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Southwest Elementary

Q: Is Southwest Elementary a good school?

Southwest Elementary ranks 598 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

598^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 60% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Southwest Elementary is a PK–5 school in Jacksonville, North Carolina, serving about 720 students within Onslow County Schools. It is the largest elementary school among its nearby comparison set, with roughly 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school currently ranks in the 60th percentile statewide (#598 of 1,492 elementary schools), earning a 3-star rating—significantly stronger than the district’s overall ranking at the 45th percentile. After a low point in 2022–23 (39th percentile), Southwest Elementary has climbed steadily across three consecutive years to its current position, making it the second-highest-ranked school among its immediate neighbors.

Academically, math is Southwest’s clearest strength: students in every tested grade (3rd through 5th) outperform both district and state averages, with math proficiency running about 10 points above the district and 5 points above the state. Reading results are more uneven—4th grade reading is strong and 5th grade is roughly at state level, but 3rd grade reading (52.7%) trails the state average (55.6%). The school also posts exceptional outcomes for historically underserved students. For example, students from low-income families rank in the 78th percentile statewide, and students receiving special education services rank in the 70th percentile, both earning 4-star ratings from the state.

Compared with nearby schools, Southwest stands out. Meadow View Elementary, only 2.67 miles away, has similar poverty rates but ranks in the 22nd percentile statewide, while Blue Creek Elementary, 3.05 miles away, ranks in the 14th percentile. Only Carolina Forest Elementary outperforms Southwest, and it serves a less economically disadvantaged population with much lower absenteeism. Southwest’s clearest external risk factor is chronic absenteeism: 25.9% of students are chronically absent, higher than both the district (22.7%) and state (24.2%), and higher than nearby schools like Parkwood Elementary (17.2%). The school also achieves its results with relatively lean per-pupil spending compared with several lower-performing neighboring schools. If attendance and early-grade reading improve, Southwest’s already positive trajectory could accelerate further.

720

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

60.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2601 Burgaw Hwy
Jacksonville, NC 28540

(910) 347-0900

District: Onslow County Schools

Students who attend Southwest Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Dixon Middle
High:	Dixon High

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.3%

Hispanic:

17.8%

African American:

11.1%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Southwest Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 58th percentile in 2016 → 60th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (60th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg58%

North Carolina avg61%

598^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 40%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

136^th of 246Onslow 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	59.2	598 of 1492	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.4	663 of 1490	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.6	671 of 1505	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.1	913 of 1502	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.5	873 of 1514	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.7	559 of 1489	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.2	871 of 1473	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.2	643 of 1434	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.1	744 of 1429	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	57.0	598 of 1425	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	61.1	555 of 1440	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	74.8	316 of 1390	77.3%	★★★★☆
2013	50.8	646 of 1403	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	68.6	434 of 1388	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.2	395 of 1381	71.4%	★★★★☆
2010	67.2	464 of 1363	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.7	440 of 1354	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	51.0	694 of 1324	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.6	729 of 1293	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	51.7	692 of 1276	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	86.0	74 of 903	91.8%	★★★★★
2025	52.3	390 of 918	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.2	273 of 924	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	49.0	445 of 933	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.9	432 of 927	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.8	218 of 896	75.7%	★★★★☆
2019	50.4	432 of 949	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.3	522 of 927	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	26.4	518 of 634	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.1	376 of 646	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.1	540 of 878	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.5	550 of 897	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.5	508 of 1447	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.3	613 of 1451	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.2	713 of 1455	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.2	967 of 1459	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.2	828 of 1458	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	63.9	453 of 1440	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.7	999 of 1424	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	58.3	617 of 1405	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.1	92 of 743	87.6%	★★★★☆
2025	46.1	540 of 710	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.2	572 of 669	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.5	523 of 582	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	60.7	227 of 500	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.0	43 of 612	93.0%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.3	269 of 981	72.6%	★★★★☆
2025	50.1	478 of 961	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.3	185 of 951	80.5%	★★★★☆
2023	55.8	350 of 915	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	79.4	107 of 893	88.0%	★★★★☆
2021	72.6	148 of 843	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	73.9	156 of 865	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	69.5	195 of 851	77.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.5	314 of 1434	78.1%	★★★★☆
2025	58.0	523 of 1437	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.1	601 of 1450	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.5	1058 of 1437	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.0	568 of 1366	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.9	304 of 1329	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	59.6	494 of 1361	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.7	519 of 1332	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.7	642 of 1451	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.1	704 of 1450	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.3	603 of 1464	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.9	773 of 1461	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.9	865 of 1464	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.2	627 of 1444	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.5	697 of 1430	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.5	679 of 1413	51.9%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.8	37 of 67	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.5	44 of 72	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.7	40 of 75	46.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.0	54 of 81	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.6	63 of 85	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	56.6	32 of 76	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.5	57 of 72	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	65.2	26 of 76	65.8%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	79.6	31 of 175	82.3%	★★★★☆
2024	58.6	68 of 159	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.8	70 of 154	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.4	96 of 133	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.0	54 of 97	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	80.2	12 of 86	86.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.0	245 of 815	69.9%	★★★★☆
2025	51.7	314 of 821	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.2	531 of 801	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.1	851 of 1146	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.0	869 of 1172	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.1	941 of 1166	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	1046 of 1183	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.9	1074 of 1194	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.7	620 of 1172	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.9	1052 of 1183	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.1	807 of 1178	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)92nd percentile+32 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)88th percentile+28 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)82nd percentile+27 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)78th percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)73rd percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2026)70th percentile+10 vs school

Female (2026)65th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)56th percentile-4 vs school

Military Connected (2026)45th percentile-15 vs school

White (2026)26th percentile-34 vs school

Disabled (2022)18th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics69%+5 vs state

Science69%~ state avg

Reading56%~ state avg

2.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Three years ago when my daughter started school, I wasn't really impressed. My daughter will be evaluated for gifted next year. I was constantly having to make sure she was being challenged and that the teachers wasn't using her to help teach others. The teacher, her kindergarten year, was very open and responsive to her needs and my concerns. Her 1st grade teacher was the same way. The teacher listened to what I had to say and made sure my daughter was challenged. I talked to the principal about a nurturing program for the high learning students. That was eventually brought into the school. This year my daughter is in 2nd grade and the school has made great strides. There was an Odyssey of the MInd program this year which the children really enjoyed. They are being taught chess and they (the higher learning students) are being challenged more. I am very please with the direction that the school is moving and I have already heard about some of the programs they are trying to bring in: like gardening and extra recycling. The school gives the children the chance to serve as safety guards and they have program called Girls on the Run. The principal is leading this school in a good direction. The staff is friendly and supportive. We will miss this school when we move this summer. Close Quote

Schools Near Southwest Elementary

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Ranking:

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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 Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southwest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2601 Burgaw Hwy	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 347-0900	720	51	14.1	60.4%	441 (61.3%)	80 (11.1%)	128 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	66 (9.2%)	59.2	598^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.9%		54.4	663^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	55.5%	65	70.5	67.6	68.3		52.7	60.0	54.8		68.6	$8,706	$779	$7,927
Meadow View Elementary	Public	K-5	1026 Fire Tower Rd	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 478-3522	520	38	13.8	61.2%	312 (60.0%)	59 (11.3%)	96 (18.5%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	47 (9.0%)	26.6	1160^th of 1492 public elementary schools	22.3%		41.4	893^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	40.1%	267	50.6	52.7	48.9		47.2	46.2	37.9		55.7	$8,585	$807	$7,778
Blue Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	1260 Burgaw Hwy	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 347-1717	498	38	13.2	67.3%	235 (47.2%)	87 (17.5%)	118 (23.7%)	4 (0.8%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	47 (9.4%)	19.6	1286^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.8%		26	1158^th of 1490 public elementary schools	22.3%	128	47.0	42.5	36.7		37.9	53.8	36.1		49.2	$10,673	$1,191	$9,482
Clear View Elementary	Public	K-5	180 Clear View School Rd	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(910) 455-2667	535	35	15.2	52.7%	328 (61.3%)	71 (13.3%)	76 (14.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (10.7%)	50.7	719^th of 1492 public elementary schools	51.8%		46.4	812^th of 1490 public elementary schools	45.5%	93	75.9	57.6	58.7		52.9	54.1	51.4		65.3
Parkwood Elementary	Public	K-5	2900 Northwoods Dr	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 347-6711	457	32	14.2	52.5%	221 (48.4%)	81 (17.7%)	93 (20.4%)	8 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	51 (11.2%)	42.1	875^th of 1492 public elementary schools	41.4%		53.8	675^th of 1490 public elementary schools	54.7%	200	60.0	45.7	52.3		45.0	51.9	61.6		68.6	$9,969	$731	$9,237
Northwoods Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	617 Henderson Dr	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(910) 347-2808	439	33	13.3	72.2%	168 (38.3%)	114 (26.0%)	84 (19.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	64 (14.6%)	20.5	1270^th of 1492 public elementary schools	14.9%		37.1	960^th of 1490 public elementary schools	35.6%	310	38.2	47.4	42.6		39.5	47.4	39.3		57.4	$9,947	$1,028	$8,919
Summersill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	250 Summersill School Road	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 455-2672	482	40	11.9	74.3%	202 (41.9%)	125 (25.9%)	88 (18.3%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (12.7%)	33	1042^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	30.2%		46.8	807^th of 1490 public elementary schools	45.8%	235	50.0	64.7	50.0		34.3	60.3	44.3		54.3	$10,099	$866	$9,233
Z.E.C.A. School of Arts and Technology	Public, Charter	K-8	1249 Hargett Street	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Z.E.C.A. School of Arts and Technology	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 219-8603	104	6	17.8	95.2%	13 (12.5%)	61 (58.7%)	18 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (11.5%)	10.6	1410^th of 1492 public elementary schools	5.5%		10.1	1420^th of 1490 public elementary schools	4.7%	10			10.0	33.3			40.0	33.3	338.5
Clyde Erwin Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	323 New River Dr	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(910) 347-1261	283	24	12.0	61.8%	72 (25.4%)	66 (23.3%)	114 (40.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	29 (10.2%)	45.6	811^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.6%		33.5	1029^th of 1490 public elementary schools	30.9%	218	60.8	75.7	50.0		52.9	73.0	36.1		52.8	$10,965	$929	$10,036
Bell Fork Elementary	Public	K-5	500 Bell Fork Rd	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 347-4459	551	38	14.5	74.0%	136 (24.7%)	219 (39.7%)	137 (24.9%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (9.6%)	30.1	1093^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	26.7%		38.1	949^th of 1490 public elementary schools	36.3%	144	45.6	41.7	47.0		39.2	48.6	55.4		66.3	$9,844	$1,331	$8,513

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest Elementary

What district is Southwest Elementary in?

Onslow County Schools

How many students attend Southwest Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 720 students attended Southwest Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Southwest Elementary attend?

Students who attend Southwest Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dixon Middle
High : Dixon High

What is the racial makeup of Southwest Elementary?

Students at Southwest Elementary are 61% White, 18% Hispanic, 11% African American, 9% Two or more races.

Is Southwest Elementary a good school?

Southwest Elementary ranks 598^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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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.