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Dr John Codington Elementary

Public Grades K-5

45^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 97% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Dr John Codington Elementary is a K–5 public elementary school in Wilmington, NC, serving 470 students in the New Hanover County Schools district, and it stands among the very best elementary schools in the state. Codington ranks 45th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools — the 97th percentile with a 5-star rating — and it has earned 5 stars every year since 2015–16. That record is even more striking because New Hanover County Schools itself earns only a 3-star rating. Codington achieves this while serving a student body where 26.6% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and it sits just behind Masonboro Elementary, ahead of Heyward C Bellamy Elementary and Holly Tree Elementary, and far above many other nearby schools.

Academics are exceptional across the board. In 3rd grade, 98.6% of students scored proficient in math and 87.3% in reading — far above district and state averages and higher than Masonboro Elementary in both subjects. Fifth-grade science proficiency reached 93.9%. Reading scores also surged dramatically in 2025–26, with 3rd-grade reading jumping from 63.6% to 87.3% proficiency in a single year. Chronic absenteeism is another key strength: just 8.8% of students were chronically absent, roughly one-third the district and state rates. The comparison with higher-poverty schools nearby is stark — Edwin A Alderman Elementary and Sunset Park Elementary post 3rd-grade math proficiency rates around 36–40%, nearly 60 points below Codington.

These strengths are consistent across student groups. Male students rank 21st of 1,451 statewide and female students 76th of 1,447, while low-income students improved from the 45th to the 95th percentile in just two years. Codington does this without unusually high spending — about $10,516 per pupil — or dramatically small classes. It also outperforms nearby charter schools like Cape Fear Center for Inquiry and Wilmington School of the Arts. For parents, Codington offers an elite, dependable educational option in a traditional neighborhood school setting.

470

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

26.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4321 Carolina Beach Road
Wilmington, NC 28412

(910) 790-2236

District: New Hanover County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.6%

Hispanic:

6.8%

African American:

5.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Dr John Codington Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 96th percentile in 2016 → 97th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (87% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 3% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school87%

District avg65%

North Carolina avg61%

45^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 3%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

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	94.8	45 of 1492	97.0%	★★★★★
2025	86.7	149 of 1490	90.0%	★★★★★
2024	87.9	141 of 1505	90.6%	★★★★★
2023	87.9	136 of 1502	90.9%	★★★★★
2022	91.6	93 of 1514	93.9%	★★★★★
2021	93.4	77 of 1489	94.8%	★★★★★
2019	92.3	61 of 1473	95.9%	★★★★★
2018	95.7	20 of 1434	98.6%	★★★★★
2017	94.2	30 of 1429	97.9%	★★★★★
2016	92.1	58 of 1425	95.9%	★★★★★
2015	93.5	43 of 1440	97.0%	★★★★★
2014	96.9	15 of 1390	98.9%	★★★★★
2013	93.7	64 of 1403	95.4%	★★★★★
2012	90.5	28 of 1388	98.0%	★★★★★
2011	86.6	103 of 1381	92.5%	★★★★★
2010	89.4	44 of 1363	96.8%	★★★★★
2009	90.9	31 of 1354	97.7%	★★★★★
2008	92.1	44 of 1324	96.7%	★★★★★
2007	89.3	37 of 1293	97.1%	★★★★★
2006	93.0	14 of 1276	98.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.6	76 of 1447	94.7%	★★★★★
2025	79.6	222 of 1451	84.7%	★★★★☆
2024	81.6	199 of 1455	86.3%	★★★★☆
2023	86.5	129 of 1459	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	91.4	79 of 1458	94.6%	★★★★★
2021	93.9	59 of 1440	95.9%	★★★★★
2019	88.9	85 of 1424	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	95.6	11 of 1405	99.2%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.4	152 of 743	79.5%	★★★★☆
2025	56.6	400 of 710	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	69.9	70 of 669	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	59.1	300 of 582	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.8	244 of 500	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.7	90 of 494	81.8%	★★★★☆
2019	58.6	314 of 612	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	97.1	3 of 851	99.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.0	68 of 1434	95.3%	★★★★★
2025	72.2	276 of 1437	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	46.2	801 of 1450	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	73.1	271 of 1437	81.1%	★★★★☆
2021	53.3	529 of 1329	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	89.2	61 of 1361	95.5%	★★★★★
2018	94.0	20 of 1332	98.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	95.7	21 of 1451	98.6%	★★★★★
2025	89.7	99 of 1450	93.2%	★★★★★
2024	90.8	92 of 1464	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	86.2	140 of 1461	90.4%	★★★★★
2022	88.7	115 of 1464	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	90.8	95 of 1444	93.4%	★★★★★
2019	92.6	53 of 1430	96.3%	★★★★★
2018	94.0	35 of 1413	97.5%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	68.8	138 of 821	83.2%	★★★★☆
2024	69.3	139 of 801	82.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.0	115 of 1146	90.0%	★★★★★
2025	72.1	289 of 1172	75.3%	★★★★☆
2024	77.5	228 of 1166	80.4%	★★★★☆
2023	74.3	261 of 1183	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	81.2	177 of 1194	85.2%	★★★★☆
2021	84.5	129 of 1172	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	83.4	135 of 1183	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	90.3	47 of 1178	96.0%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2018)100th percentile~ school

Male (2026)99th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)95th percentile~ school

Female (2026)95th percentile~ school

White (2026)90th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)83rd percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)80th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science94%+26 vs state

Mathematics88%+25 vs state

Reading84%+27 vs state

5.0

1 rating

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Schools Near Dr John Codington 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
Dr John Codington Elementary	Public	K-5	4321 Carolina Beach Road	Wilmington	28412	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 790-2236	470	31	15.0	26.6%	374 (79.6%)	26 (5.5%)	32 (6.8%)	8 (1.7%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	25 (5.3%)	94.8	45^th of 1492 public elementary schools	97.0%		86.7	149^th of 1490 public elementary schools	90.0%	104	98.6	81.9	84.8				87.3	84.7	78.8				93.9		$10,516	$680	$9,836
Pine Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	440 John S Mosby Dr	Wilmington	28412	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2121	465	29	15.8	99.4%	311 (66.9%)	61 (13.1%)	49 (10.5%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.5%)	63.2	532^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	64.3%		68.2	424^th of 1490 public elementary schools	71.5%	108	72.5	61.9	69.2				55.1	60.3	66.7				67.9		$10,137	$902	$9,235
Mary C Williams Elementary	Public	K-5	801 Silver Lake Rd	Wilmington	28412	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2150	355	31	11.2	99.2%	140 (39.4%)	40 (11.3%)	156 (43.9%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.9%)	37.3	957^th of 1492 public elementary schools	35.9%		47.1	800^th of 1490 public elementary schools	46.3%	157	59.7	62.7	52.6				46.3	55.2	43.9				52.6		$12,184	$1,615	$10,569
Cape Fear Center for Inquiry	Public, Charter	K-8	2525 Wonder Way	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	Cape Fear Center for Inquiry	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 362-0000	395	30	13.1		320 (81.0%)	29 (7.3%)	26 (6.6%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (3.0%)	68.6	447^th of 1492 public elementary schools	70.0%		75.8	309^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.3%	138	58.1	71.1	70.8	66.7	56.5	68.1	55.8	73.3	64.6	62.2	73.9	72.3	77.1	91.5
Holly Tree Elementary	Public	K-5	3020 Web Trace	Wilmington	28409	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 790-2250	383	28	13.5	26.1%	289 (75.5%)	28 (7.3%)	44 (11.5%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	83.9	191^st of 1492 public elementary schools	87.2%		83.2	200^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.6%	9	82.8	73.4	81.8				71.9	70.3	67.3				83.6		$10,025	$585	$9,440
Edwin A Alderman Elementary	Public	K-5	2025 Independence Blvd	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2031	255	22	11.4	98.8%	108 (42.4%)	89 (34.9%)	32 (12.5%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.1%)	12.1	1395^th of 1492 public elementary schools	6.5%		12.1	1392^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	6.6%	3	35.9	31.8	35.0				41.0	31.8	32.5				57.5		$14,178	$1,969	$12,209
Heyward C Bellamy Elementary	Public	K-5	70 Sanders Rd	Wilmington	28412	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-2039	533	35	15.0	41.1%	377 (70.7%)	25 (4.7%)	88 (16.5%)	12 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.6%)	88	147^th of 1492 public elementary schools	90.1%		88.1	136^th of 1490 public elementary schools	90.9%	11	84.3	85.2	91.5				68.7	68.0	75.6				89.0		$10,008	$775	$9,233
Sunset Park Elementary	Public	K-5	613 Alabama Ave	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 815-6948	450	35	12.9	99.3%	40 (8.9%)	103 (22.9%)	280 (62.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.8%)	7.4	1448^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.9%		24.9	1190^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.1%	258	40.7	43.8	35.2				32.6	28.8	19.7				25.4		$14,494	$2,078	$12,416
Masonboro Elementary	Public	K-5	3518 Masonboro Loop Road	Wilmington	28409	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 790-2355	564	35	15.9	20.6%	460 (81.6%)	10 (1.8%)	55 (9.8%)	22 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.8%)	96.3	23^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	98.5%		96.4	34^th of 1490 public elementary schools	97.7%	11	93.3	87.6	93.9				81.0	86.5	87.0				94.8		$9,518	$523	$8,996
Lake Forest Academy	Public	K-8	1802 S 15th Street	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 772-2515	45	14	3.2	93.3%	14 (31.1%)	21 (46.7%)	3 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (13.3%)								(n/a)															$44,023	$483	$43,539

Frequently Asked Questions about Dr John Codington Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Dr John Codington Elementary?

Students at Dr John Codington Elementary are 80% White, 7% Hispanic, 6% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Dr John Codington Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 470 students attended Dr John Codington Elementary.

What district is Dr John Codington Elementary in?

New Hanover County Schools

Is Dr John Codington Elementary a good school?

Yes! Dr John Codington Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 45^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools.

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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.