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James W Smith Elementary

Q: Is James W Smith Elementary a good school?

James W Smith Elementary ranks 701 st of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

701^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 53% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

James W Smith Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Cove City, NC, serving 325 students in the Craven County Board of Education. Located in a high-poverty community where roughly 97% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, the school has become a notable success story: it has climbed from the 36th percentile statewide in 2023-24 to the 53rd percentile in 2025-26, earning a 3-star rating and ranking 701st of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools. That places it well above its district’s 42nd percentile and makes it the third-highest-ranked among ten surrounding schools.

The school’s strongest academic signature is 5th grade, where 71.4% of students were proficient in math and 73.8% in science in 2025-26—both well above district and state averages. Among nearby schools, only Chicod posted higher 5th-grade math scores. James W Smith has also made dramatic progress in attendance: chronic absenteeism dropped from 50% in 2021-22 to just 14.0% today, well below the district’s 18.7% and the state’s 24.2%. The school has likewise lifted its low-income and African American students from the bottom of statewide subgroup rankings into the upper half, signaling that its improvement is reaching its highest-need students.

What makes these results especially meaningful is that nearly every school in the region serves a similarly high-poverty population—yet outcomes differ sharply. Schools like Oaks Road Academy, Vanceboro-Farm Life Elementary, Northeast Elementary, and Trenton Elementary remain in the bottom 20% of state rankings, while James W Smith sits in the top half. The school also spends more per student ($12,531) and maintains a lower student-teacher ratio (14.0) than most local peers. Early-elementary math still trails state averages, and Chicod’s 80%+ proficiency proves the ceiling could be higher—but James W Smith is clearly heading in the right direction.

325

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

96.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

150 Koonce Town Road
Cove City, NC 28523-9674

(252) 514-6466

District: Craven County Board of Education

Students who attend James W Smith Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	West Craven Middle
High:	West Craven High

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.5%

African American:

35.1%

Hispanic:

17.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare James W Smith Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 30th percentile in 2016 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

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

✓Above the North Carolina median (53rd percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg57%

North Carolina avg61%

701^st of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 47%▲ up 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 30% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

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	51.7	701 of 1492	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.6	765 of 1490	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.5	962 of 1505	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.5	780 of 1502	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.2	742 of 1514	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.9	958 of 1489	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.6	704 of 1473	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.7	334 of 1434	76.7%	★★★★☆
2017	43.6	864 of 1429	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.8	991 of 1425	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	28.0	1110 of 1440	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	20.3	1149 of 1390	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	21.6	1163 of 1403	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	34.4	1020 of 1388	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	28.2	1097 of 1381	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	27.9	1083 of 1363	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	38.6	937 of 1354	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	32.8	967 of 1324	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	35.1	964 of 1293	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	34.6	944 of 1276	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.7	387 of 903	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.8	346 of 918	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	20.8	817 of 924	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	67.2	232 of 933	75.1%	★★★★☆
2022	26.2	760 of 927	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.8	594 of 896	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.5	464 of 949	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.7	101 of 927	89.1%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	41.6	334 of 646	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.7	562 of 878	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	68.6	168 of 897	81.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.8	599 of 1447	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.9	753 of 1451	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.9	968 of 1455	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.0	679 of 1459	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.3	663 of 1458	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.6	933 of 1440	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.4	605 of 1424	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.9	207 of 1405	85.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	49.3	463 of 951	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.6	377 of 915	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.7	219 of 893	75.5%	★★★★☆
2021	30.7	630 of 843	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.9	497 of 1434	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.6	436 of 1437	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.5	1028 of 1450	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	55.1	599 of 1437	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.4	610 of 1366	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.5	771 of 1329	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.6	515 of 1361	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.8	194 of 1332	85.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.6	814 of 1451	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.9	746 of 1450	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.3	884 of 1464	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.0	819 of 1461	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.3	775 of 1464	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.8	908 of 1444	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.7	771 of 1430	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.8	475 of 1413	66.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.4	527 of 1146	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.8	507 of 1172	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.2	654 of 1166	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	673 of 1183	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.0	530 of 1194	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.2	838 of 1172	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	59.0	483 of 1183	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.4	317 of 1178	73.1%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)65th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2026)59th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2026)57th percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)54th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2024)51st percentile+15 vs school

Disabled (2021)48th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science74%+6 vs state

Mathematics61%~ state avg

Reading54%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near James W Smith 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
James W Smith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 Koonce Town Road	Cove City	28523	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 514-6466	325	23	14.0	96.6%	125 (38.5%)	114 (35.1%)	57 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.9%)	51.7	701^st of 1492 public elementary schools	53.0%		48.6	765^th of 1490 public elementary schools	48.7%	64	59.2	54.9	71.4				46.9	60.8	54.8				73.8		$12,531	$1,671	$10,860
Vanceboro-Farm Life Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2000 Farm Life Avenue	Vanceboro	28586	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 244-3215	494	31	15.6	98.2%	227 (46.0%)	164 (33.2%)	54 (10.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	45 (9.1%)	21.2	1262^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	15.4%		21.2	1257^th of 1490 public elementary schools	15.6%	5	63.0	37.9	40.0				43.8	43.1	35.0				51.3		$10,168	$1,737	$8,430
Grifton	Public	PK, KG-8	513 E McCrae St	Grifton	28530	Pitt County	Pitt County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 524-5141	395	30	12.9	97.5%	106 (26.8%)	174 (44.1%)	87 (22.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.8%)	40.3	901^st of 1492 public elementary schools	39.6%		34.7	1008^th of 1490 public elementary schools	32.3%	107	71.8	43.9	59.5	41.3	48.8	41.5	65.0	43.9	50.0	23.9	46.3	43.4	76.2	60.4	$10,793	$1,896	$8,897
Contentnea-Savannah School	Public	PK, KG-8	3400 Ferrell Road	Kinston	28501	Lenoir County	Lenoir County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 527-8591	789	55	14.2	99.6%	249 (31.6%)	362 (45.9%)	144 (18.3%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (3.5%)	42	877^th of 1492 public elementary schools	41.2%		39.5	927^th of 1490 public elementary schools	37.8%	50	60.0	59.5	57.5	46.8	27.5	31.6	46.3	55.4	46.6	48.6	38.2	43.2	75.3	57.9	$9,328	$1,658	$7,670
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
Chicod	Public	PK, KG-8	3833 Stokestown-St. John Road	Greenville	27858	Pitt County	Pitt County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 746-6742	902	60	15.1	99.7%	653 (72.4%)	71 (7.9%)	132 (14.6%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (4.3%)	88.4	142^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	90.5%		88.7	126^th of 1490 public elementary schools	91.5%	16	82.1	85.3	82.6	84.3	78.6	83.8	71.4	74.3	68.5	74.1	78.6	72.1	84.8	87.7	$8,818	$645	$8,174
Trenton Elementary	Public	K-5	1378 Hwy 58 South	Trenton	28585	Jones County	Jones County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 448-3441	153	12	12.6	98.0%	62 (40.5%)	49 (32.0%)	24 (15.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (11.1%)	25.4	1175^th of 1492 public elementary schools	21.2%		36.6	972^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	34.8%	203	25.0	48.0	50.0				50.0	48.0	50.0				42.3		$16,190	$1,876	$14,314
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about James W Smith Elementary

What schools do graduates of James W Smith Elementary attend?

Students who attend James W Smith Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : West Craven Middle
High : West Craven High

What district is James W Smith Elementary in?

Craven County Board of Education

Is James W Smith Elementary a good school?

James W Smith Elementary ranks 701^st of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of James W Smith Elementary?

Students at James W Smith Elementary are 38% White, 35% African American, 18% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

How many students attend James W Smith Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 325 students attended James W Smith Elementary.

Rate James W Smith Elementary!

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Schools in Cove City, NC

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 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.