NERSBA Early College

NERSBA Early College is a very small, rural high school in Jamesville, NC, serving 140 students in grades 9–12. As a single-school district, it ranks in the 73rd percentile of North Carolina districts, and the high school itself ranks 240 of 662 statewide (64th percentile, 3 stars). That places it above the state median — roughly on par with Bear Grass Charter School and well behind Beaufort County Early College High, a regional early college ranked in the 95th percentile. Nearby traditional schools like Washington High, Washington County High, and Martin County High all rank in the bottom 7th–14th percentiles, making NERSBA a clear academic outlier.

NERSBA’s test scores tell a positive story: the school has beaten the state average in 13 of 16 End-of-Course subject-year comparisons over the past four years. English II is its most consistent strength, with proficiency holding steady between 70% and 84%. Math I hit 87.5% this year versus a 42.1% state average, though that score has swung widely in recent years — a common effect of a small student body. Chronic absenteeism is another plus: 13.1% of students are chronically absent, far below the state average of 24.2% and well under the 32.7%–44.5% rates at nearby traditional high schools. The school serves an overwhelmingly low-income student body (about 98% receive free/reduced-price lunch), yet still outperforms most local peers.

The most serious concern is graduation. After four-year rates above 90% through 2022–23, the two most recent cohorts finished at just 65.5% and 69.7% — about one in three students not graduating on time. That disconnect is surprising given strong test scores and low absenteeism; it may point to small cohort sizes or early-college completion requirements rather than lack of effort. Subgroup results show a widening gender gap: female students rank in the 71st percentile statewide, males in the 30th. Low-income students are above the state median at the 57th percentile, though down from 71st the prior year. Given the school’s small size, these shifts should be interpreted cautiously — but the graduation decline deserves close attention.