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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Wilson's Mills Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1282^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Wilson's Mills Elementary is a PK-5 elementary school in Wilsons Mills, North Carolina, serving 496 students in Johnston County Public Schools — a district rated in the 60th percentile statewide. The school serves a heavily economically disadvantaged population, with 99.19% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch in 2024-25, and maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.6. Despite those resources, Wilson's Mills experienced a sharp academic decline in the latest reporting year. After ranking in roughly the 36th–42nd percentile statewide from 2022 through 2025, the school fell to the 14th percentile in 2025-26 — its lowest recent position — placing it at the bottom of the cluster of nearby elementary schools.

The most distinctive pattern is a steady loss of ground as students move through the grades. In the most recent year, 3rd graders read nearly at the state average (54.3% proficient versus 55.6% statewide), but 5th-grade reading proficiency collapses to 30.1% — about 25 points below state and district averages. Fourth-grade math proficiency (29.5%) trails the state by more than 30 points. This contrasts sharply with nearby Powhatan Elementary, located only 3.55 miles away and serving a virtually identical student population (99.54% free/reduced lunch eligibility). Powhatan ranks in the 85th percentile, with 5th-grade reading at 73.3% and 4th-grade math at 74.6% — staggering gaps of roughly 45 percentage points that poverty alone does not explain.

Chronic absenteeism appears to be one differentiator: Wilson's Mills posted a 23.5% chronic absenteeism rate in 2024-25, far above Thanksgiving Elementary (9.0%), Powhatan (9.6%), and River Dell Elementary (12.2%). Resource levels are not the issue — Wilson's Mills has a lower student-teacher ratio and higher reported per-pupil spending than several of those higher-performing schools. One encouraging sign: special education students jumped from the 12th to the 58th percentile in effectiveness rankings in the latest year, proving improvement is possible in one segment of the school. The challenge now is spreading that success across the broader instructional program, particularly in upper-elementary reading and math.

496

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4654 Wilson's Mills Rd
Wilsons Mills, NC 27593

(919) 934-2978

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Students who attend Wilson's Mills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Smithfield Middle
High:	Smithfield-Selma High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.0%

African American:

24.4%

White:

16.1%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Wilson's Mills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 44th percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (43% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 30 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg61%

1,282^nd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 29 pts since 2016

From bottom 44% (2016) to bottom 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

98^th of 246Johnston 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	19.8	1282 of 1492	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.7	942 of 1490	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.9	969 of 1505	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.9	870 of 1502	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.9	776 of 1514	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.3	1157 of 1489	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.8	1190 of 1473	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.7	1215 of 1434	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	36.9	970 of 1429	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	46.5	805 of 1425	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	66.4	469 of 1440	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	50.9	692 of 1390	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	35.4	941 of 1403	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	56.0	674 of 1388	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	41.1	904 of 1381	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	42.0	901 of 1363	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	56.1	679 of 1354	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	59.4	557 of 1324	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	61.9	509 of 1293	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	54.0	646 of 1276	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	690 of 903	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	44.8	499 of 918	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.8	551 of 924	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.0	319 of 933	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.3	250 of 927	73.0%	★★★★☆
2021	41.7	479 of 896	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.4	816 of 949	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.5	787 of 927	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	50.0	249 of 634	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	15.7	635 of 646	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	49.4	374 of 878	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.7	454 of 897	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.8	364 of 519	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.0	206 of 563	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.6	134 of 533	74.9%	★★★★☆
2023	42.3	276 of 514	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	64.5	92 of 485	81.0%	★★★★☆
2021	39.8	209 of 385	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.6	319 of 497	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.8	318 of 421	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.5	1316 of 1447	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	38.2	929 of 1451	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.9	905 of 1455	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.6	740 of 1459	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.3	897 of 1458	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.4	1162 of 1440	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.5	1069 of 1424	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.8	1207 of 1405	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.5	486 of 710	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	69.8	72 of 669	89.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.1	820 of 981	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	51.9	447 of 961	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.3	325 of 951	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.7	324 of 915	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.9	264 of 893	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	33.0	595 of 843	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.0	579 of 865	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.9	585 of 851	31.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.1	1158 of 1434	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	52.3	636 of 1437	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.7	606 of 1450	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.6	449 of 1437	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.3	334 of 1366	75.5%	★★★★☆
2021	37.7	821 of 1329	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.4	1044 of 1361	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.6	1060 of 1332	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.8	1147 of 1451	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.5	904 of 1450	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.8	958 of 1464	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.5	908 of 1461	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.1	639 of 1464	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	24.1	1101 of 1444	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.8	1226 of 1430	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.8	1207 of 1413	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	64.4	59 of 175	66.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.6	343 of 815	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	23.7	720 of 821	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.7	399 of 801	50.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.8	933 of 1146	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.3	729 of 1172	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.6	946 of 1166	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.1	811 of 1183	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.8	630 of 1194	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.3	1043 of 1172	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.2	868 of 1183	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.5	1113 of 1178	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2025)66th percentile+30 vs school

Disabled (2022)61st percentile+12 vs school

Special Education (2026)58th percentile+44 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)32nd percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)30th percentile+16 vs school

African American (2026)24th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)21st percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)19th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)16th percentile~ school

Female (2026)9th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science54%-14 vs state

Reading41%-15 vs state

Mathematics41%-22 vs state

4.0

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Wilson's Mills 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, June 16, 2020

Great teachers who genuinely care about the kids. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, January 3, 2019

My children have been very happy here. The teachers care about their students and take the time to build relationships with them. I love that they keep their teachers for 2 years!! Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, June 4, 2017

The school district boundary lines are so screwed up! Takes 15 minutes to get from Wilsons mills to Smithfield middle. Close Quote

Schools Near Wilson's Mills 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
Wilson's Mills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4654 Wilson's Mills Rd	Wilsons Mills	27593	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 934-2978	496	36	13.6	99.2%	80 (16.1%)	121 (24.4%)	248 (50.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (8.9%)	19.8	1282^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	14.1%		38.7	942^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	36.8%	340	53.2	29.5	41.9	54.3	40.0	30.1	53.8	$11,582	$1,639	$9,943
Powhatan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3145 Vinson Rd	Clayton	27527	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-3259	656	38	17.4	99.5%	345 (52.6%)	132 (20.1%)	118 (18.0%)	8 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.9%)	81.2	226^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.9%		81.9	218^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.4%	8	77.9	74.6	75.2	64.0	69.3	73.3	84.2	$9,061	$544	$8,517
East Clayton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2075 NC Highway 42 East	Clayton	27527	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 550-5311	524	32	16.2	98.3%	143 (27.3%)	204 (38.9%)	117 (22.3%)	8 (1.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (9.4%)	50.3	723^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	51.5%		43.9	851^st of 1490 public elementary schools	42.9%	128	61.3	64.0	60.0	62.0	52.0	51.3	65.0	$9,338	$524	$8,814
Selma Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	311 W Richardson St	Selma	27576	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 965-3361	794	63	12.5	99.6%	60 (7.6%)	201 (25.3%)	492 (62.0%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.3%)	27.7	1145^th of 1492 public elementary schools	23.3%		25.9	1159^th of 1490 public elementary schools	22.2%	14	55.1	46.2	61.9	39.7	37.9	46.0	54.7	$12,423	$1,727	$10,696
Thanksgiving Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1161 Lynch Rd	Selma	27576	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(984) 400-7300	870	50	17.4	99.5%	460 (52.9%)	151 (17.4%)	193 (22.2%)	14 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (6.0%)	72.7	366^th of 1492 public elementary schools	75.5%		74.8	317^th of 1490 public elementary schools	78.7%	49	73.4	61.4	74.5	66.4	66.7	61.4	82.4
River Dell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12100 Buffalo Road	Clayton	27527	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-1977	981	56	17.5	99.7%	478 (48.7%)	220 (22.4%)	192 (19.6%)	20 (2.0%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (6.9%)	74.9	324^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.3%		75.8	307^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.4%	17	70.1	65.9	78.5	67.3	64.2	64.0	86.0	$8,530	$614	$7,917
Swift Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4188 Cleveland Road	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(919) 912-9960	0																		(n/a)	57.1	71.8	79.0	53.1	64.1	79.0	80.0
South Smithfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 W Sanders St	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 934-8979	450	36	12.4	99.3%	79 (17.6%)	152 (33.8%)	189 (42.0%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.9%)	24.2	1200^th of 1492 public elementary schools	19.6%		22.5	1234^th of 1490 public elementary schools	17.2%	34	59.5	53.2	36.4	45.9	50.0	37.7	44.2	$11,484	$1,732	$9,751
West Smithfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2665 Galilee Road	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 989-6418	494	38	13.1	97.4%	72 (14.6%)	127 (25.7%)	264 (53.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.7%)	29.5	1103^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	26.1%		21	1260^th of 1490 public elementary schools	15.4%	157	62.7	48.4	48.7	40.7	48.4	42.1	59.2	$11,944	$1,669	$10,274
Cooper Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	849 North Mial St	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 553-0256	447	31	14.5	98.9%	111 (24.8%)	161 (36.0%)	132 (29.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.7%)	38.8	922^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	38.2%		43.4	861^st of 1490 public elementary schools	42.2%	61	58.7	50.6	52.7	54.3	65.4	45.5	55.5	$10,146	$817	$9,330

Frequently Asked Questions about Wilson's Mills Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Wilson's Mills Elementary?

Students at Wilson's Mills Elementary are 50% Hispanic, 24% African American, 16% White, 9% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Wilson's Mills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Wilson's Mills Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Smithfield Middle
High : Smithfield-Selma High

Is Wilson's Mills Elementary a good school?

Wilson's Mills Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.1% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Wilson's Mills Elementary in?

Johnston County Public Schools

How many students attend Wilson's Mills Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 496 students attended Wilson's Mills Elementary.

Rate Wilson's Mills Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Wilsons Mills, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Wilson's Mills Elementary!

Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 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.