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J.T. Barber Elementary

Q: Is J.T. Barber Elementary a good school?

J.T. Barber Elementary ranks 1088 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1088^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 27% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

J.T. Barber Elementary is a PreK–5 school in New Bern, NC, serving 270 students within the Craven County Board of Education, where nearly all students (96.3%) qualify for free/reduced-price lunch. The school currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks at the 27th percentile statewide, which places it below most nearby elementary schools but notably ahead of its closest neighbor, Oaks Road Academy, and Vanceboro-Farm Life Elementary.

Academically, J.T. Barber remains below district and state averages in nearly every subject. For example, 5th-grade math proficiency is 41.9% versus 62.9% statewide, and 3rd-grade reading is 37.5% versus 55.6% statewide. The standout comparison is Albert H Bangert Elementary, located just 2.7 miles away, which serves an almost identical high-poverty population (98.9% free/reduced lunch) yet ranks at the 82nd percentile statewide and outperforms J.T. Barber in every subject. This shows that poverty alone does not determine outcomes. The encouraging news is that J.T. Barber has improved rapidly, moving from the 4th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 27th percentile in 2025-2026, with substantial gains in 4th-grade math, 4th-grade reading, and 5th-grade reading.

The school also appears to be turning a corner on attendance: chronic absenteeism has fallen from 55.0% in 2020-2021 to 20.7% in 2024-2025, now below the state average. J.T. Barber also has a low student-teacher ratio of 12.3 and relatively high per-pupil spending. Despite these resources and gains, concerns remain: 3rd-grade reading, 5th-grade math, and 5th-grade science are still weak, and female students rank at the 11th percentile statewide, a pattern that is unusual and persists. Parents looking for a school in this area may want to see how J.T. Barber's upward trajectory continues and what lessons it can take from high-poverty neighbors like Albert H Bangert that are achieving far stronger results.

270

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

96.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1700 Cobb Street
New Bern, NC 28560-3536

(252) 514-6460

District: Craven County Board of Education

Students who attend J.T. Barber Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	H J MacDonald Middle
High:	New Bern High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

58.9%

Asian:

11.9%

Hispanic:

10.7%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare J.T. Barber Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 25th percentile in 2016 → 27th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (49% vs 61% meeting standards)

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

!Science scores 19 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg57%

North Carolina avg61%

1,088^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 27%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

142^nd of 246Craven County Board of Education 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	30.3	1088 of 1492	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.9	1283 of 1490	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.0	1446 of 1505	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.4	1437 of 1502	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.7	1363 of 1514	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.9	1271 of 1489	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.5	1423 of 1473	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.3	1281 of 1434	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.4	1131 of 1429	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	30.7	1066 of 1425	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	38.5	940 of 1440	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	36.2	912 of 1390	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	32.3	993 of 1403	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	32.8	1050 of 1388	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.9	939 of 1381	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	35.3	996 of 1363	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	46.4	830 of 1354	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	65.3	442 of 1324	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	58.7	569 of 1293	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	51.3	696 of 1276	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.6	597 of 903	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.4	670 of 918	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.6	832 of 924	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.9	786 of 933	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	839 of 927	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	23.3	770 of 896	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.6	930 of 949	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.4	779 of 927	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	12.0	890 of 897	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	46.3	239 of 514	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.5	1281 of 1447	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.0	1275 of 1451	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.9	1401 of 1455	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.6	1369 of 1459	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.6	1374 of 1458	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.8	1177 of 1440	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.4	1307 of 1424	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.1	1187 of 1405	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	52.1	14 of 30	53.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.4	1010 of 1434	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.3	1120 of 1437	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	1377 of 1450	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.9	1363 of 1437	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	27.4	1093 of 1366	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.3	1045 of 1329	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	1293 of 1361	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	33.5	964 of 1332	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.8	810 of 1451	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.4	1176 of 1450	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.5	1408 of 1464	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.9	1416 of 1461	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.4	1247 of 1464	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.0	1235 of 1444	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	3.6	1409 of 1430	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.2	1304 of 1413	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2023)54th percentile+49 vs school

Homeless (2019)53rd percentile+50 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile+17 vs school

African American (2026)34th percentile+7 vs school

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

Female (2026)11th percentile-16 vs school

Disabled (2018)1st percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics50%-13 vs state

Reading49%-8 vs state

Science48%-19 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, October 3, 2015

Most of the teachers are approachable and seem to work hard for the students. The principal seems bi-polar, some days she is happy and others she is stomping around with a scowl. The cafeteria food is awful, my kid asked me to pack his lunch after the first three days.

It seems like all administration cares about are test scores. My kid said his class lost recess because some students weren't taking 'these things' seriously enough. If you are thinking about moving to New Bern do not rent or buy in this area especially if your kid is average or above average. You'll be doing him/her an injustice. Close Quote

Schools Near J.T. Barber 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
J.T. Barber Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 Cobb Street	New Bern	28560	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 514-6460	270	22	12.3	96.3%	28 (10.4%)	159 (58.9%)	29 (10.7%)	32 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	17 (6.3%)	30.3	1088^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.1%		19.9	1283^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	13.9%	195	62.5	47.8	41.9				37.5	56.5	48.4				48.4		$12,629	$2,198	$10,432
Oaks Road Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	2811 Oaks Road	New Bern	28560	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 514-6475	352	20	17.2	96.0%	65 (18.5%)	115 (32.7%)	107 (30.4%)	28 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	35 (9.9%)	7.9	1444^th of 1492 public elementary schools	3.2%		18.6	1303^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	12.6%	141	40.0	36.2	34.4				25.0	40.4	34.4				31.3		$11,730	$2,052	$9,678
Trent Park Elementary	Public	K-5	2500 Educational Drive	New Bern	28562	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 514-6481	390	23	17.0	96.2%	73 (18.7%)	120 (30.8%)	61 (15.6%)	84 (21.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	50 (12.8%)	40	905^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.3%		50.7	738^th of 1490 public elementary schools	50.5%	167	64.9	51.8	48.6				40.4	57.1	48.6				69.4		$10,573	$1,532	$9,042
Albert H Bangert Elementary	Public	K-5	3712 Canterbury Road	New Bern	28562	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 514-6415	446	26	17.4	98.9%	232 (52.0%)	115 (25.8%)	27 (6.1%)	41 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.0%)	77.6	273^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	81.7%		78.6	267^th of 1490 public elementary schools	82.1%	6	84.9	78.1	60.3				69.0	70.3	63.2				79.4		$10,592	$1,583	$9,009
Bridgeton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	230 Branch Canal Road	New Bern	28560	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 514-6425	415	30	14.0	95.2%	257 (61.9%)	62 (14.9%)	53 (12.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.1%)	38.6	930^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.7%		40.5	908^th of 1490 public elementary schools	39.1%	22	59.4	67.2	50.8				46.9	44.8	41.0				68.9		$8,354	$-1,566	$9,920
Ben D. Quinn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4275 M L King Jr Boulevard	New Bern	28562	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 514-6420	312	18	17.4	93.9%	119 (38.1%)	95 (30.4%)	30 (9.6%)	36 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (9.9%)	53.6	672^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	55.0%		47.9	783^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	47.4%	111	85.5	55.4	56.6				50.9	57.1	56.6				66.0		$10,815	$1,386	$9,430
Brinson Memorial Elementary	Public	K-5	319 Neuse Forest Avenue	New Bern	28560	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 514-6431	446	29	15.4	97.5%	228 (51.1%)	86 (19.3%)	79 (17.7%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	45 (10.1%)	53.5	674^th of 1492 public elementary schools	54.8%		55.5	644^th of 1490 public elementary schools	56.8%	30	75.6	74.1	46.4				54.4	70.7	53.6				58.3		$11,008	$1,379	$9,629
Riverside Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	K-7	1955 Old Airport Rd	New Bern	28562	Craven County	Riverside Leadership Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(252) 276-2150	374				221 (59.1%)	51 (13.6%)	46 (12.3%)	13 (3.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	41 (11.0%)	35.5	992^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	33.5%					(n/a)	51.9	29.2	52.2	44.9	58.0	36.8	48.1	50.0	43.5	59.2	68.0	55.3	76.1	60.5
Creekside Elementary	Public	K-5	2790 Landscape Drive	New Bern	28562	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	No	(252) 514-4360	453	31	14.3	27.8%	302 (66.7%)	33 (7.3%)	72 (15.9%)	17 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.4%)	90.6	108^th of 1492 public elementary schools	92.8%		90.8	99^th of 1490 public elementary schools	93.4%	9	83.1	88.6	90.0				69.9	75.9	76.7				93.3		$9,117	$852	$8,265
Pollocksville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 Trent St	Pollocksville	28573	Jones County	Jones County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 224-8071	120	7	16.7	97.5%	52 (43.3%)	44 (36.7%)	14 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.3%)	51.3	712^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.3%		60.8	549^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.2%	163	68.8	83.3	50.0				50.0	83.3	61.1				38.9		$13,464	$1,642	$11,822

Frequently Asked Questions about J.T. Barber Elementary

What schools do graduates of J.T. Barber Elementary attend?

Students who attend J.T. Barber Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : H J MacDonald Middle
High : New Bern High

What is the racial makeup of J.T. Barber Elementary?

Students at J.T. Barber Elementary are 59% African American, 12% Asian, 11% Hispanic, 10% White, 6% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is J.T. Barber Elementary in?

Craven County Board of Education

Is J.T. Barber Elementary a good school?

J.T. Barber Elementary ranks 1088^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend J.T. Barber Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 270 students attended J.T. Barber Elementary.

Rate J.T. Barber Elementary!

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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.