West Bertie Elementary

West Bertie Elementary is a small, rural PK–5 school in Kelford, NC, serving about 277 students in the Bertie County Schools district. Nearly all students (about 98%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school’s overall state ranking is low — roughly the 17th percentile. However, that single number hides some important strengths, especially when West Bertie is compared with nearby schools serving similar student populations.

The clearest bright spot is attendance. West Bertie’s chronic absenteeism rate is 22.1% — better than the district rate of 28.7%, better than the state average, and the lowest among comparable schools. By contrast, Ahoskie Elementary has a rate of 29.3%, Bearfield Primary is at 26.6%, and Scotland Neck Elementary Leadership Academy is much higher at 43.1%. West Bertie has also improved sharply in this area over the past few years. Academically, West Bertie outperforms Ahoskie Elementary — a school with very similar poverty levels — by a wide margin in math and reading, with 4th-grade math proficiency at 51.1% versus Ahoskie’s 31.4%. The school’s 4th-grade cohort appears to be a particular strength, repeatedly scoring above the district average.

Still, there are real concerns. Reading proficiency is persistently below state averages, particularly in 3rd and 5th grades, and 5th-grade science has declined in recent years. The school also saw a sharp drop in overall ranking from the 52nd percentile in 2022–23 to the 17th percentile recently, largely driven by a decline among male students. Because the school is small, yearly swings can be dramatic. On balance, West Bertie is doing better than its overall rating suggests when compared with similar high-poverty schools — but reading and consistency remain the key areas to watch.