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Kings Creek Elementary

Q: Is Kings Creek Elementary a good school?

Kings Creek Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.9% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Kings Creek Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 153 students attended Kings Creek Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Kings Creek Elementary?

Students at Kings Creek Elementary are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of Kings Creek Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kings Creek Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Hibriten High

Public Grades K-8

1464^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 2% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Kings Creek Elementary is a small K-8 school in Lenoir, North Carolina, serving 153 students, and it is currently ranked in the 2nd percentile statewide — one of the lowest-performing schools in the region. The school serves a very high-poverty population, with about 98% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and chronic absenteeism has hovered around 30% for several years, well above the state average of 24.2%. Even with a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.5, elementary proficiency rates in math, reading, and science are dramatically below both district and state averages.

This was not always the case. Kings Creek ranked in the 75th percentile as recently as 2017-2018, but has declined steadily ever since, reaching its current 2nd-percentile position in 2025-2026. The slide is especially visible in elementary grades, where 3rd-grade math proficiency fell to 9.5%, while nearby schools serving similar populations have fared much better. For example, Lower Creek Elementary, located just miles away, reports roughly 50% proficiency in elementary math and reading despite a virtually identical rate of poverty. Likewise, Dudley Shoals Elementary demonstrates that high-poverty schools in the district can achieve far stronger results. Kings Creek is now the lowest-ranked school in its surrounding comparison group, even when compared to other schools within Caldwell County Schools.

There are a few bright spots. In 2025-2026, 8th-grade reading and science at Kings Creek matched or exceeded district and state averages, suggesting that certain grade-level strategies may be working. However, subgroup rankings show broad underperformance across low-income, female, and white students relative to their peers statewide, so the challenges are not limited to one group. With small enrollment, year-to-year swings can be misleading, but the overall downward trend is consistent and serious. Addressing chronic absenteeism and understanding why neighboring schools with similar demographics achieve better results will likely be essential if Kings Creek is to reverse its trajectory.

153

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

98%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3680 Wilkesboro Boulevard
Lenoir, NC 28645-9153

(828) 754-6039

District: Caldwell County Schools

Students who attend Kings Creek Elementary usually attend:

High:

Hibriten High

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.5%

Hispanic:

5.2%

Two or more races:

4.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Kings Creek Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 54th percentile in 2016 → 2nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (32% vs 59% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 52 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg53%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

1,464^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 53 pts since 2016

From top 46% (2016) to bottom 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

580^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 37 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to bottom 25% (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	5.1	1464 of 1492	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.9	1339 of 1490	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.7	1183 of 1505	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.8	884 of 1502	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.4	875 of 1514	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	64.2	497 of 1489	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.6	627 of 1473	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.5	355 of 1434	75.2%	★★★★☆
2017	61.7	542 of 1429	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.2	650 of 1425	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	68.1	451 of 1440	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	64.3	477 of 1390	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	68.9	384 of 1403	72.6%	★★★★☆
2012	80.3	200 of 1388	85.6%	★★★★☆
2011	74.8	301 of 1381	78.2%	★★★★☆
2010	74.1	309 of 1363	77.3%	★★★★☆
2009	73.2	337 of 1354	75.1%	★★★★☆
2008	65.9	427 of 1324	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	59.9	552 of 1293	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.9	389 of 1276	69.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	4.3	1436 of 1447	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.5	1326 of 1451	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	45.5	821 of 1405	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	9.9	1393 of 1434	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	29.3	1143 of 1437	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.3	959 of 1450	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.1	574 of 1437	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.0	232 of 1329	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	67.3	353 of 1361	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	75.5	216 of 1332	83.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	24.0	1184 of 1464	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.3	977 of 1461	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.7	947 of 1464	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	82.7	198 of 1444	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	57.2	616 of 1430	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	82.6	183 of 1413	87.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	1.0	1145 of 1146	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.5	1159 of 1172	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	1117 of 1166	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.3	1004 of 1183	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.5	1030 of 1194	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.1	659 of 1172	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.5	839 of 1183	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.6	602 of 1178	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.2	580 of 778	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.8	557 of 773	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.4	445 of 793	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.5	497 of 784	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.5	355 of 786	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.6	398 of 741	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.8	389 of 737	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	85.5	62 of 691	91.0%	★★★★★
2017	66.0	228 of 694	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.7	259 of 692	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.1	312 of 705	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.2	272 of 627	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	43.3	377 of 673	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	70.5	192 of 662	71.0%	★★★★☆
2011	60.2	292 of 648	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.6	298 of 640	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	74.6	155 of 630	75.4%	★★★★☆
2008	63.8	241 of 620	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	61.1	263 of 606	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.1	209 of 598	65.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	48.6	345 of 706	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.6	357 of 684	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	424 of 725	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.7	518 of 729	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.6	484 of 743	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.4	420 of 735	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	60.4	222 of 689	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	191 of 633	69.8%	★★★★☆
2019	51.0	299 of 639	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.4	58 of 604	90.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	23.0	575 of 733	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.2	355 of 751	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.5	451 of 747	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.4	370 of 748	50.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.0	554 of 644	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.7	584 of 649	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.1	533 of 652	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.8	631 of 656	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	29.0	503 of 658	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.2	494 of 632	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.9	488 of 624	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	74.8	125 of 596	79.0%	★★★★☆

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 (2024)19th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)1st percentile~ school

White (2026)<1st percentile~ school

Middle school

Female (2021)51st percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)42nd percentile+16 vs school

Male (2025)22nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)14th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science46%-22 vs state

Reading38%-17 vs state

Mathematics20%-40 vs state

★

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Schools Near Kings Creek Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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
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
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
Ellendale Elementary	Public	K-5	175 Ellendale Park Lane	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 632-4866	168	11	14.9	98.2%	144 (85.7%)	5 (3.0%)	4 (2.4%)	4 (2.4%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.0%)	23.5	1214^th of 1492 public elementary schools	18.6%		40	918^th of 1490 public elementary schools	38.4%	296	46.9	52.9	45.8				25.0	55.9	41.7				45.8		$12,059	$1,416	$10,642
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
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
Dudley Shoals Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 Dudley Shoals Road	Granite Falls	28630	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 396-3457	433	26	16.4	99.3%	369 (85.2%)	6 (1.4%)	25 (5.8%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.5%)	39.7	910^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.0%		49.5	751^st of 1490 public elementary schools	49.6%	159	47.1	48.5	63.4				39.7	60.6	46.5				71.8		$9,484	$1,010	$8,473
Boomer-Ferguson Elementary School	Public	K-5	556 Boomer-Ferguson Sch Rd	Boomer	28606	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 651-8900	111	7	15.7	97.3%	85 (76.6%)	6 (5.4%)	8 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (10.8%)	27.2	1155^th of 1492 public elementary schools	22.6%		39.4	928^th of 1490 public elementary schools	37.7%	227	52.6	60.0	42.9				42.1	55.0	38.1				47.6		$12,571	$1,753	$10,817
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Kings Creek Elementary

What district is Kings Creek Elementary in?

Caldwell County Schools

How many students attend Kings Creek Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 153 students attended Kings Creek Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Kings Creek Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kings Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Hibriten High

What is the racial makeup of Kings Creek Elementary?

Students at Kings Creek Elementary are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Is Kings Creek Elementary a good school?

Kings Creek Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.9% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Rate Kings Creek Elementary!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 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.