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East Arcadia Elementary

Public Grades K-5

1401^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

East Arcadia Elementary is a small public elementary school in Riegelwood, North Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of just 75 students. Despite its small size, the school faces significant challenges, consistently ranking among the lowest-performing elementary schools in the state.

East Arcadia Elementary's academic performance is significantly below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. The school has an extremely high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 94% to 96%, indicating a very high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. With a relatively high student-teacher ratio, the school may struggle to provide individualized attention and support for its students. Additionally, the school spends significantly more per student than the state average, likely due to its small size and the need to maintain basic operations with a limited student population.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Emereau: Bladen, Malpass Corner Elementary, Classical Charter Schools of Leland, Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary, and Acme Delco Elementary, all outperform East Arcadia Elementary on academic measures. This highlights the challenges faced by many high-poverty schools in North Carolina and the growing importance of school choice in addressing the needs of underperforming schools.

Students ?

8.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,299

Per pupil spending ?

95.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

21451 NC Hwy 87 East
Riegelwood, NC 28456-9209

(910) 247-4609

District: Bladen County Schools

Students who attend East Arcadia Elementary usually attend:

High:

East Bladen High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

50.0%

Hispanic:

26.5%

White:

8.8%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare East Arcadia Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 13th percentile in 2013 → 6th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (25% vs 57% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school25%

District avg39%

North Carolina avg57%

1,401^st of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 9% (2015) to bottom 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Bladen County Schools

211^th of 242Bladen 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	11.5	1401 of 1490	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	1275 of 1505	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.1	1464 of 1514	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.0	1303 of 1473	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.6	1334 of 1434	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	19.4	1223 of 1429	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	2.8	1409 of 1425	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	12.2	1307 of 1440	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	4.5	1360 of 1390	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	17.7	1227 of 1403	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	21.7	1198 of 1388	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	17.8	1230 of 1381	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	38.4	953 of 1363	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	23.9	1106 of 1354	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	27.1	1049 of 1324	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	22.2	1117 of 1293	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	11.9	1201 of 1276	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	55.9	363 of 927	60.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	10.4	1324 of 1405	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	34.5	1032 of 1437	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.0	893 of 1450	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.0	1160 of 1361	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.7	1059 of 1332	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	11.5	1327 of 1413	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	6.0	660 of 691	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	20.2	570 of 694	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	14.9	600 of 692	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	27.1	531 of 705	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.1	485 of 627	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.5	447 of 673	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	41.8	449 of 662	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	24.4	541 of 648	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	35.1	479 of 640	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	30.3	502 of 630	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	18.8	523 of 620	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	37.1	449 of 606	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	34.7	452 of 598	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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

African American (2018)61st percentile+54 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)28th percentile+22 vs school

Male (2018)6th percentile~ school

Female (2018)6th percentile~ school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics28%-33 vs state

Reading25%-27 vs state

Science18%-44 vs state

★

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Schools Near East Arcadia Elementary

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
East Arcadia Elementary	Public	K-5	21451 NC Hwy 87 East	Riegelwood	28456	Bladen County	Bladen County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 247-4609	68	8	8.6	95.6%	6 (8.8%)	34 (50.0%)	18 (26.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.9%)	1 (1.5%)	5 (7.4%)	11.5	1401^st of 1490 public elementary schools	6.0%		20.6	1275^th of 1505 public elementary schools	15.3%	126	8.3	47.1	18.2				8.3	47.1	9.1				18.2		$21,299	$3,259	$18,039
Acme Delco Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	16337 Old Lake Road	Riegelwood	28456	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 655-2957	349	22	16.2	99.1%	130 (37.2%)	96 (27.5%)	82 (23.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.3%)	5 (1.4%)	21 (6.0%)	27.2	1131^st of 1490 public elementary schools	24.1%		23	1230^th of 1505 public elementary schools	18.3%	99	47.5	38.1	32.6	27.5			40.0	50.0	52.2	37.3			60.9		$10,358	$1,643	$8,715
Classical Charter Schools of Leland	Public, Charter	K-8	7055 Bacon's Way	Leland	28451	Brunswick County	Classical Charter Schools of Leland	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 655-1214	935	39	23.9		635 (67.9%)	88 (9.4%)	138 (14.8%)	8 (0.9%)	7 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (6.3%)	68.8	410^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.5%		64.2	501^st of 1505 public elementary schools	66.7%	91	66.0	57.0	64.8	58.9	64.4	75.3	55.7	73.0	66.7	60.0	62.4	79.5	72.2	87.7
Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1337 Giles Byrd Road	Hallsboro	28442	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 646-3510	394	23	17.0	98.2%	102 (25.9%)	90 (22.8%)	60 (15.2%)	1 (0.3%)	73 (18.5%)	1 (0.3%)	67 (17.0%)	39.3	931^st of 1490 public elementary schools	37.5%		38.4	963^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	36.0%	32	64.2	55.1	22.6	46.8			45.3	57.1	37.7	53.2			56.6		$10,419	$1,866	$8,554
Malpass Corner Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4992 Malpass Corner Road	Burgaw	28425	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 283-5889	513	29	17.5	98.1%	188 (36.6%)	135 (26.3%)	159 (31.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.5%)	18.7	1302^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	12.6%		18.2	1308^th of 1505 public elementary schools	13.1%	6	32.1	44.6	58.6				16.0	34.2	35.7				47.1		$11,511	$1,863	$9,647
Emereau: Bladen	Public, Charter	K-8	995 Airport Rd	Elizabethtown	28337	Bladen County	Emereau: Bladen	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 247-6595	629	49	12.9		382 (60.7%)	107 (17.0%)	71 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.2%)	52.4	705^th of 1490 public elementary schools	52.7%		44.4	851^st of 1505 public elementary schools	43.5%	146	90.3	58.3	40.3	54.1	41.9	33.8	71.0	58.3	50.0	49.4	47.3	51.5	51.4	73.5

Frequently Asked Questions about East Arcadia Elementary

What district is East Arcadia Elementary in?

Bladen County Schools

Is East Arcadia Elementary a good school?

East Arcadia Elementary ranks in the bottom 6.0% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of East Arcadia Elementary?

Students at East Arcadia Elementary are 50% African American, 26% Hispanic, 9% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% American Indian, 1% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend East Arcadia Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 68 students attended East Arcadia Elementary.

What schools do graduates of East Arcadia Elementary attend?

Students who attend East Arcadia Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : East Bladen High

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Schools in Riegelwood, NC

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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.