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Kitty Hawk Elementary School

Q: Is Kitty Hawk Elementary School a good school?

Kitty Hawk Elementary School ranks 354 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

354^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 76% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Kitty Hawk Elementary School serves 487 students in grades PK-5 in Kitty Hawk, NC, a small town in the Outer Banks region of Dare County Schools. The school has a well-earned reputation as a high achiever, currently earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 76th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools. While that is a step back from recent years—it ranked in the 87th percentile in 2024-2025—it is still the strongest elementary school in the local area. Kitty Hawk outranks Nags Head Elementary School, First Flight Elementary School, and Manteo Elementary School, as well as nearby Jarvisburg Elementary and W T Griggs Elementary in Currituck County Schools.

Kitty Hawk's clearest academic strengths are science and upper-elementary reading. In the most recent year, 87.1% of 5th graders were proficient in science, far above the state average of 67.7% and ahead of all neighboring schools; the closest competitor was Nags Head Elementary School at 81.0%. Reading results are just as strong: 74.4% of 4th graders were proficient, compared with 57.7% statewide and just 46.1% at Manteo Elementary School. Attendance is another clear advantage. Chronic absenteeism was 19.3% in 2024-2025, versus 32.3% for Dare County Schools and 24.2% for North Carolina as a whole.

Kitty Hawk also delivers impressive results for specific student groups. Low-income students rank in the 81st percentile statewide, special education students also rank in the 81st percentile, and military-connected students ranked first out of 72 comparable schools in 2024-2025. The school has a lower free/reduced-price lunch rate (23.2%) than nearby schools, which is useful context, but the strong outcomes among lower-income students show the school's success is about more than demographics. The recent dip in the overall ranking was concentrated among certain groups, including female and gifted students, while male, special education, and low-income students continued to perform well. If those declines stabilize, Kitty Hawk is well positioned to return to its previous top-tier status.

487

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

23.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

16 Dogwood Trail
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949

(252) 261-2313

District: Dare County Schools

Students who attend Kitty Hawk Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	First Flight Middle School
High:	First Flight High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.9%

Hispanic:

6.8%

Two or more races:

4.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Kitty Hawk Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 89th percentile in 2016 → 76th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (70% vs 61% meeting standards)

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

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school70%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg61%

354^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 24%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 11% (2016) to top 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

78^th of 246Dare 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.4	354 of 1492	76.3%	★★★★☆
2025	83.3	198 of 1490	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	78.9	258 of 1505	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	230 of 1502	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	82.6	214 of 1514	85.9%	★★★★☆
2021	82.0	219 of 1489	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	90.8	90 of 1473	93.9%	★★★★★
2018	89.7	95 of 1434	93.4%	★★★★★
2017	85.9	141 of 1429	90.1%	★★★★★
2016	84.8	159 of 1425	88.8%	★★★★☆
2015	82.9	188 of 1440	86.9%	★★★★☆
2014	77.4	280 of 1390	79.9%	★★★★☆
2013	83.2	184 of 1403	86.9%	★★★★☆
2012	82.3	155 of 1388	88.8%	★★★★☆
2011	89.5	41 of 1381	97.0%	★★★★★
2010	89.2	49 of 1363	96.4%	★★★★★
2009	86.7	96 of 1354	92.9%	★★★★★
2008	85.2	121 of 1324	90.9%	★★★★★
2007	86.4	73 of 1293	94.4%	★★★★★
2006	90.9	39 of 1276	96.9%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	81.8	44 of 634	93.1%	★★★★★
2021	57.2	197 of 646	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	91.5	30 of 878	96.6%	★★★★★
2018	87.4	50 of 897	94.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.9	436 of 1447	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	77.2	258 of 1451	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	73.9	297 of 1455	79.6%	★★★★☆
2023	80.9	204 of 1459	86.0%	★★★★☆
2022	82.5	190 of 1458	87.0%	★★★★☆
2021	87.5	128 of 1440	91.1%	★★★★★
2019	92.1	50 of 1424	96.5%	★★★★★
2018	89.9	77 of 1405	94.5%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	484 of 743	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	70.8	28 of 710	96.1%	★★★★★
2024	69.8	72 of 669	89.2%	★★★★☆
2023	51.5	416 of 582	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	65.8	99 of 612	83.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	268 of 1434	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	87.4	74 of 1437	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	77.2	200 of 1450	86.2%	★★★★☆
2023	77.7	203 of 1437	85.9%	★★★★☆
2019	89.0	62 of 1361	95.4%	★★★★★
2018	86.2	83 of 1332	93.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.5	277 of 1451	80.9%	★★★★☆
2025	85.3	160 of 1450	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	81.0	213 of 1464	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	77.7	257 of 1461	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	226 of 1464	84.6%	★★★★☆
2021	73.5	341 of 1444	76.4%	★★★★☆
2019	86.5	140 of 1430	90.2%	★★★★★
2018	86.9	137 of 1413	90.3%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	97.1	1 of 72	98.6%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.2	152 of 815	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	60.8	220 of 821	73.2%	★★★★☆
2024	39.1	465 of 801	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	548 of 1146	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.4	353 of 1172	69.9%	★★★★☆
2024	59.8	457 of 1166	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.3	414 of 1183	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.0	415 of 1194	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.2	401 of 1172	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	83.6	130 of 1183	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	76.8	241 of 1178	79.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Military Connected (2025)99th percentile+12 vs school

Disabled (2022)93rd percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2026)81st percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)81st percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)70th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)52nd percentile-24 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)35th percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science87%+19 vs state

Mathematics70%+6 vs state

Reading65%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Kitty Hawk Elementary 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/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 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
Kitty Hawk Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16 Dogwood Trail	Kitty Hawk	27949	Dare County	Dare County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 261-2313	487	35	13.7	23.2%	423 (86.9%)	3 (0.6%)	33 (6.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.9%)	73.4	354^th of 1492 public elementary schools	76.3%		83.3	198^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.7%	156	64.8	70.9	72.9	54.9	74.4	64.7	87.1	$11,885	$396	$11,489
First Flight Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	107 Veterans Drive	Kill Devil Hills	27948	Dare County	Dare County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 441-1111	285	28	10.0	43.2%	194 (68.1%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (21.8%)	7 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.7%)	50.2	724^th of 1492 public elementary schools	51.5%		45	832^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	44.2%	108	74.5	60.5	67.5	44.7	53.5	50.0	65.0	$14,298	$1,105	$13,194
Jarvisburg Elementary	Public	K-5	110 Jarvisburg Rd	Jarvisburg	27947	Currituck County	Currituck County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 491-2050	218	15	14.8	60.6%	137 (62.8%)	9 (4.1%)	37 (17.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (15.1%)	72.3	372^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	75.1%		74.9	315^th of 1490 public elementary schools	78.9%	57	75.8	69.8	73.3	72.7	46.5	71.1	82.2	$11,958	$1,257	$10,701
Nags Head Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3100 S Wrightsville Avenue	Nags Head	27959	Dare County	Dare County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 480-8880	484	36	13.3	45.2%	296 (61.2%)	5 (1.0%)	137 (28.3%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.9%)	58.7	602^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	59.7%		62	532^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	64.3%	70	57.4	65.8	73.4	39.7	55.3	65.8	81.0	$11,095	$568	$10,527
Manteo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	701 N Hwy 64/264	Manteo	27954	Dare County	Dare County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 473-2742	636	47	13.4	51.6%	391 (61.5%)	20 (3.1%)	175 (27.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.4%)	36	982^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	34.2%		35.6	988^th of 1490 public elementary schools	33.7%	6	61.3	43.1	58.9	50.5	46.1	40.0	69.5	$11,908	$794	$11,114
W T Griggs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	261 Poplar Branch Road	Poplar Branch	27965	Currituck County	Currituck County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 453-2700	258	19	13.6	58.1%	167 (64.7%)	1 (0.4%)	61 (23.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (11.2%)	70.2	411^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.5%		75.5	311^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.1%	100	92.9	78.4	53.8	59.5	75.7	63.5	71.2	$10,878	$606	$10,272

Frequently Asked Questions about Kitty Hawk Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Kitty Hawk Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Kitty Hawk Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : First Flight Middle School
High : First Flight High School

How many students attend Kitty Hawk Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 487 students attended Kitty Hawk Elementary School.

Is Kitty Hawk Elementary School a good school?

Kitty Hawk Elementary School ranks 354^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Kitty Hawk Elementary School in?

Dare County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Kitty Hawk Elementary School?

Students at Kitty Hawk Elementary School are 87% White, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Rate Kitty Hawk Elementary School!

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NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

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Schools in Kitty Hawk, NC

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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.