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Powhatan Elementary

Q: Is Powhatan Elementary a good school?

Powhatan Elementary ranks 226 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

226^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 85% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Powhatan Elementary is a PK-5 school in Clayton, NC, serving 656 students and operating within the Johnston County Public Schools district. It currently ranks #226 out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools — placing it in the 85th percentile with a 4-star rating — a clearly stronger result than its 3-star district overall. Powhatan's record is durable: after dipping to the 61st percentile during the 2020-21 pandemic year, the school has spent four consecutive years in the 83rd-86th percentile range and earned 4 stars each time. A moderate student-teacher ratio of 17.4 to 1 clearly hasn't held the school back.

Academically, Powhatan Elementary beats the district and state proficiency averages in every reported grade and subject. The largest gap is in 5th-grade reading, where 73.3% of students scored proficient versus 56.4% districtwide and 55.3% statewide. Science is also a standout: 84.2% of 5th graders are proficient, compared with just 67.7% across North Carolina. Among nearby elementary schools, only Riverwood Elementary ranks higher in the state. Powhatan also outranks the local charter option, Johnston Charter Academy, as well as East Clayton Elementary, West Clayton Elementary, and Wilson's Mills Elementary by wide margins.

The school's strengths go beyond test scores. Chronic absenteeism at Powhatan was just 9.6% in 2024-25, far below the district rate of 21.8% and the statewide rate of 24.2% — a sign that students are coming to school ready to learn. Powhatan also produces unusually strong academic outcomes for historically underserved students relative to the rest of North Carolina: African American students rank in the top 5% of their statewide subgroup, and Hispanic students in the top 11%. The school's special education results improved even more dramatically from one year to the next. For parents comparing options in eastern Johnston County, Powhatan is clearly a top-tier choice.

656

Students ?

17.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3145 Vinson Rd
Clayton, NC 27527

(919) 553-3259

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Students who attend Powhatan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Riverwood Middle
High:	Clayton High

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.6%

African American:

20.1%

Hispanic:

18.0%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Powhatan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 91st percentile in 2016 → 85th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (74% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school74%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg61%

226^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 15% (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	81.2	226 of 1492	84.9%	★★★★☆
2025	81.9	218 of 1490	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	78.9	260 of 1505	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	79.4	248 of 1502	83.5%	★★★★☆
2022	82.3	219 of 1514	85.5%	★★★★☆
2021	60.1	577 of 1489	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.0	405 of 1473	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	70.0	405 of 1434	71.8%	★★★★☆
2017	85.2	147 of 1429	89.7%	★★★★☆
2016	86.8	132 of 1425	90.7%	★★★★★
2015	81.8	206 of 1440	85.7%	★★★★☆
2014	89.9	103 of 1390	92.6%	★★★★★
2013	70.8	343 of 1403	75.6%	★★★★☆
2012	81.8	170 of 1388	87.8%	★★★★☆
2011	87.9	76 of 1381	94.5%	★★★★★
2010	86.0	106 of 1363	92.2%	★★★★★
2009	89.8	52 of 1354	96.2%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	90.4	46 of 903	94.9%	★★★★★
2025	85.1	69 of 918	92.5%	★★★★★
2024	84.1	78 of 924	91.6%	★★★★★
2023	85.5	73 of 933	92.2%	★★★★★
2022	88.0	54 of 927	94.2%	★★★★★
2021	42.6	470 of 896	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.2	335 of 949	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.6	368 of 927	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	67.5	120 of 634	81.1%	★★★★☆
2021	37.0	388 of 646	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.2	245 of 878	72.1%	★★★★☆
2018	64.3	219 of 897	75.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	73.5	54 of 485	88.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.2	221 of 1447	84.7%	★★★★☆
2025	73.7	306 of 1451	78.9%	★★★★☆
2024	80.7	205 of 1455	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	76.7	267 of 1459	81.7%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	287 of 1458	80.3%	★★★★☆
2021	50.2	679 of 1440	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.1	503 of 1424	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.0	460 of 1405	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.1	250 of 743	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.8	377 of 710	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.9	204 of 582	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.3	143 of 500	71.4%	★★★★☆
2021	62.4	218 of 494	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.7	419 of 612	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.7	106 of 981	89.2%	★★★★☆
2025	80.3	107 of 961	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	86.2	72 of 951	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	79.0	113 of 915	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	87.5	60 of 893	93.3%	★★★★★
2021	70.3	165 of 843	80.4%	★★★★☆
2019	64.7	248 of 865	71.3%	★★★★☆
2018	62.1	262 of 851	69.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	267 of 1434	81.4%	★★★★☆
2025	87.6	72 of 1437	95.0%	★★★★★
2024	74.0	252 of 1450	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	72.9	273 of 1437	81.0%	★★★★☆
2022	83.3	106 of 1366	92.2%	★★★★★
2021	48.4	626 of 1329	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.2	696 of 1361	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.3	508 of 1332	61.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.2	249 of 1451	82.8%	★★★★☆
2025	86.4	147 of 1450	89.9%	★★★★☆
2024	72.8	341 of 1464	76.7%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	243 of 1461	83.4%	★★★★☆
2022	84.6	173 of 1464	88.2%	★★★★☆
2021	65.3	462 of 1444	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.4	294 of 1430	79.4%	★★★★☆
2018	72.4	349 of 1413	75.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	67.2	55 of 175	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.7	34 of 159	78.6%	★★★★☆
2023	53.4	67 of 154	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.3	182 of 815	77.7%	★★★★☆
2025	41.9	443 of 821	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.1	410 of 801	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.9	373 of 1146	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.6	297 of 1172	74.7%	★★★★☆
2024	64.8	383 of 1166	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.4	325 of 1183	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	69.8	325 of 1194	72.8%	★★★★☆
2021	50.4	568 of 1172	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.2	446 of 1183	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.6	457 of 1178	61.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2026)95th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)89th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)89th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)85th percentile~ school

Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile-3 vs school

Disabled (2022)81st percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2026)78th percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)69th percentile-17 vs school

White (2026)67th percentile-17 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)66th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science84%+16 vs state

Mathematics76%+12 vs state

Reading69%+13 vs state

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Schools Near Powhatan Elementary

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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
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
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
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
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
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
West Clayton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1012 S Lombard St	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-7113	742	50	14.8	98.5%	245 (33.0%)	158 (21.3%)	266 (35.8%)	20 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.0%)	44	844^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.4%		49.1	759^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.1%	85	62.3	59.8	58.2				50.9	61.6	46.8				58.9		$9,685	$477	$9,208
Riverwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	108 Athletic Club Blvd	Clayton	27527	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 359-6300	728	45	16.2	99.6%	365 (50.1%)	122 (16.8%)	170 (23.4%)	5 (0.7%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (8.5%)	90.1	111^th of 1492 public elementary schools	92.6%		88	139^th of 1490 public elementary schools	90.7%	28	82.5	79.5	87.5				80.8	70.9	78.1				90.6		$8,213	$432	$7,780
Johnston Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	40 Scholar Drive	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 879-8190	677	35	19.4	50.5%	269 (39.7%)	206 (30.4%)	116 (17.1%)	17 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (10.2%)	75.9	304^th of 1492 public elementary schools	79.6%		66.2	463^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	68.9%	159	80.2	75.6	65.4	61.1	50.0	59.4	67.9	69.5	61.5	65.3	67.9	69.6	87.2	88.2
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Powhatan Elementary

Is Powhatan Elementary a good school?

Powhatan Elementary ranks 226^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Powhatan Elementary attend?

Students who attend Powhatan Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Riverwood Middle
High : Clayton High

What is the racial makeup of Powhatan Elementary?

Students at Powhatan Elementary are 53% White, 20% African American, 18% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Powhatan Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 656 students attended Powhatan Elementary.

What district is Powhatan Elementary in?

Johnston County Public Schools

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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.