Alamance Community School

Alamance Community School is a K-8 school in Haw River, NC, serving 736 students and functioning as its own single-school district, not part of the larger Alamance-Burlington Schools system. In the 2025-26 school year, it ranked in the 33rd percentile statewide (#1005 of 1,492 North Carolina schools), earning 2 stars. That overall standing has been stable over the past five years, ranging between the 30th and 40th percentiles.

Reading is the school's clearest strength, especially in the upper grades. Although overall reading proficiency across grades 3-8 (56.8%) matches the state average (56.0%), 8th graders reached 71.9% proficiency compared with 56.1% statewide — a nearly 16-point lead. Science is also right at state expectations: roughly 68% proficient in both grades 5 and 8. Math, however, is a real concern. Average math proficiency is about 43%, compared with nearly 60% statewide, and the gap appears at almost every grade level. The most dramatic example is 6th grade, where only 25.6% of students scored proficient in math versus 59.2% statewide — a 33-point gap that suggests an important transition-year problem.

Attendance is a bright spot: chronic absenteeism was 20.1% in 2024-25, below the state average of 24.2% and well under the 30.0% rate in the Alamance-Burlington Schools district. The school also compares favorably with several nearby schools. Just 1.36 miles away, Haw River Elementary's reading proficiency in grades 3-5 is 31.4%, versus 55.4% for ACS. ACS also outranks North Graham Elementary, Eastlawn Elementary, and Harvey R Newlin Elementary, all of which rank near the bottom of the state. Still, the strongest nearby schools remain ahead: Audrey W. Garrett Elementary posts 70.7% math and 64.1% reading proficiency in grades 3-5, ahead of ACS's 49.0% and 55.4%. The bottom line: ACS offers strong middle school reading and solid science, but families should watch how the school supports math, especially across the transition to 6th grade.