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J S Waters School

Q: Is J S Waters School a good school?

J S Waters School ranks 353 rd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

353^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 76% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

J S Waters School is a small, rural K-8 school in Goldston, NC, serving 222 students in Chatham County Schools. Small class sizes (12.4:1 ratio) and very high poverty rates (over 98% qualifying for free/reduced lunch) define the student body. Overall, the school ranks in the 76th percentile statewide (4 stars), placing it solidly in the upper-middle range of North Carolina schools and well-aligned with the district's overall performance.

The school's biggest academic strengths lie in the early grades, particularly in math and science. 3rd and 5th grade math proficiency rates (83% and 82%) significantly outpace district and state averages. However, this momentum slows in middle school; 7th and 8th grade math scores drop below district averages, suggesting a transition-year challenge. Another area of concern is chronic absenteeism. At 21.5%, it is much higher than nearby Bennett School (13.8%) and Tramway Elementary (6.2%), though it has improved dramatically from 34.6% a few years ago.

J S Waters School dramatically outperforms Bonlee School, its closest comparable neighbor just 6 miles away, which has similar demographics but ranks in the 47th percentile. This proves school-level practices make a real difference. The school also holds its own against the region's top performer, Bennett School, in elementary math, but falls significantly behind in 8th grade (52.9% vs. 90.9% proficiency). Notably, nearby Tramway Elementary demonstrates that high-poverty schools can achieve top-quartile results with strong attendance, posting an 89th percentile rank despite similar demographics. Because grade-level cohorts are tiny, test scores can swing sharply from year to year, so parents should look at multi-year trends rather than overreacting to any single grade's results in a given year.

222

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

55 J S Waters School Road
Goldston, NC 27252

(919) 898-2259

District: Chatham County Schools

Students who attend J S Waters School usually attend:

High:

Chatham Central High

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.9%

Hispanic:

15.8%

African American:

10.8%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare J S Waters School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 73rd percentile in 2016 → 76th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (67% vs 59% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

353^rd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 24%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

264^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 34%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

62^nd of 246Chatham 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	73.5	353 of 1492	76.3%	★★★★☆
2025	64.9	488 of 1490	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.3	483 of 1505	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.4	335 of 1502	77.7%	★★★★☆
2022	71.3	386 of 1514	74.5%	★★★★☆
2021	53.3	662 of 1489	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.8	640 of 1473	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.0	486 of 1434	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	70.5	395 of 1429	72.4%	★★★★☆
2016	70.4	386 of 1425	72.9%	★★★★☆
2015	62.3	536 of 1440	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	65.7	460 of 1390	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.1	660 of 1403	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	43.4	881 of 1388	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	49.4	803 of 1381	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	56.2	677 of 1363	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	41.1	901 of 1354	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	41.1	851 of 1324	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	37.3	933 of 1293	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	56.8	586 of 1276	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.6	226 of 1447	84.4%	★★★★☆
2025	41.6	872 of 1451	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.9	442 of 1455	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.0	373 of 1459	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	49.5	722 of 1458	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	654 of 1440	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.8	684 of 1424	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.9	548 of 1405	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	65.1	206 of 612	66.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.5	416 of 1434	71.0%	★★★★☆
2025	50.3	684 of 1437	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.3	347 of 1450	76.1%	★★★★☆
2023	77.8	200 of 1437	86.1%	★★★★☆
2022	78.4	160 of 1366	88.3%	★★★★☆
2021	56.2	476 of 1329	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.7	584 of 1361	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.1	469 of 1332	64.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	592 of 1451	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.5	496 of 1450	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.4	346 of 1464	76.4%	★★★★☆
2023	73.9	315 of 1461	78.4%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	227 of 1464	84.5%	★★★★☆
2021	61.8	516 of 1444	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.2	613 of 1430	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.2	487 of 1413	65.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.5	280 of 1146	75.6%	★★★★☆
2025	62.1	426 of 1172	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.6	502 of 1166	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.3	493 of 1183	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.7	347 of 1194	70.9%	★★★★☆
2021	54.2	511 of 1172	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.4	638 of 1183	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.6	502 of 1178	57.4%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.4	264 of 778	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.1	438 of 773	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.2	358 of 793	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.4	340 of 784	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.8	228 of 786	71.0%	★★★★☆
2021	41.4	421 of 741	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.9	222 of 737	69.9%	★★★★☆
2018	63.6	250 of 691	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	57.8	302 of 694	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	62.8	247 of 692	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	59.8	276 of 705	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.3	225 of 627	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.2	185 of 673	72.5%	★★★★☆
2012	64.1	265 of 662	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	48.1	405 of 648	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.0	350 of 640	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	59.6	303 of 630	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	56.8	290 of 620	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	46.5	389 of 606	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	63.0	232 of 598	61.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.6	491 of 733	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.3	453 of 738	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.7	286 of 731	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.5	258 of 733	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.9	374 of 706	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	74.5	157 of 684	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	72.1	167 of 656	74.5%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	41.2	353 of 450	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	51.2	328 of 729	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.9	403 of 743	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.7	333 of 735	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.8	254 of 689	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.0	256 of 633	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.2	80 of 639	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	63.4	183 of 604	69.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	293 of 736	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.8	352 of 733	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.7	216 of 751	71.2%	★★★★☆
2023	50.8	345 of 747	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.0	144 of 748	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	42.5	398 of 711	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.1	303 of 697	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.0	318 of 665	52.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.3	356 of 644	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.0	456 of 649	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	54.4	287 of 652	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.5	216 of 656	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.6	160 of 658	75.7%	★★★★☆
2021	36.9	398 of 632	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.9	265 of 624	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.7	254 of 596	57.4%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)84th percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)76th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)71st percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)66th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)59th percentile-17 vs school

Middle school

Male (2026)60th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)55th percentile+12 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-21 vs school

Female (2025)33rd percentile-10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2022)22nd percentile-49 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science80%+12 vs state

Mathematics70%+10 vs state

Reading60%+4 vs state

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Schools Near J S Waters School

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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
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%)	73.5	353^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	76.3%		64.9	488^th of 1490 public elementary schools	67.2%	135	83.3	76.2	82.1	66.7	52.4	52.9	62.5	52.4	60.7	60.0	57.1	70.6	82.1	76.5	$12,630	$1,275	$11,355
Bonlee School	Public	K-8	152 Bonlee School Road	Bear Creek	27213	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%)	46.8	786^th of 1492 public elementary schools	47.3%		44.5	841^st of 1490 public elementary schools	43.6%	55	78.1	46.9	56.5	56.7	60.0	35.6	59.4	46.9	54.3	46.7	65.0	57.8	65.2	64.4	$12,756	$1,041	$11,714
Deep River Elementary	Public	K-5	4000 Deep River Rd	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 776-2722	557	34	16.3	96.8%	159 (28.5%)	86 (15.4%)	267 (47.9%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.8%)	51.8	695^th of 1492 public elementary schools	53.4%		56.7	617^th of 1490 public elementary schools	58.6%	78	73.1	70.4	67.0				50.5	53.1	46.0				62.0		$9,663	$1,381	$8,282
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%)	44.6	833^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	44.2%		24.2	1200^th of 1490 public elementary schools	19.5%	367	69.9	60.2	76.3				37.0	40.9	42.1				71.1		$13,535	$1,342	$12,192
BT Bullock Elementary	Public	K-5	1410 McNeill Road	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 718-0160	511	34	15.1	99.4%	173 (33.9%)	100 (19.6%)	213 (41.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.7%)	45.4	817^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.2%		39.5	926^th of 1490 public elementary schools	37.9%	109	67.5	50.5	58.0				55.8	42.6	56.8				71.6		$10,085	$1,594	$8,491
J R Ingram Junior Elementary	Public	K-5	3309 Wicker St	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 774-3772	419	30	13.9	99.3%	163 (38.9%)	95 (22.7%)	126 (30.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.6%)	54	666^th of 1492 public elementary schools	55.4%		42.1	877^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.1%	211	71.0	65.2	60.2				62.9	62.3	47.7				62.5		$9,063	$1,217	$7,846
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%)	75	321^st of 1492 public elementary schools	78.5%		73.7	334^th of 1490 public elementary schools	77.6%	13	70.7	73.9					66.7	69.3							$11,009	$698	$10,311
WB Wicker Elementary	Public	K-5	900 S Vance St	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 897-5400	588	42	14.1	99.1%	48 (8.2%)	211 (35.9%)	299 (50.9%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	31.5	1066^th of 1492 public elementary schools	28.6%		27.1	1133^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	24.0%	67	48.5	49.5	69.2				36.6	34.1	44.0				69.2
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%)	75.2	315^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.9%		64	498^th of 1490 public elementary schools	66.6%	183	82.6	82.8	74.2	62.2	66.7	50.0	69.6	69.0	61.3	59.5	59.3	67.9	77.4	71.4	$12,214	$733	$11,481
Tramway Elementary	Public	K-5	360 Center Church Road	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 718-0170	559	40	13.9	98.7%	304 (54.4%)	70 (12.5%)	160 (28.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.9%)	86.1	163^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	89.1%		82.5	207^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.1%	44	92.5	72.4	85.1				78.8	64.4	75.9				82.8		$9,060	$791	$8,269

Frequently Asked Questions about J S Waters School

What district is J S Waters School in?

Chatham County Schools

What is the racial makeup of J S Waters School?

Students at J S Waters School are 65% White, 16% Hispanic, 11% African American, 8% Two or more races.

How many students attend J S Waters School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 222 students attended J S Waters School.

What schools do graduates of J S Waters School attend?

Students who attend J S Waters School usually go on to attend:

High : Chatham Central High

Is J S Waters School a good school?

J S Waters School ranks 353^rd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate J S Waters School!

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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.