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Wrightsboro Elementary

Q: Is Wrightsboro Elementary a good school?

Wrightsboro Elementary ranks in the bottom 11.6% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Wrightsboro Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 502 students attended Wrightsboro Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Wrightsboro Elementary?

Students at Wrightsboro Elementary are 43% Hispanic, 25% White, 23% African American, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Q: What schools do graduates of Wrightsboro Elementary attend?

Students who attend Wrightsboro Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Holly Shelter Middle High : New Hanover High

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1319^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Wrightsboro Elementary is a PK–5 school in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving 502 students within the New Hanover County Schools district. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of North Carolina elementary schools over the past decade, landing at the 12th percentile in 2025–2026. Nearly all students (98–99%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and chronic absenteeism sits at 27.8%—above district and state averages, though improved from 34% two years earlier. Test proficiency rates trail district and state averages across most subjects and grade levels.

What makes Wrightsboro's performance particularly notable is the contrast with nearby schools serving very similar student populations. Both Murrayville Elementary and Castle Hayne Elementary have nearly identical free/reduced-lunch rates (99.4%) yet rank in the top 30% of North Carolina elementary schools, while Wrightsboro sits near the bottom. Those same schools also have far lower chronic absenteeism (13.1% and 17.7%, respectively, versus Wrightsboro's 27.8%). Interestingly, Wrightsboro actually spends more per student (~$11,562) than Murrayville (~$9,901) and Castle Hayne (~$10,690), and its student-teacher ratio of 14.8:1 is comparable to those higher-performing neighbors—suggesting that funding and class size alone don't explain the gap.

There are a few bright spots. Fifth-grade science is the school's strongest subject, with 55.6% proficient in 2025–2026, a narrower gap to the district than in reading or math. White students at Wrightsboro also showed marked improvement, rising from the 7th to 41st percentile statewide over the past year. However, recent declines among African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, and special education subgroups suggest gains are not reaching all students equitably. Third-grade reading scores have swung sharply from year to year (from 18.3% to 42% over two years), making trends hard to read. Overall, Wrightsboro's challenges appear less about resources and more about instructional effectiveness, attendance, and school climate. Parents considering this school may want to ask about literacy interventions, absenteeism supports, and how the school is working to close gaps across all student groups.

502

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

2716 Castle Hayne Rd
Wilmington, NC 28401-2683

(910) 815-6909

District: New Hanover County Schools

Students who attend Wrightsboro Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Holly Shelter Middle
High:	New Hanover High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.0%

White:

24.5%

African American:

23.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Wrightsboro Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 25th percentile in 2016 → 12th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (43% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg65%

North Carolina avg61%

1,319^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

84^th of 246New Hanover County 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	17.9	1319 of 1492	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.6	1227 of 1490	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.8	1214 of 1505	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.6	1360 of 1502	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.4	1307 of 1514	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.7	1166 of 1489	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.4	1311 of 1473	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.7	1205 of 1434	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.4	1121 of 1429	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	30.4	1070 of 1425	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	32.5	1048 of 1440	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	36.3	909 of 1390	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	32.4	990 of 1403	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	42.0	905 of 1388	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.1	892 of 1381	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	39.2	943 of 1363	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.8	820 of 1354	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	52.9	668 of 1324	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	63.1	486 of 1293	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	56.5	596 of 1276	53.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	826 of 903	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	36.9	609 of 918	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.7	610 of 924	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.7	811 of 933	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.1	773 of 927	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.6	737 of 896	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.5	713 of 949	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.0	743 of 927	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	43.3	301 of 634	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	15.8	634 of 646	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	815 of 878	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.9	859 of 897	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	11.6	506 of 519	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	29.3	433 of 563	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.9	497 of 533	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.2	503 of 514	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.5	429 of 485	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.0	145 of 385	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	19.5	473 of 497	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.3	383 of 421	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.5	1279 of 1447	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.3	1254 of 1451	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	1235 of 1455	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.6	1367 of 1459	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.0	1064 of 1458	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.5	1051 of 1440	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.4	1259 of 1424	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.9	1262 of 1405	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.8	686 of 743	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	45.4	549 of 710	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.4	556 of 669	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	14.8	933 of 981	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	31.4	716 of 961	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.7	787 of 951	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.0	860 of 915	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	737 of 893	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.9	531 of 843	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.2	745 of 865	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.2	696 of 851	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.0	1238 of 1434	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.5	1243 of 1437	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.4	1088 of 1450	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.7	1162 of 1437	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.2	1185 of 1366	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.8	949 of 1329	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.6	1115 of 1361	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.4	1097 of 1332	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.1	1265 of 1451	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.9	1104 of 1450	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.9	1081 of 1464	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	1270 of 1461	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.2	1338 of 1464	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.5	1204 of 1444	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.4	1289 of 1430	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.5	1114 of 1413	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.8	761 of 815	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.7	781 of 821	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	740 of 801	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	679 of 1146	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	14.6	1088 of 1172	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	27.8	928 of 1166	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.8	1069 of 1183	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	1039 of 1194	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.8	1073 of 1172	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.9	1148 of 1183	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.9	1023 of 1178	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)53rd percentile+39 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)14th percentile~ school

Male (2026)13th percentile~ school

Female (2026)12th percentile~ school

African American (2026)9th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)8th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2026)7th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)5th percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)3rd percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science56%-12 vs state

Mathematics43%-21 vs state

Reading40%-17 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, April 22, 2021

This school became BLM AND RADICAL LEFT school, There is politics everyday but 0 learning, this school is chaotic. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, June 20, 2020

This school is horrible!! Poor leadership that turns a blind eye to bullying. DO NOT LET YOUR CHILD ATTEND THIS SCHOOL!! Close Quote

Schools Near Wrightsboro 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Wrightsboro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2716 Castle Hayne Rd	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 815-6909	502	34	14.8	—	123 (24.5%)	117 (23.3%)	216 (43.0%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (7.8%)	17.9	1319^th of 1492 public elementary schools	11.6%		22.6	1227^th of 1490 public elementary schools	17.7%	92	50.0	31.9	44.4				42.0	37.5	38.9				55.6		$11,562	$1,800	$9,762
D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy	Public	K-8	813 Nixon Street	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 251-6150	162	7	30.3	94.4%	6 (3.7%)	146 (90.1%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.7%)	1.1	1490^th of 1492 public elementary schools	0.1%		1	1489^th of 1490 public elementary schools	0.1%	1	5.9	534.9	15.4	535.2	6.3	< 5%	5.9	30.0	537.4	537.9	6.3	25.0	334.1	50.0
R Freeman School of Engineering	Public, Magnet	K-5	2601 Princess Place Drive	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(910) 251-6011	241	22	10.8	—	7 (2.9%)	170 (70.5%)	44 (18.3%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.5%)	0.9	1492^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	0.0%		1.1	1488^th of 1490 public elementary schools	0.1%	4	13.5	9.8	21.1				9.6	21.4	15.8				34.2		$16,676	$2,332	$14,344
A H Snipes Academy of Arts/Des	Public, Magnet	K-5	2150 Chestnut Street	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(910) 251-6175	342	27	12.7	—	37 (10.8%)	216 (63.2%)	60 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.2%)	8.5	1439^th of 1492 public elementary schools	3.6%		14.6	1353^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	9.2%	86	50.0	25.0	29.6				32.4	21.4	25.9				50.0		$15,103	$2,324	$12,779
Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington	Public, Charter	K-5	507 N 6th Street	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 763-1976	140	6	23.3	85.7%	24 (17.1%)	74 (52.9%)	25 (17.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (12.1%)	17.9	1320^th of 1492 public elementary schools	11.5%		32.9	1038^th of 1490 public elementary schools	30.3%	282	47.4	33.3	45.5				26.3	53.3	45.5				45.5
Murrayville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	225 Mabee Way	Wilmington	28411	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 790-5067	573	40	14.2	—	297 (51.8%)	79 (13.8%)	129 (22.5%)	27 (4.7%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	36 (6.3%)	76.7	287^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.8%		66.6	454^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.5%	167	81.3	71.1	78.4				66.7	61.1	64.9				78.4		$9,901	$832	$9,069
Wilmington Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	134 Cinema Drive	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	Wilmington Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 799-6776	91	12	7.7	—	9 (9.9%)	65 (71.4%)	11 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.6%)	2.8	1487^th of 1492 public elementary schools	0.3%		28.6	1108^th of 1490 public elementary schools	25.6%	379	8.3	18.2	16.7	7.1	38.5		25.0	27.3	33.3	21.4	61.5		33.3
Forest Hills Global Elementary	Public	K-5	602 Colonial Drive	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 251-6190	340	32	10.7	—	43 (12.6%)	146 (42.9%)	130 (38.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.3%)	22.6	1234^th of 1492 public elementary schools	17.3%		13.5	1373^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	7.9%	139	45.2	59.3	64.4				14.3	38.9	28.8				44.1		$14,096	$1,993	$12,103
The International School at Gregory	Public, Magnet	K-8	1106 Ann St	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(910) 251-6185	514	37	13.7	—	171 (33.3%)	114 (22.2%)	198 (38.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.4%)	51.8	700^th of 1492 public elementary schools	53.1%		58.3	594^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.1%	106	43.9	51.7	69.8	65.3	60.5	79.3	40.4	48.3	69.8	67.3	73.7	75.9	79.2	79.3	$18,192	$1,517	$16,675
Castle Hayne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3925 Roger Haynes Drive	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 602-4970	531	37	14.5	—	261 (49.2%)	101 (19.0%)	121 (22.8%)	6 (1.1%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.0%)	68.8	439^th of 1492 public elementary schools	70.6%		70	396^th of 1490 public elementary schools	73.4%	43	70.6	72.0	79.8				56.5	57.3	60.7				78.6		$10,690	$1,150	$9,540

Frequently Asked Questions about Wrightsboro Elementary

Is Wrightsboro Elementary a good school?

Wrightsboro Elementary ranks in the bottom 11.6% of North Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Wrightsboro Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 502 students attended Wrightsboro Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Wrightsboro Elementary?

Students at Wrightsboro Elementary are 43% Hispanic, 25% White, 23% African American, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Wrightsboro Elementary in?

New Hanover County Schools

What schools do graduates of Wrightsboro Elementary attend?

Students who attend Wrightsboro Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Holly Shelter Middle
High : New Hanover High

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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.