Robbins Elementary

Robbins Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Robbins, NC, serving 378 students in the Moore County Schools district. Like many schools in this rural corner of North Carolina, Robbins serves a very high-poverty population — nearly 97% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — but its academic results stand out for a different reason: they are far below what nearby schools with similar student populations achieve.

Robbins ranks in the 9th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools, down sharply from the 37th percentile the year before. Proficiency rates across 3rd–5th grade math (roughly 45%) and reading (roughly 36%) trail both the district and state averages, with 5th grade reading at just 28.3% and 5th grade science at 35.8%. The contrast with nearby West End Elementary is striking: West End serves a comparable high-poverty community only about 11 miles away, yet posts 5th grade proficiency rates of 91.4% in math, 76.5% in reading, and 86.4% in science. Other nearby schools serving high-poverty families — including Carthage Elementary, Westmoore Elementary, and Highfalls Elementary — all rank in the 64th percentile or higher.

What makes Robbins's situation particularly concerning is the breadth of the decline. Nearly every student subgroup — including female, male, Hispanic, White, low-income, and English Learner students — ranks in the bottom quarter of the state. Special education students rank in the 0th percentile statewide, a dramatic drop from the previous year. On a more encouraging note, chronic absenteeism has fallen to 19%, matching the district average. Robbins also spends more per student than several higher-performing neighbors, showing that resources alone don't explain the outcomes. The success of nearby schools with similar demographics demonstrates what is possible and suggests Robbins's struggles stem less from its students than from inconsistent instruction and intervention supports.