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Happy Valley Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1254^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Happy Valley Elementary is a small PK–8 school in Lenoir, NC, serving 234 students through Caldwell County Schools. The school has seen a significant downturn in its statewide ranking, dropping from the 30th percentile in 2024-25 to the 16th percentile in the most recent year, with declines affecting all student groups. Serving a very high-poverty population (about 98% eligible for free/reduced lunch), Happy Valley still shows particular strengths in middle school academics, even while its elementary grades and attendance rates are areas of concern.

Chronic absenteeism is a major challenge: 31.1% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25, compared to 23.2% district-wide. That rate is nearly double that of similarly high-poverty neighbors like Collettsville School (16.5%) and Lower Creek Elementary (17.3%), both of which outperform Happy Valley overall. Even Hudson Elementary, with similar poverty levels and an 18.6% absenteeism rate, ranks much higher, which suggests that improving attendance could be a critical lever for raising achievement.

The school’s profile is split: 3rd and 5th grade math and reading proficiency fall well below state averages, while grades 6–8 often meet or exceed state benchmarks. For example, Happy Valley’s 7th grade reading proficiency reached 70% versus the state’s 56%, and 8th grade math hit 62% versus the state’s 53%. In middle school math, Happy Valley outperformed nearby PK–8 schools like Kings Creek Elementary and Oak Hill Charter School. Because the school is small, year-to-year swings can be large, but the overall trend calls for targeted help in grades 3–5 and a sustained focus on attendance.

234

Students ?

18.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

97.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1350 Yadkin River Road
Lenoir, NC 28645-0130

(828) 754-3496

District: Caldwell County Schools

Students who attend Happy Valley Elementary usually attend:

High:

Hibriten High

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.6%

Two or more races:

5.1%

Hispanic:

4.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Happy Valley Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 42nd percentile in 2016 → 16th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (50% vs 59% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg53%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

1,254^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 26 pts since 2016

From bottom 42% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

269^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 35%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to top 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

162^nd of 246Caldwell 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
2026	21.8	1254 of 1492	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.7	1042 of 1490	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	910 of 1505	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.9	991 of 1502	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.8	990 of 1514	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.3	748 of 1489	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.0	694 of 1473	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.5	450 of 1434	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	44.1	850 of 1429	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	45.5	829 of 1425	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	41.6	882 of 1440	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	34.5	942 of 1390	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.4	703 of 1403	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	82.0	165 of 1388	88.1%	★★★★☆
2011	85.5	119 of 1381	91.4%	★★★★★
2010	73.9	312 of 1363	77.1%	★★★★☆
2009	58.6	641 of 1354	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	59.1	561 of 1324	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.1	664 of 1293	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	55.2	619 of 1276	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.3	1306 of 1447	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	50.0	715 of 1451	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.8	562 of 1455	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.5	1088 of 1459	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.3	943 of 1458	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.0	723 of 1440	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.0	676 of 1424	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.4	336 of 1405	76.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.4	1374 of 1434	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	39.9	916 of 1437	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.4	690 of 1450	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.0	873 of 1437	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.3	685 of 1366	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.3	228 of 1329	82.8%	★★★★☆
2019	63.7	420 of 1361	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.7	158 of 1332	88.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.4	1184 of 1451	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.3	1051 of 1450	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.5	932 of 1464	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.5	995 of 1461	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.7	1085 of 1464	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.9	931 of 1444	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.4	665 of 1430	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.0	772 of 1413	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.6	1104 of 1146	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.4	1063 of 1172	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.0	1013 of 1166	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.1	1065 of 1183	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.6	1063 of 1194	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.9	923 of 1172	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.5	1004 of 1183	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.3	752 of 1178	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.2	269 of 778	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.7	443 of 773	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	502 of 793	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.8	602 of 784	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.3	430 of 786	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.8	363 of 741	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.9	399 of 737	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.5	329 of 691	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	38.3	447 of 694	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	60.7	266 of 692	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	67.4	213 of 705	69.8%	★★★★☆
2014	83.8	77 of 627	87.7%	★★★★☆
2013	81.1	101 of 673	85.0%	★★★★☆
2012	85.3	39 of 662	94.1%	★★★★★
2011	81.1	77 of 648	88.1%	★★★★☆
2010	76.9	121 of 640	81.1%	★★★★☆
2009	61.1	285 of 630	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	52.3	327 of 620	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	69.1	181 of 606	70.1%	★★★★☆
2006	71.2	151 of 598	74.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.5	315 of 731	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.7	422 of 733	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.9	661 of 738	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.5	561 of 731	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.2	408 of 733	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.2	327 of 706	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.5	360 of 684	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.5	251 of 656	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	59.8	239 of 729	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.6	427 of 743	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.6	555 of 735	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	57.6	213 of 633	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.6	445 of 639	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	71.6	119 of 604	80.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.2	213 of 736	71.1%	★★★★☆
2025	41.3	433 of 733	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.6	314 of 751	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	24.1	593 of 747	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.2	499 of 697	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.3	428 of 665	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.1	383 of 644	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.6	535 of 649	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.8	577 of 652	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.1	639 of 656	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.6	557 of 658	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.1	458 of 632	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.2	534 of 624	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.7	507 of 596	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Male (2026)18th percentile~ school

Female (2026)10th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)4th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)4th percentile-12 vs school

Middle school

Male (2026)71st percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)67th percentile+25 vs school

Female (2026)57th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science53%-15 vs state

Reading51%-5 vs state

Mathematics48%-12 vs state

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Schools Near Happy Valley Elementary

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Ranking:

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Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
Happy Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	1350 Yadkin River Road	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-3496	234	13	18.5	97.9%	212 (90.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.1%)	21.8	1254^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.0%		32.7	1042^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	30.1%	212	38.5	46.9	25.0	70.6	53.3	61.9	34.6	50.0	37.5	47.1	70.0	61.9	37.5	71.4	$10,168	$1,178	$8,990
Valmead Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Elizabeth Drive NW	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-9612	305	18	16.7	97.4%	133 (43.6%)	62 (20.3%)	75 (24.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.1%)	8.2	1442^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	3.4%		17.2	1323^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	11.2%	119	39.0	34.1	26.5				34.1	34.1	28.6				49.0		$13,388	$1,976	$11,412
Horizons Elementary	Public	K-5	332 Greenhaven Dr. NW	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 726-3855	29	13	2.3	89.7%	21 (72.4%)	3 (10.3%)	4 (13.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.4%)								(n/a)															$39,602	$516	$39,086
Lower Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	630 Lower Creek Drive NE	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-4022	396	23	17.4	99.2%	280 (70.7%)	28 (7.1%)	44 (11.1%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.8%)	44.9	829^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.4%		60.6	553^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	62.9%	276	52.5	52.2	53.0				54.1	61.2	57.6				65.2		$8,688	$857	$7,832
Davenport A+ School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 College Avenue SW	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-6941	429	25	17.4	99.3%	163 (38.0%)	56 (13.1%)	162 (37.8%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (10.3%)	31.8	1060^th of 1492 public elementary schools	29.0%		41.7	886^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.5%	174	44.3	45.9	59.2				41.4	45.9	52.1				63.4		$9,609	$958	$8,651
Whitnel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1425 Berkley Street SW	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 728-6423	330	16	20.0	94.8%	196 (59.4%)	27 (8.2%)	79 (23.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.6%)	15.2	1360^th of 1492 public elementary schools	8.8%		26.5	1146^th of 1490 public elementary schools	23.1%	214	46.3	30.6	40.5				34.1	36.1	42.9				54.8		$11,973	$1,307	$10,666
Collettsville School	Public	PK, KG-8	4690 Collettsville School Rd	Collettsville	28611	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-6913	321	20	16.3	98.8%	299 (93.1%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.4%)	61.9	549^th of 1492 public elementary schools	63.2%		37.9	952^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	36.1%	403	73.3	72.7	53.8	65.1	50.0	58.3	56.7	72.7	50.0	58.1	55.3	69.4	65.4	75.0	$9,454	$800	$8,654
Gamewell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2904 Morganton Boulevard	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 758-1193	459	27	16.8	99.3%	320 (69.7%)	40 (8.7%)	49 (10.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (10.0%)	16.5	1343^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	10.0%		25.2	1179^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.9%	164	42.9	45.8	27.5				38.6	54.2	33.8				37.5		$9,383	$1,070	$8,312
Kings Creek Elementary	Public	K-8	3680 Wilkesboro Boulevard	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 754-6039	153	11	13.5	98.0%	137 (89.5%)	1 (0.7%)	8 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.6%)	5.1	1464^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.9%		15.9	1339^th of 1490 public elementary schools	10.1%	125	9.5	21.4	15.8	20.0	26.3	31.3	23.8	42.9	21.1	40.0	42.1	68.8	26.3	68.8	$11,461	$1,809	$9,651
Oak Hill Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	4603 Oak Hill School Rd.	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Oak Hill Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 759-1383	253	17	15.3		213 (84.2%)	6 (2.4%)	13 (5.1%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	14.9	1364^th of 1492 public elementary schools	8.6%		24.9	1188^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.3%	176	54.1	45.0	37.5	30.0	27.8	37.5	32.4	40.0	33.3	40.0	33.3	50.0	45.8	43.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Happy Valley Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Happy Valley Elementary?

Students at Happy Valley Elementary are 91% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

Is Happy Valley Elementary a good school?

Happy Valley Elementary ranks in the bottom 16.0% of North Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Happy Valley Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 234 students attended Happy Valley Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Happy Valley Elementary attend?

Students who attend Happy Valley Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Hibriten High

What district is Happy Valley Elementary in?

Caldwell County Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.