	20.0	26.3	31.3	23.8	42.9	21.1	40.0	42.1	68.8	26.3	68.8	$11,461	$1,809	$9,651
Snow Creek Elementary	Public	K-6	3238 Snow Creek Rd	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 256-2335	551	36	15.1	99.5%	324 (58.8%)	14 (2.5%)	120 (21.8%)	40 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (9.6%)	74.3	332^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	77.7%		67.7	434^th of 1490 public elementary schools	70.9%	102	79.5	75.3	77.9	74.0			69.9	64.2	55.8	57.5			75.6		$9,304	$1,117	$8,187
Clyde Campbell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2121 35th Avenue Drive NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 256-2769	505	31	16.1	99.4%	305 (60.4%)	22 (4.4%)	86 (17.0%)	46 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (9.1%)	73.4	355^th of 1492 public elementary schools	76.2%		71.1	372^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	75.0%	17	74.6	76.7	74.3	62.5			62.0	73.3	59.5	65.3			71.6		$9,813	$1,428	$8,385

Frequently Asked Questions about Ellendale Elementary

How many students attend Ellendale Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 168 students attended Ellendale Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Ellendale Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ellendale Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : West Alexander Middle
High : Alexander Central High

Is Ellendale Elementary a good school?

Ellendale Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.6% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Ellendale Elementary?

Students at Ellendale Elementary are 86% White, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Ellendale Elementary in?

Alexander County Schools

Rate Ellendale Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Taylorsville, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ellendale Elementary!

Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 2, 2026

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

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.