Bladenboro Primary

Bladenboro Primary is a PK–4 school in Bladenboro, NC, serving about 448 students in a high-poverty area, with roughly 99% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The school has experienced a steep decline in recent years, dropping from the 40th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the bottom 10th percentile with a 0-star rating in 2025-2026 — a downward trend that places it among the lowest-performing elementary schools in North Carolina.

The most urgent concern is early-grade performance. In the latest tested year, 3rd grade math proficiency was just 35.4% and reading was 31.6%, far below the state averages of 66.4% and 55.6%. Nearby schools with similar poverty levels are achieving much stronger results — East Robeson Primary posted 89.3% 3rd grade math proficiency, and Southeastern Academy reached 100%, showing that high poverty does not have to dictate low outcomes. Subgroup effectiveness has also dropped sharply across the board, with African American students falling from the 66th to the 4th statewide percentile over two years. That said, 4th grade is a relative bright spot: Bladenboro consistently outperforms the Bladen County Schools district average in both math and reading, and beats Elizabethtown Primary in most grade-level subjects even though Elizabethtown serves the same district.

There are some positive signs to build on. Chronic absenteeism has improved for three straight years, falling from 34.9% to 26.9% — now below the district average of 31.4% and far better than several nearby Robeson County schools like Long Branch Elementary (46.2%) and W H Knuckles (38.5%). With 4th grade results showing the school can achieve stronger outcomes, the clear priority is replicating that success in the early grades. Families considering this school should ask about reading and math intervention strategies for K–3, how the school plans to address the recent decline, and what supports are in place to ensure all student groups are progressing.