Dublin Primary

Dublin Primary is a small, rural elementary school in Dublin, North Carolina, serving about 234 students in grades PK through 5. Part of Bladen County Schools — a district ranking in the 19th percentile statewide — Dublin serves a student population where 98.7% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite that high-poverty profile, the school itself has been improving: its statewide elementary rank climbed from the 19th percentile to the 28th percentile in the most recent school year.

Academically, Dublin's strongest results come in 5th grade. In 2025-26, 5th-grade science proficiency hit 68.8% — above the state average — and 5th-grade math reached 62.5%, almost exactly matching the state average. Fourth grade is the weakest point, and reading remains the school's biggest challenge: proficiency trails the state by about 17 percentage points across grades 3-5. Compared with nearby schools, Dublin outranks Bladenboro Primary and Elizabethtown Primary, and sits close to Long Branch Elementary, but trails Bladen Lakes Primary and the area's two choice schools, Southeastern Academy and Emereau: Bladen, all of which post stronger results.

Attendance is arguably the school's most notable asset. The 2024-25 chronic absenteeism rate of 17.0% is far below the district rate of 31.4% and the state rate of 24.2%, and it is less than half the rate seen at nearby Long Branch Elementary (46.2%). That mark also reflects real improvement, down from about 23% two years ago. With a student body of just 234, Dublin's test scores will always swing somewhat with each class cohort, but improving attendance, competitive 5th-grade math and science, and an upward overall trajectory give families genuine reasons for optimism — especially if the school can close its reading gap.