Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary

Q: Is Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary a good school?

Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary ranks 525 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

525^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary is a combined PK–8 school in Smyrna, NC, serving roughly 262 students for the strong Carteret County Public Schools district — one of the more remote and smaller schools in the county, and unusual in its immediate area for spanning both elementary and middle grades. The district ranks 31st of 246 in North Carolina, and the school has historically been a solid but not elite performer, earning a 3-star rating and a 65th-percentile statewide ranking in the most recent year. It serves a very high-need population, with roughly 99% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school’s clearest strength is early elementary math. In 2025–26, it posted 87.5% proficiency in 3rd-grade math and 83.3% in 4th-grade math — well above the district and state averages, and higher than nearby Tiller School, Harkers Island Elementary, Morehead City Primary, and Beaufort Elementary. In 2023–24, 3rd-grade math reached 92.9%. Reading results are more inconsistent but include real bright spots: 3rd-grade reading hit 83.3% in 2024–25, and 8th-grade reading reached 73.5% last year — above the district and well above the state. The school also earned a remarkable 97th-percentile statewide ranking for its low-income students in 2018–19, evidence that high poverty does not prevent strong outcomes here.

The biggest concern is a sharp drop-off in math once students reach the middle grades. While the school’s elementary math is excellent, 6th-grade math proficiency was 51.0% and 7th-grade was 51.8% in 2025–26 — far below the Carteret County Public Schools averages of 70.9% and 78.8%. Chronic absenteeism is another challenge: at 21.3% in 2024–25, it exceeded the district’s 18.7% rate and the rates at most nearby elementary schools. Small class sizes also make year-to-year test scores volatile — 3rd-grade reading moved from 83.3% to 56.3% between 2024–25 and 2025–26 — so single-year changes should be read cautiously. All told, the school offers a strong elementary foundation and has proven it can move the needle for disadvantaged students; the middle-school math decline and attendance are its biggest areas of vulnerability.

262

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

174 Marshallberg Rd
Smyrna, NC 28579

(252) 729-2301

District: Carteret County Public Schools

Students who attend Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary usually attend:

High:

East Carteret High

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.3%

Hispanic:

3.1%

Two or more races:

1.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 79th percentile in 2016 → 65th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (65% vs 59% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (65th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg72%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

525^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From top 21% (2016) to top 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

278^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 36%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

31^st of 246Carteret County Public 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	63.6	525 of 1492	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.2	371 of 1490	75.1%	★★★★☆
2024	66.5	464 of 1505	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.5	281 of 1502	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	73.3	346 of 1514	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	77.5	277 of 1489	81.4%	★★★★☆
2019	74.0	326 of 1473	77.9%	★★★★☆
2018	75.2	311 of 1434	78.3%	★★★★☆
2017	78.6	248 of 1429	82.6%	★★★★☆
2016	75.4	303 of 1425	78.7%	★★★★☆
2015	82.0	203 of 1440	85.9%	★★★★☆
2014	69.7	398 of 1390	71.4%	★★★★☆
2013	61.5	496 of 1403	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.2	502 of 1388	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	65.8	500 of 1381	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.7	446 of 1363	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	74.8	299 of 1354	77.9%	★★★★☆
2008	66.3	416 of 1324	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	80.3	168 of 1293	87.0%	★★★★☆
2006	63.8	462 of 1276	63.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	63.3	492 of 1458	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	85.1	162 of 1440	88.8%	★★★★☆
2019	80.1	208 of 1424	85.4%	★★★★☆
2018	71.4	370 of 1405	73.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	91.6	40 of 1361	97.1%	★★★★★
2018	60.4	479 of 1332	64.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.3	463 of 1451	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.4	854 of 1450	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.8	515 of 1464	64.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.9	760 of 1146	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.5	558 of 1172	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	665 of 1166	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.5	488 of 1183	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.2	526 of 1194	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.6	460 of 1172	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.3	527 of 1183	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.8	544 of 1178	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.3	278 of 778	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.5	301 of 773	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.1	320 of 793	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.4	146 of 784	81.4%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	167 of 786	78.8%	★★★★☆
2021	69.5	202 of 741	72.7%	★★★★☆
2019	63.0	268 of 737	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.3	240 of 691	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	72.2	171 of 694	75.4%	★★★★☆
2016	56.9	300 of 692	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	74.1	163 of 705	76.9%	★★★★☆
2014	74.1	144 of 627	77.0%	★★★★☆
2013	76.1	131 of 673	80.5%	★★★★☆
2012	67.7	222 of 662	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	74.0	158 of 648	75.6%	★★★★☆
2010	67.5	211 of 640	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	85.3	41 of 630	93.5%	★★★★★
2008	76.6	122 of 620	80.3%	★★★★☆
2007	72.8	138 of 606	77.2%	★★★★☆
2006	71.8	145 of 598	75.8%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	73.4	45 of 478	90.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.2	264 of 731	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.6	200 of 733	72.7%	★★★★☆
2024	56.7	297 of 738	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	85.9	83 of 731	88.6%	★★★★☆
2022	81.9	115 of 733	84.3%	★★★★☆
2021	80.2	111 of 706	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	66.0	219 of 684	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.9	230 of 656	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	73.9	22 of 416	94.7%	★★★★★

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	75.1	12 of 71	83.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.7	166 of 725	77.1%	★★★★☆
2025	63.8	194 of 729	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	61.2	244 of 743	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.0	150 of 735	79.6%	★★★★☆
2022	85.9	48 of 689	93.0%	★★★★★
2021	50.9	266 of 633	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	83.5	54 of 639	91.5%	★★★★★
2018	59.7	217 of 604	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.9	271 of 736	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.5	406 of 733	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.9	321 of 751	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.7	240 of 747	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.6	205 of 748	72.6%	★★★★☆
2021	57.7	266 of 711	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.2	278 of 697	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.8	228 of 665	65.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.1	381 of 644	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.9	437 of 649	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.1	493 of 652	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	58.2	255 of 656	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.4	238 of 658	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.4	316 of 632	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.6	420 of 624	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.4	358 of 596	39.9%	★★☆☆☆

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2019)97th percentile+19 vs school

Male (2026)68th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2022)66th percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-31 vs school

Middle school

Gifted and Talented (2019)95th percentile+31 vs school

Disabled (2021)91st percentile+18 vs school

Homeless (2019)83rd percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)77th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)64th percentile~ school

Male (2026)63rd percentile~ school

White (2026)41st percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science74%+5 vs state

Reading64%+8 vs state

Mathematics62%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	174 Marshallberg Rd	Smyrna	28579	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 729-2301	262	22	11.9	—	247 (94.3%)	2 (0.8%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	63.6	525^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.8%		71.2	371^st of 1490 public elementary schools	75.1%	154	87.5	83.3	73.7	51.0	51.8	67.3	56.3	66.7	68.4	57.1	62.5	73.5	73.7	73.5	$11,100	$1,229	$9,871
Harkers Island Elementary	Public	K-5	1163 Island Rd	Harkers Island	28531	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 728-3755	95	7	13.1	96.8%	89 (93.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)	66.7	473^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	68.3%		73.7	335^th of 1490 public elementary schools	77.5%	138	72.2	68.8	55.6				61.1	81.3	55.6				77.8		$13,268	$1,408	$11,860
Tiller School	Public, Charter	K-5	1950 Live Oak Street	Beaufort	28516	Carteret County	Tiller School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(252) 728-1995	206	18	11.4	—	159 (77.2%)	6 (2.9%)	20 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (9.7%)	74	340^th of 1492 public elementary schools	77.2%		77.2	290^th of 1490 public elementary schools	80.5%	50	78.1	56.7	83.3				62.5	73.3	73.3				70.0
Beaufort Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	110 Carraway Dr	Beaufort	28516	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 728-3316	346	27	12.7	—	236 (68.2%)	41 (11.8%)	27 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (11.8%)	56.8	629^th of 1492 public elementary schools	57.8%		77.1	293^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	80.3%	336	59.3	61.9	74.1				54.2	47.6	65.5				70.7		$11,123	$1,431	$9,692
Morehead Elementary at Camp Glenn	Public	4-5	3316 Arendell St	Morehead City	28557	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 726-1131	253	19	13.6	97.6%	168 (66.4%)	15 (5.9%)	44 (17.4%)	5 (2.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.9%)	75.2	316^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.8%		61	548^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.2%	232		70.4	72.0					69.6	66.9				73.7		$10,861	$1,127	$9,734
Atlantic Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	151 School Dr	Atlantic	28511	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 225-3961	88	9	9.4	95.5%	82 (93.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.3%)	71.1	395^th of 1492 public elementary schools	73.5%		76	306^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.5%	89	57.1	70.0	90.0				64.3	60.0	70.0				90.0		$17,133	$1,662	$15,471
Morehead City Primary	Public	PK, KG-3	4409 Country Club Rd	Morehead City	28557	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 247-2448	502	42	11.9	—	341 (67.9%)	30 (6.0%)	79 (15.7%)	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.4%)								(n/a)	69.7						68.0								$10,820	$1,016	$9,804
Newport Elementary	Public	K-5	219 Chatham St	Newport	28570	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 223-4201	621	49	12.7	—	437 (70.4%)	39 (6.3%)	68 (11.0%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	67 (10.8%)	62.4	543^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	63.6%		62.2	529^th of 1490 public elementary schools	64.5%	14	62.5	66.4	64.3				60.2	59.1	59.8				77.7		$10,259	$1,539	$8,720

Frequently Asked Questions about Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary

What district is Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary in?

Carteret County Public Schools

How many students attend Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 262 students attended Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary attend?

Students who attend Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : East Carteret High

Is Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary a good school?

Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary ranks 525^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary?

Students at Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary are 94% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Rate Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Smyrna, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary!

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.