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Bonlee School

Q: Is Bonlee School a good school?

Bonlee School ranks 841 st of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

841^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 44% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Bonlee School is a public elementary and middle school serving grades K-8 in Bear Creek, North Carolina, with 294 students. The school is part of the Chatham County Schools district, which is ranked 72 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Bonlee School's test scores are generally lower than the Chatham County and North Carolina averages across most grade levels and subjects, the school does outperform the district and state in some areas, such as 8th grade science proficiency. However, the school's performance varies significantly by student subgroup, with female students performing much better than male students. Additionally, Bonlee School's statewide ranking has declined over the past several years, from 601 out of 1,473 NC elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 841 out of 1,490 in 2024-2025, placing it in the bottom half of elementary schools in the state. The school has also seen a significant increase in its free/reduced lunch rate, from 41.8% in 2021-2022 to 64.29% in 2023-2024, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

Compared to nearby schools in the Chatham County district, such as Pittsboro Elementary, Silk Hope School, and Bennett School, Bonlee School's performance is generally lower, with these schools tending to have higher test scores, better student group performance, and higher statewide rankings. While Bonlee School spends $12,756 per student, which is higher than the state average, this does not seem to be translating into stronger academic outcomes. The school's low student-teacher ratio of 13.5 also suggests that class sizes are not a major factor in its performance.

290

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,756

Per pupil spending ?

99%

Free/discounted lunch ?

152 Bonlee School Road
Bear Creek, NC 27207

(919) 837-5316

District: Chatham County Schools

Students who attend Bonlee School usually attend:

High:

Chatham Central High

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.0%

Hispanic:

19.0%

African American:

9.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Bonlee School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 32nd percentile in 2022 → 44th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 44th (2025) from a 32nd-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (51% vs 56% meeting standards)

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

!Near the bottom of Chatham County Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg56%

Elementary school

841^st of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From top 46% (2015) to bottom 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

440^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 10Elementary Schools in the Chatham County Schools

72^nd of 242Chatham 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
2025	44.5	841 of 1490	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.4	828 of 1505	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.4	999 of 1502	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.8	1025 of 1514	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.7	964 of 1489	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.7	601 of 1473	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	628 of 1434	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.3	679 of 1429	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.2	676 of 1425	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.6	668 of 1440	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	52.5	657 of 1390	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.8	610 of 1403	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	45.1	844 of 1388	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	61.3	591 of 1381	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	58.0	648 of 1363	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.6	514 of 1354	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	62.0	512 of 1324	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.7	351 of 1293	72.9%	★★★★☆
2006	52.4	676 of 1276	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	67.9	397 of 1451	72.6%	★★★★☆
2024	57.2	598 of 1455	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.9	836 of 1459	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.3	1009 of 1458	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.2	860 of 1440	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.4	572 of 1424	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.1	620 of 1405	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.4	926 of 1437	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	883 of 1450	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.0	1047 of 1437	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	50.9	637 of 1366	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	28.5	984 of 1329	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	63.2	429 of 1361	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.7	244 of 1332	81.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	23.4	1189 of 1450	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.8	1011 of 1464	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.9	1080 of 1461	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.8	984 of 1464	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.5	980 of 1444	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.7	629 of 1430	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.0	651 of 1413	53.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.0	825 of 1172	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.0	878 of 1166	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.7	977 of 1183	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.6	911 of 1194	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.6	879 of 1172	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.4	760 of 1183	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.8	846 of 1178	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	43.9	440 of 773	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.9	361 of 793	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.3	342 of 784	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.9	401 of 786	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.1	491 of 741	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.3	257 of 737	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.9	259 of 691	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.9	251 of 694	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.3	310 of 692	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.2	320 of 705	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.7	264 of 627	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.0	215 of 673	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.0	209 of 662	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	73.6	162 of 648	75.0%	★★★★☆
2010	72.2	166 of 640	74.1%	★★★★☆
2009	78.7	108 of 630	82.9%	★★★★☆
2008	65.8	226 of 620	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.3	235 of 606	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.6	192 of 598	67.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.2	446 of 733	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.8	309 of 738	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.7	416 of 731	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.0	343 of 733	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.7	394 of 706	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	72.4	171 of 684	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.1	213 of 656	67.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	66.2	113 of 522	78.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	52.7	304 of 729	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.3	261 of 743	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.5	273 of 735	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.8	276 of 689	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.4	420 of 633	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	74.3	103 of 639	83.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.5	147 of 604	75.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	37.2	466 of 733	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.8	375 of 751	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	262 of 747	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.8	453 of 748	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.6	541 of 711	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	54.4	318 of 697	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.5	294 of 665	55.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	49.0	328 of 649	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.4	401 of 652	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.6	292 of 656	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.5	495 of 658	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.4	518 of 632	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.2	254 of 624	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.0	333 of 596	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

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

Female (2025)73rd percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)36th percentile-8 vs school

White (2025)30th percentile-14 vs school

Male (2025)18th percentile-26 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2021)78th percentile+45 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)58th percentile+15 vs school

White (2025)49th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)39th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)36th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science62%~ state avg

Mathematics54%-3 vs state

Reading44%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bonlee School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Bonlee School	Public	K-8	152 Bonlee School Road	Bear Creek	27207	Chatham County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 837-5316	290	21	13.9	99.0%	200 (69.0%)	27 (9.3%)	55 (19.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.8%)	44.5	841^st of 1490 public elementary schools	43.6%		45.4	828^th of 1505 public elementary schools	45.0%	13	70.0	56.1	48.4	61.9	46.5	41.7	33.3	51.2	41.9	55.0	37.2	54.2	61.3	62.5	$12,756	$1,041	$11,714
Virginia Cross Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	234 Cross School Road	Siler City	27344	Chatham County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 742-4279	494	41	12.0	99.4%	34 (6.9%)	99 (20.0%)	344 (69.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.2%)	24.2	1200^th of 1490 public elementary schools	19.5%		29.3	1113^th of 1505 public elementary schools	26.0%	87	52.2	48.0	56.2				20.7	37.3	38.2				46.1		$13,535	$1,342	$12,192
J S Waters School	Public	K-8	55 J S Waters School Road	Goldston	27252	Chatham County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 898-2259	222	18	12.4	98.6%	144 (64.9%)	24 (10.8%)	35 (15.8%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (8.1%)	64.9	488^th of 1490 public elementary schools	67.2%		65.3	483^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	67.9%	5	65.0	59.3	92.9	52.2	57.9	33.3	50.0	51.9	67.9	47.8	47.4	55.6	85.7	55.6	$12,630	$1,275	$11,355
Siler City Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	671 Ellington Road	Siler City	27344	Chatham County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 663-2032	591	48	12.2	99.5%	63 (10.7%)	91 (15.4%)	415 (70.2%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.4%)	29.5	1096^th of 1490 public elementary schools	26.4%		20.2	1280^th of 1505 public elementary schools	15.0%	184	56.2	45.0	55.9				29.2	34.0	45.2				54.8		$11,423	$1,068	$10,354
Bennett School	Public	PK, KG-8	61 Randolph Street	Bennett	27208	Chatham County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 581-3586	187	16	11.4	98.4%	160 (85.6%)	1 (0.5%)	20 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.7%)	77.1	294^th of 1490 public elementary schools	80.3%		74.4	333^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	77.9%	39	83.3	79.2	57.7	70.8	90.0	80.0	61.1	79.2	57.7	75.0	70.0	80.0	65.4	80.0	$15,427	$1,231	$14,197
Silk Hope School	Public	PK, KG-8	7945 Silk Hope Gum Springs Rd	Siler City	27344	Chatham County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 742-3911	281	21	13.1	98.9%	178 (63.3%)	19 (6.8%)	60 (21.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.2%)	64	498^th of 1490 public elementary schools	66.6%		66.8	459^th of 1505 public elementary schools	69.5%	39	80.0	73.3	72.7	60.7	66.7	42.9	36.7	66.7	57.6	57.1	63.0	53.6	54.5	57.1	$12,214	$733	$11,481
Coleridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	4528 NC Hwy 22 South	Ramseur	27316	Randolph County	Randolph County School System	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 628-8292	273	18	15.6	98.9%	157 (57.5%)	10 (3.7%)	92 (33.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.1%)	25.5	1171^st of 1490 public elementary schools	21.4%		16.5	1333^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	11.4%	162	59.0	31.1	38.5				35.9	48.9	38.5				51.3		$10,652	$1,597	$9,055
Highfalls Elementary	Public	K-8	1220 NC Hwy 22	Bennett	27208	Moore County	Moore County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 464-3600	293	21	14.0	99.0%	254 (86.7%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (9.2%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.7%)	72.2	360^th of 1490 public elementary schools	75.8%		68.9	430^th of 1505 public elementary schools	71.4%	70	78.4	89.7	48.1	75.6	82.1	51.5	43.2	64.1	63.0	68.3	78.6	51.5	66.7	57.6	$12,166	$832	$11,333
Pittsboro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	375 Pittsboro School Road	Pittsboro	27312	Chatham County	Chatham County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 542-3987	503	38	13.3	99.4%	275 (54.7%)	108 (21.5%)	74 (14.7%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.0%)	73.7	334^th of 1490 public elementary schools	77.6%		77.9	284^th of 1505 public elementary schools	81.1%	50	69.4	71.4					52.9	70.4							$11,009	$698	$10,311
Ramseur Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6755 Jordan Road	Ramseur	27316	Randolph County	Randolph County School System	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 824-4106	346	26	13.3	99.1%	112 (32.4%)	38 (11.0%)	154 (44.5%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (11.3%)	17.9	1317^th of 1490 public elementary schools	11.6%		24.8	1196^th of 1505 public elementary schools	20.5%	121	52.4	31.0	53.8				19.0	42.9	29.2				35.4		$11,800	$2,077	$9,723

Frequently Asked Questions about Bonlee School

How many students attend Bonlee School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 290 students attended Bonlee School.

Is Bonlee School a good school?

Bonlee School ranks 841^st of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Bonlee School attend?

Students who attend Bonlee School usually go on to attend:

High : Chatham Central High

What district is Bonlee School in?

Chatham County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Bonlee School?

Students at Bonlee School are 69% White, 19% Hispanic, 9% African American, 3% Two or more races.

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Schools in Bear Creek, NC

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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.