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Moss Hill Elementary

Q: Is Moss Hill Elementary a good school?

Moss Hill Elementary ranks 249 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

249^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Moss Hill Elementary is a K–5 school in Kinston, NC, serving 371 students within Lenoir County Public Schools — and it's an academic standout in a district that struggles overall. As of the 2025–2026 school year, Moss Hill ranked 249th out of 1,492 elementary schools in North Carolina, placing it in the 83rd percentile with a 4-star rating. The year before, it ranked even higher at 186th, or the 88th percentile.

Two things make this especially interesting for parents. First, Moss Hill outperforms nearly every school nearby. Within Lenoir County Public Schools, the gap is enormous: Banks Elementary is the closest in-district rival at the 65th percentile, while Southwood Elementary (50th), Pink Hill Elementary (43rd), and La Grange Elementary (35th) all trail far behind. Northeast Elementary and Southeast Elementary sit near the 11th percentile. Second, Moss Hill's test scores beat both district and state averages in every tested subject and grade. In 4th grade math, 89.8% of students were proficient versus just 51% in the district and 61.4% statewide. Reading results are similarly strong — 78% of 4th graders and 65% of 3rd graders met the bar. Chronic absenteeism has also fallen sharply, from more than 46% in 2021–2022 to 20.2%, below both the district (26.5%) and state (24.2%).

But the most impressive number may be this: roughly 99% of Moss Hill students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet the school's low-income students performed at the 95th percentile statewide in 2025–2026 after reaching the 97th percentile the previous year. That combination of high poverty and high achievement is rare. The school gets these results without exceptionally high spending — its per-pupil cost of about $9,954 is lower than some neighboring schools with far weaker outcomes. One area to monitor: performance among African American students dipped to the 44th percentile in the most recent year, and gifted-student results have been uneven. Addressing those gaps would make Moss Hill one of the strongest elementary schools in the state, not just a standout in its region.

371

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6040 Hwy 55 West
Kinston, NC 28504

(252) 569-5071

District: Lenoir County Public Schools

Students who attend Moss Hill Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Woodington Middle
High:	Lenoir County Early College High
	South Lenoir High

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.7%

Hispanic:

19.9%

African American:

17.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Moss Hill Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 60th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

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

✓Ranks in the top 17% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 23 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school74%

District avg57%

North Carolina avg61%

249^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▲ up 24 pts since 2016

From top 40% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

163^rd of 246Lenoir 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	79.4	249 of 1492	83.3%	★★★★☆
2025	84.3	186 of 1490	87.5%	★★★★☆
2024	74.1	341 of 1505	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	64.9	498 of 1502	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.1	721 of 1514	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	681 of 1489	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.8	448 of 1473	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.9	489 of 1434	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	80.6	214 of 1429	85.0%	★★★★☆
2016	58.8	577 of 1425	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.2	480 of 1440	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	48.7	720 of 1390	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	68.7	387 of 1403	72.4%	★★★★☆
2012	70.9	380 of 1388	72.6%	★★★★☆
2011	82.3	158 of 1381	88.6%	★★★★☆
2010	67.6	448 of 1363	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.4	450 of 1354	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	63.1	491 of 1324	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.5	539 of 1293	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.3	435 of 1276	65.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.6	508 of 903	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.2	265 of 924	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	67.9	229 of 933	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	38.6	566 of 927	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.7	562 of 896	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.7	250 of 949	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	50.5	442 of 927	52.3%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	52.8	221 of 634	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.0	296 of 646	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.6	174 of 878	80.2%	★★★★☆
2018	64.9	207 of 897	76.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	89.2	26 of 497	94.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.1	260 of 1447	82.0%	★★★★☆
2025	74.8	288 of 1451	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	79.0	228 of 1455	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	64.3	484 of 1459	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.5	613 of 1458	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.4	633 of 1440	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.5	497 of 1424	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.6	419 of 1405	70.2%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.9	319 of 743	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.6	528 of 710	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	62.7	260 of 669	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	13.6	565 of 582	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	31.7	451 of 500	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	46.5	364 of 494	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	66.0	46 of 612	92.5%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.0	82 of 981	91.6%	★★★★★
2025	83.2	81 of 961	91.6%	★★★★★
2024	65.4	268 of 951	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	63.6	247 of 915	73.0%	★★★★☆
2022	52.4	371 of 893	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	75.2	127 of 843	84.9%	★★★★☆
2019	83.5	77 of 865	91.1%	★★★★★
2018	85.1	63 of 851	92.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	87.7	78 of 1434	94.6%	★★★★★
2025	92.2	41 of 1437	97.1%	★★★★★
2024	79.8	159 of 1450	89.0%	★★★★☆
2023	68.2	350 of 1437	75.6%	★★★★☆
2022	57.8	505 of 1366	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.7	485 of 1329	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	83.7	111 of 1361	91.8%	★★★★★
2018	79.4	161 of 1332	87.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.9	255 of 1451	82.4%	★★★★☆
2025	88.8	108 of 1450	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	67.8	417 of 1464	71.5%	★★★★☆
2023	63.3	502 of 1461	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.2	798 of 1464	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.0	687 of 1444	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.5	378 of 1430	73.6%	★★★★☆
2018	62.7	519 of 1413	63.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	62.0	204 of 821	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	52.4	293 of 801	63.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.4	181 of 1146	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	77.8	214 of 1172	81.7%	★★★★☆
2024	72.4	291 of 1166	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	59.8	465 of 1183	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.0	571 of 1194	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.9	557 of 1172	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.1	374 of 1183	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.0	488 of 1178	58.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2019)95th percentile+25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)95th percentile+11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)92nd percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)84th percentile~ school

Male (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)75th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2022)65th percentile+13 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)57th percentile-26 vs school

African American (2026)44th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science84%+16 vs state

Mathematics77%+13 vs state

Reading68%+12 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Sunday, February 20, 2022

Excellent place to work. Great school culture. All students have iPads, great district leaders who take care of all stakeholders. Close Quote

Schools Near Moss Hill 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
Moss Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	6040 Hwy 55 West	Kinston	28504	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 569-5071	371	28	13.2	99.2%	214 (57.7%)	64 (17.3%)	74 (19.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.1%)	79.4	249^th of 1492 public elementary schools	83.3%		84.3	186^th of 1490 public elementary schools	87.5%	63	73.3	89.8	68.7				65.0	78.0	62.7				83.6		$9,954	$1,536	$8,418
Banks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2148 Falling Creek Rd	Kinston	28504	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-9470	436	32	13.5	99.3%	167 (38.3%)	151 (34.6%)	87 (20.0%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.7%)	64.2	515^th of 1492 public elementary schools	65.5%		63.3	507^th of 1490 public elementary schools	66.0%	8	72.1	60.7	70.3				55.9	62.3	57.8				78.1		$9,503	$1,056	$8,446
Pink Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2666 HC Turner Road	Pink Hill	28572	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 568-4176	437	30	14.4	99.3%	220 (50.3%)	35 (8.0%)	166 (38.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.2%)	43.8	848^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.2%		54.1	669^th of 1490 public elementary schools	55.1%	179	60.8	40.3	58.4				50.0	50.7	56.4				72.7		$10,287	$1,414	$8,873
La Grange Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	402 W Railroad St	La Grange	28551	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 566-4036	547	32	17.1	99.5%	130 (23.8%)	236 (43.1%)	144 (26.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.2%)	36.5	968^th of 1492 public elementary schools	35.1%		33.5	1027^th of 1490 public elementary schools	31.1%	59	68.3	46.9	59.8				54.0	51.0	42.5				54.0		$9,939	$1,422	$8,517
Spring Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1050 St John Church Rd	Goldsboro	27534	Wayne County	Wayne County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 751-7155	804	53	15.1	99.3%	180 (22.4%)	82 (10.2%)	505 (62.8%)	11 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.2%)	63.9	521^st of 1492 public elementary schools	65.1%		53.1	688^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.8%	167	74.5	63.5					55.4	65.0							$9,907	$1,430	$8,478
Southwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1245 Hwy 58 South	Kinston	28504	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-9081	218	19	11.4	98.6%	140 (64.2%)	34 (15.6%)	32 (14.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.5%)	49.1	744^th of 1492 public elementary schools	50.1%		50.7	739^th of 1490 public elementary schools	50.4%	5	67.6	50.0	75.0				58.8	44.4	47.2				69.4		$10,722	$2,082	$8,640
Northwest Elementary	Public	K-5	1701 Old Well Rd	Kinston	28504	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-5143	504	31	16.2	99.4%	35 (6.9%)	374 (74.2%)	41 (8.1%)	19 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.9%)	51.3	710^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.4%		44.1	845^th of 1490 public elementary schools	43.3%	135	65.3	47.2	68.9				44.0	51.4	56.8				86.5		$8,808	$1,369	$7,440
B F Grady Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	2627 N Nc 11 & 903	Albertson	28508	Duplin County	Duplin County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 568-3487	865	54	16.0	99.7%	184 (21.3%)	56 (6.5%)	600 (69.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (2.8%)	24.9	1192^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	20.1%		26.1	1153^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	22.6%	39	61.2	53.3	41.0	44.4	44.1	30.4	35.3	38.0	44.6	30.6	33.1	34.2	65.1	41.8	$10,266	$1,280	$8,986
Southeast Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 McDaniels Street	Kinston	28501	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-4210	326	24	13.5	96.9%	24 (7.4%)	269 (82.5%)	17 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.9%)	17.3	1329^th of 1492 public elementary schools	10.9%		18.8	1298^th of 1490 public elementary schools	12.9%	31	13.5	48.5	29.2				24.3	39.4	58.3				54.2		$12,465	$2,728	$9,737
Northeast Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1002 E Highland Ave	Kinston	28501	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-4166	465	27	17.2	99.4%	11 (2.4%)	412 (88.6%)	23 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.9%)	17.7	1324^th of 1492 public elementary schools	11.3%		15.3	1345^th of 1490 public elementary schools	9.7%	21	49.2	25.3	48.9				38.1	22.8	36.2				72.3		$9,018	$1,456	$7,563

Frequently Asked Questions about Moss Hill Elementary

Is Moss Hill Elementary a good school?

Moss Hill Elementary ranks 249^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Moss Hill Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 371 students attended Moss Hill Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Moss Hill Elementary attend?

Students who attend Moss Hill Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Woodington Middle
High : Lenoir County Early College High
High : South Lenoir High

What district is Moss Hill Elementary in?

Lenoir County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Moss Hill Elementary?

Students at Moss Hill Elementary are 58% White, 20% Hispanic, 17% African American, 5% Two or more races.

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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.