Peachtree Elementary

Peachtree Elementary is a small, rural PK-5 school in Murphy, NC, serving about 166 students in the Cherokee County Schools district, where roughly 98% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite that high-poverty profile, the school has a history of solid performance, earning 4 stars in most years since 2016, with a state ranking that has generally ranged from the 71st to 86th percentile before a dip to the 66th percentile in 2025-26.

Academically, Peachtree is one of the stronger elementary schools in the region. In 2024-25, 3rd grade math proficiency was 84%, far above the district average of 56.6% and state average of 64.1%, and 5th grade reading reached 76.2% versus about 50% both districtwide and statewide. Its results for economically disadvantaged students are particularly impressive: that subgroup has ranked in the 93rd to 99th percentile statewide for three consecutive years, earning 5 stars each time. Nearby schools such as Ranger Elementary, Andrews Elementary, Martins Creek Elementary, and Murphy Elementary serve similarly high-poverty communities but have not matched this performance. One area worth watching is 5th grade science, which dropped from 81% to 50% proficiency between 2024-25 and 2025-26, though small class sizes mean a single cohort can shift results noticeably.

Peachtree's most significant challenge is attendance. In 2024-25, 50.6% of students were chronically absent, more than double the state rate of 24.2% and well above the district's 38.7%. That marked a sharp increase from 37.9% the year before, and it was the highest rate among nearby schools, including Murphy Elementary at 42.7% and Hayesville Elementary at 23.5%. Test scores stayed strong despite the absences, suggesting instruction works well for students who attend regularly. Reducing chronic absenteeism is the clearest opportunity Peachtree has to make its already solid results even more consistent.