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

Bailey Elementary

Q: Is Bailey Elementary a good school?

Bailey Elementary ranks 1040 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1040^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Bailey Elementary is a PK–5 school in Bailey, NC, serving 580 students in a small, high-poverty rural community within the Nash County Public Schools district. Its 2025–2026 rating of two stars — 1,040th out of 1,492 elementary schools statewide, or the 30th percentile — is a sharp fall from the previous two years, when the school earned three-star ratings in the 63rd and 59th percentiles. Nearly all of Bailey's students now qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (99.48% in 2024–2025), up from 75.28% two years earlier.

The downturn is broad-based rather than limited to one grade or subject. In 2023–2024, Bailey was a clear district leader, beating Nash County's proficiency averages by 15 to 25 points in several elementary grades and subjects. By 2025–2026, its scores sat right around the district average — and below the state average — in most areas. Reading is the biggest worry: proficiency fell below the North Carolina state average in every grade tested, including a one-year plunge in fifth-grade reading from 55.1% to 39.5%. Science offers a counterpoint: fifth-grade science proficiency stood at 63.2%, close to the statewide figure of 67.7% and well above the results at nearby district schools.

Demographics don't fully explain Bailey's struggles, either. Three nearby schools — Rock Ridge Elementary, New Hope Elementary, and Lucama Elementary — serve similarly high-poverty populations (99% or more free/reduced-price lunch) while posting 5-star ratings in the 94th to 97th percentile. Bailey's student-teacher ratio has climbed from 14.4 to 18.3 since 2022–2023, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 22.7% is nearly three times the 8.0% rate at Rock Ridge Elementary. Among the Nash County elementary schools compared here, Bailey still ranks highest, ahead of Spring Hope Elementary and Middlesex Elementary — but all three sit in the bottom third of the state. Whether 2025–2026 is a one-year setback or the start of a longer slide is the central question for families to track.

580

Students ?

18.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6288 Pine Street
Bailey, NC 27807

(252) 451-2892

District: Nash County Public Schools

Students who attend Bailey Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Southern Nash Middle
High:	Southern Nash High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.8%

White:

31.2%

African American:

20.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Bailey Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 42nd percentile in 2016 → 30th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (52% vs 61% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg54%

North Carolina avg61%

1,040^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From bottom 42% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

158^th of 246Nash 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	33.3	1040 of 1492	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.0	610 of 1490	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.5	551 of 1505	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.8	882 of 1502	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.6	993 of 1514	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.2	1225 of 1489	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.4	952 of 1473	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.5	1033 of 1434	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	43.3	872 of 1429	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	45.3	832 of 1425	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.2	1000 of 1440	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	33.2	967 of 1390	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	28.8	1052 of 1403	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	59.5	614 of 1388	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	49.0	808 of 1381	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.1	880 of 1363	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	63.8	531 of 1354	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.6	457 of 1324	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.6	478 of 1293	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	58.8	557 of 1276	56.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.0	628 of 903	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.6	251 of 918	72.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.0	199 of 924	78.5%	★★★★☆
2023	43.9	507 of 933	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.9	535 of 927	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.5	627 of 896	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.8	440 of 949	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	30.4	707 of 927	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	46.1	278 of 634	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	20.9	591 of 646	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.4	682 of 878	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.8	783 of 897	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.9	447 of 519	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	60.2	146 of 563	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	61.4	135 of 533	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	54.4	173 of 514	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.3	263 of 485	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.5	295 of 385	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.4	257 of 497	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.6	207 of 421	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.6	891 of 1447	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	61.2	526 of 1451	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.5	591 of 1455	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.0	866 of 1459	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.8	929 of 1458	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.2	1226 of 1440	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.6	982 of 1424	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.4	1022 of 1405	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.9	608 of 743	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.5	514 of 710	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.5	645 of 981	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	64.1	276 of 961	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	66.5	251 of 951	73.6%	★★★★☆
2023	52.6	390 of 915	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.8	509 of 893	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.3	703 of 843	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.4	544 of 865	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.2	595 of 851	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.9	1001 of 1434	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	64.6	402 of 1437	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	66.2	382 of 1450	73.7%	★★★★☆
2023	55.9	580 of 1437	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.5	642 of 1366	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	19.8	1151 of 1329	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.6	872 of 1361	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.7	879 of 1332	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.6	1110 of 1451	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	50.8	708 of 1450	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.8	516 of 1464	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.3	849 of 1461	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.8	964 of 1464	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.7	1151 of 1444	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.1	862 of 1430	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.8	1026 of 1413	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.5	721 of 815	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	61.7	198 of 801	75.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.0	706 of 1146	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.1	490 of 1172	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.7	488 of 1166	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.8	845 of 1183	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.3	848 of 1194	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.3	1040 of 1172	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.4	761 of 1183	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.3	751 of 1178	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)56th percentile+22 vs school

Female (2026)38th percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)38th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)34th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2026)30th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)30th percentile~ school

Male (2026)24th percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)18th percentile-12 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)14th percentile-16 vs school

Special Education (2026)12th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science63%-4 vs state

Mathematics55%-9 vs state

Reading45%-11 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Bailey Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Bailey 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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Bailey 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
Bailey Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6288 Pine Street	Bailey	27807	Nash County	Nash County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 451-2892	580	32	18.3	99.5%	181 (31.2%)	117 (20.2%)	248 (42.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.3%)	33.3	1040^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.3%		57	610^th of 1490 public elementary schools	59.1%	430	60.4	51.2	51.3	42.3	53.7	39.5	63.2	$9,761	$1,076	$8,685
Middlesex Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13081 West Hanes Avenue	Middlesex	27557	Nash County	Nash County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 462-2815	333	23	14.7	99.1%	114 (34.2%)	50 (15.0%)	144 (43.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.6%)	30.1	1094^th of 1492 public elementary schools	26.7%		43.8	854^th of 1490 public elementary schools	42.7%	240	51.0	55.7	54.4	41.2	52.5	38.6	56.1	$10,998	$1,807	$9,191
Rock Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	6605 Rock Ridge School Rd	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7955	476	29	16.6	99.4%	251 (52.7%)	49 (10.3%)	149 (31.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.8%)	94.9	42^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	97.2%		93.5	66^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.6%	24	89.8	89.7	87.0	86.4	88.5	79.7	87.0	$8,909	$1,031	$7,878
John W Jones Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4028 Highway 42 West	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 265-4020	601	36	16.8	99.5%	120 (20.0%)	319 (53.1%)	100 (16.6%)	26 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	32 (5.3%)	35	1004^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.7%		41.1	896^th of 1490 public elementary schools	39.9%	108	45.7	35.6	66.2	44.3	48.9	58.8	64.7	$10,499	$2,342	$8,156
New Hope Elementary	Public	K-5	4826 Packhouse Rd	Wilson	27896	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7950	460	29	15.6	99.3%	210 (45.7%)	111 (24.1%)	83 (18.0%)	30 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.4%)	93.2	69^th of 1492 public elementary schools	95.4%		95.3	51^st of 1490 public elementary schools	96.6%	18	82.1	88.9	92.5	73.1	85.6	80.6	91.0	$9,265	$666	$8,598
Vinson-Bynum Elementary	Public	K-5	1601 Tarboro St SW	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7981	458	29	15.8	99.3%	63 (13.8%)	294 (64.2%)	69 (15.1%)	12 (2.6%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.7%)	70.2	412^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.4%		58.7	585^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.7%	173	86.9	60.0	62.7	64.3	65.9	63.3	75.0	$11,625	$1,594	$10,030
Corinth-Holders Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3976 Nc 231	Zebulon	27597	Wake County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 365-7560	585	36	16.2	99.5%	252 (43.1%)	81 (13.8%)	210 (35.9%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.3%)	55.8	642^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	57.0%		57	608^th of 1490 public elementary schools	59.2%	34	77.2	61.8	68.8	50.5	51.8	49.1	74.1	$9,379	$977	$8,402
Glendale-Kenly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2001 Bay Valley Rd	Kenly	27542	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 284-2821	433	30	14.4	99.3%	217 (50.1%)	53 (12.2%)	135 (31.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.2%)	53.2	678^th of 1492 public elementary schools	54.6%		48.3	773^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	48.1%	95	81.8	54.8	51.5	68.2	40.5	52.9	82.4	$10,347	$1,266	$9,081
Wells Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Grove St N	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7986	383	23	16.7	95.8%	69 (18.0%)	227 (59.3%)	58 (15.1%)	7 (1.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	41.4	888^th of 1492 public elementary schools	40.5%		46.8	805^th of 1490 public elementary schools	46.0%	83	78.0	46.0	56.1	66.0	50.0	40.4	56.1	$9,928	$1,749	$8,179
Lucama Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6260 Blalock Road	Lucama	27851	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 239-1257	431	24	18.1	99.3%	199 (46.2%)	74 (17.2%)	135 (31.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.3%)	91.8	89^th of 1492 public elementary schools	94.0%		90.2	107^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.8%	18	88.6	84.4	87.7	70.0	82.8	77.2	91.2	$9,021	$1,340	$7,681

Frequently Asked Questions about Bailey Elementary

What district is Bailey Elementary in?

Nash County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Bailey Elementary?

Students at Bailey Elementary are 43% Hispanic, 31% White, 20% African American, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Bailey Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 580 students attended Bailey Elementary.

Is Bailey Elementary a good school?

Bailey Elementary ranks 1040^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Bailey Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bailey Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southern Nash Middle
High : Southern Nash High

Rate Bailey Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Bailey, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Bailey Elementary!

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.