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

White Oak Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

140^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 91% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

White Oak Elementary, a PK–5 school in Cape Carteret, NC, with 784 students, is part of the Carteret County Public Schools district and ranks among the strongest elementary schools in the state. In the 2025-2026 ranking, it placed 140th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools, earning a 91st-percentile rank and a 5-star rating. The school has been consistently strong for a decade, never ranking below the 80th percentile since 2015-2016. Among nearby schools, it is the clear leader: Bogue Sound Elementary ranks in the 84th percentile, Swansboro Elementary in the 79th, and Queens Creek Elementary in the 68th.

Academic proficiency at White Oak is well above district and state levels in every tested subject and grade. For example, 3rd-grade reading proficiency is 77.2%, compared to 65.6% for the district and 55.6% for the state. That is nearly 20 points higher than nearby Swansboro Elementary's 57.7% and well above Bogue Sound Elementary's 57.1%. White Oak's 5th-grade reading score jumped from 60.3% to 78.3% in one year. Chronic absenteeism is also a differentiator: at 11.9%, it is far lower than the district's 18.7%, the state's 24.2%, and every nearby school in the data.

White Oak's success extends to student groups that often face achievement gaps. Low-income students rank in the 93rd percentile statewide, Hispanic students in the 98th percentile, and military-connected students in the 88th percentile. The school achieves these results with larger class sizes (17.6 students per teacher) and lower per-pupil spending than most neighboring schools. Areas for continued improvement include gifted students and students with disabilities, whose comparative rankings are lower. Overall, families choosing among elementary schools in the Cape Carteret area will find White Oak to be the most consistently high-performing option.

784

Students ?

17.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

29.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

555 WB McLean Dr
Cape Carteret, NC 28584-9299

(252) 393-3990

District: Carteret County Public Schools

Students who attend White Oak Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Broad Creek Middle
High:	Croatan High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.4%

Hispanic:

5.6%

Two or more races:

5.0%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare White Oak Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 91st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (80% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school80%

District avg71%

North Carolina avg61%

140^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 9%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to top 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.5	140 of 1492	90.6%	★★★★★
2025	84.0	191 of 1490	87.2%	★★★★☆
2024	84.1	185 of 1505	87.7%	★★★★☆
2023	84.4	176 of 1502	88.3%	★★★★☆
2022	84.8	179 of 1514	88.2%	★★★★☆
2021	92.4	90 of 1489	94.0%	★★★★★
2019	78.6	252 of 1473	82.9%	★★★★☆
2018	86.6	141 of 1434	90.2%	★★★★★
2017	77.0	285 of 1429	80.1%	★★★★☆
2016	78.7	253 of 1425	82.2%	★★★★☆
2015	82.0	201 of 1440	86.0%	★★★★☆
2014	75.3	306 of 1390	78.0%	★★★★☆
2013	75.3	295 of 1403	79.0%	★★★★☆
2012	72.9	350 of 1388	74.8%	★★★★☆
2011	80.7	194 of 1381	86.0%	★★★★☆
2010	82.6	146 of 1363	89.3%	★★★★☆
2009	84.1	142 of 1354	89.5%	★★★★☆
2008	79.6	189 of 1324	85.7%	★★★★☆
2007	76.6	228 of 1293	82.4%	★★★★☆
2006	80.8	167 of 1276	86.9%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	35.8	388 of 634	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	66.3	124 of 646	80.8%	★★★★☆
2019	66.5	186 of 878	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	65.8	194 of 897	78.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.6	165 of 1447	88.6%	★★★★☆
2025	86.5	135 of 1451	90.7%	★★★★★
2024	83.9	171 of 1455	88.2%	★★★★☆
2023	83.2	172 of 1459	88.2%	★★★★☆
2022	83.5	181 of 1458	87.6%	★★★★☆
2021	91.0	89 of 1440	93.8%	★★★★★
2019	69.2	401 of 1424	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	81.1	203 of 1405	85.6%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.4	305 of 743	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.0	218 of 710	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.1	133 of 669	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	55.5	353 of 582	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.4	421 of 500	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	58.5	256 of 494	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.0	585 of 612	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	95.1	24 of 961	97.5%	★★★★★
2022	91.7	41 of 893	95.4%	★★★★★
2021	90.9	51 of 843	94.0%	★★★★★
2019	69.7	197 of 865	77.2%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	86.2	2 of 30	93.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.7	96 of 1434	93.3%	★★★★★
2025	82.3	125 of 1437	91.3%	★★★★★
2024	85.7	88 of 1450	93.9%	★★★★★
2023	77.7	204 of 1437	85.8%	★★★★☆
2022	70.7	271 of 1366	80.2%	★★★★☆
2021	93.1	34 of 1329	97.4%	★★★★★
2019	82.7	130 of 1361	90.4%	★★★★★
2018	84.3	100 of 1332	92.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.0	116 of 1451	92.0%	★★★★★
2025	78.3	251 of 1450	82.7%	★★★★☆
2024	80.7	220 of 1464	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	82.4	193 of 1461	86.8%	★★★★☆
2022	83.7	183 of 1464	87.5%	★★★★☆
2021	91.3	88 of 1444	93.9%	★★★★★
2019	84.0	171 of 1430	88.0%	★★★★☆
2018	88.7	111 of 1413	92.1%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.4	8 of 67	88.1%	★★★★☆
2025	61.2	24 of 72	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.8	29 of 75	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.5	16 of 81	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	80.5	9 of 85	89.4%	★★★★★
2021	88.5	4 of 76	94.7%	★★★★★
2019	73.4	13 of 72	81.9%	★★★★☆
2018	82.5	8 of 76	89.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	286 of 1146	75.0%	★★★★☆
2025	65.4	381 of 1172	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.2	393 of 1166	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.8	321 of 1183	72.9%	★★★★☆
2022	67.5	349 of 1194	70.8%	★★★★☆
2021	79.1	206 of 1172	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	59.8	466 of 1183	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.3	274 of 1178	76.7%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)98th percentile+10 vs school

Homeless (2019)93rd percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)93rd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)92nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)89th percentile~ school

Military Connected (2026)88th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)75th percentile-16 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)59th percentile-32 vs school

Disabled (2022)39th percentile-49 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science83%+16 vs state

Mathematics81%+17 vs state

Reading78%+21 vs state

2.3

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

Rate White Oak 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

What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, March 26, 2019

We moved here last August, & have found the administration & teachers to be excellent! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Teachers and staff are downright mean to the students. It is sad that the bullies in the school are the teachers and staff. The principal is uneducated and unable to communicate in an effective manner. They teach to the test instead of actually educating our students. IF your child has any kind of learning needs you need to run. There are several teachers that clearly need to retire, or find a new field of work as they are clearly burnt out. I feel bad for the students because these are supposed to be fun years of their schooling and instead they are treated like they are prisoners. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, October 20, 2009

This school is ranked very high because of good test scores. That simply means they have gotten the majority of students up to just barely grade level. Those students that are high achievers or smarter than average are left to languish. This school does nothing for them. If you have a high achiever, find a private school or home school because at this school, your child will be dumbed down to average and if he or she does not fall in line, he or she will be branded as a student with poor behavior due to sheer boredom. This has been our experience and when the teachers are approached, they become extremely defensive. They won't meet with you and if you try to talk to the principle you are trying to climb a wall because she doesn't support parents, only her teachers. You are just stuck with no where to turn. Close Quote

Schools Near White Oak 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/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 Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
White Oak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	555 WB McLean Dr	Cape Carteret	28584	Onslow County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 393-3990	784	45	17.6	29.5%	677 (86.4%)	10 (1.3%)	44 (5.6%)	12 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (5.0%)	88.5	140^th of 1492 public elementary schools	90.6%		84	191^st of 1490 public elementary schools	87.2%	51	85.5	71.5	85.0	77.2	77.7	78.3	83.3	$8,636	$484	$8,153
Swansboro Elementary	Public	K-5	118 School Rd	Swansboro	28584	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 326-1501	592	41	14.6	38.2%	444 (75.0%)	17 (2.9%)	66 (11.1%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	55 (9.3%)	75.1	319^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.6%		78.2	276^th of 1490 public elementary schools	81.5%	43	63.9	67.0	86.4	57.7	70.1	77.3	86.4	$9,199	$686	$8,514
Queens Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	159 Queens Creek Road	Swansboro	28584	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 326-5115	706	50	14.2	51.1%	498 (70.5%)	41 (5.8%)	84 (11.9%)	8 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	72 (10.2%)	66.5	476^th of 1492 public elementary schools	68.1%		59.3	579^th of 1490 public elementary schools	61.1%	103	64.8	67.0	68.3	54.5	70.5	61.0	78.0	$10,129	$815	$9,314
Bogue Sound Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3323 Hwy 24	Newport	28570	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 393-1279	416	31	13.3	99.3%	319 (76.7%)	6 (1.4%)	61 (14.7%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.5%)	80.5	238^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.0%		86.3	154^th of 1490 public elementary schools	89.7%	84	75.7	76.2	83.3	57.1	68.3	74.4	84.6	$11,438	$1,048	$10,390
Sand Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	868 Sand Ridge Road	Hubert	28539	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 326-5199	527	40	13.1	62.0%	325 (61.7%)	35 (6.6%)	94 (17.8%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	66 (12.5%)	58.6	604^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.5%		70.6	379^th of 1490 public elementary schools	74.6%	225	82.7	60.8	56.7	61.3	60.8	57.8	64.4	$9,194	$773	$8,421
Silverdale Elementary	Public	K-5	841 Smith Road	Maysville	28555	Jones County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 326-5146	648	41	15.8	46.6%	343 (52.9%)	89 (13.7%)	125 (19.3%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	81 (12.5%)	51	715^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.1%		49.6	748^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.8%	33	60.5	54.4	52.5	67.1	56.1	49.2	74.6	$10,721	$787	$9,933
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	99.5%	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
Woodland Elementary School	Public	K-5	2221 Belgrade Swansboro Road	Maysville	28555	Jones County	Onslow County Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(910) 326-5150	0																		(n/a)	46.2	49.0	52.3	43.0	52.0	57.0	64.0
Morton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	485 Old 30 Road	Jacksonville	28546	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 353-0930	715	46	15.6	59.9%	330 (46.2%)	137 (19.2%)	154 (21.5%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.8%)	81 (11.3%)	58.3	611^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.0%		58.8	584^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.8%	27	65.1	69.7	57.1	62.8	66.3	48.8	69.0	$8,688	$926	$7,762
Havelock Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 Cunningham Boulevard	Havelock	28532	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 444-5106	248	20	12.6	93.5%	100 (40.3%)	58 (23.4%)	33 (13.3%)	6 (2.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (20.2%)	12.9	1388^th of 1492 public elementary schools	7.0%		41.3	894^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.0%	494	51.3	40.6	27.9	35.9	43.8	30.2	46.5	$12,745	$1,955	$10,790

Frequently Asked Questions about White Oak Elementary

How many students attend White Oak Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 784 students attended White Oak Elementary.

What district is White Oak Elementary in?

Carteret County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of White Oak Elementary?

Students at White Oak Elementary are 86% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of White Oak Elementary attend?

Students who attend White Oak Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Broad Creek Middle
High : Croatan High

Is White Oak Elementary a good school?

Yes. White Oak Elementary ranks in the top 9.4% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Rate White Oak Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Cape Carteret, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for White Oak 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.