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Carolina Forest Elementary

Q: Is Carolina Forest Elementary a good school?

Carolina Forest Elementary ranks 416 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

416^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 72% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Carolina Forest Elementary is a K–5 school in Jacksonville, NC, serving about 570 students as part of Onslow County Schools. In the most recent state rankings, it placed 416th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools (72nd percentile) and earned a 4-star rating, making it the top-ranked elementary school in its local area. By comparison, Stateside Elementary ranks at the 67th percentile, Clear View Elementary at the 52nd, and Jacksonville Commons Elementary — just 1.5 miles away — falls at the 22nd. This stands out because the district is only mid-tier statewide.

Academically, the school exceeds the state average in six of seven End-of-Grade assessments. Early-grade results are particularly strong: 82.1% of 3rd graders scored proficient in math and 75.0% in reading, both roughly 16–20 points above the statewide average. Fifth-grade science is another highlight at 77.5% proficiency. The clearest area of concern is fourth-grade math, where proficiency dipped to 54.1% — below the state average of 61.4%. Since fourth-grade math at this school was 69.0% the previous year, this appears to be a one-cohort dip rather than a permanent weakness, but it is still worth monitoring.

The school also has a strong attendance culture: only 13.4% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, compared with 22.7% districtwide and 24.2% statewide. Every nearby same-district school posts a higher chronic absenteeism rate, and Jacksonville Commons Elementary's rate of 26.7% is roughly double this school's rate. Statewide effectiveness rankings show the school does especially well with Hispanic, low-income, and special education students. Areas that may deserve attention include military-connected students, multiracial students, and a recent dip for male students. Notably, the school gets these results while spending less per pupil than most nearby schools. Overall, this is a well-regarded elementary school with strong early-grade instruction, solid attendance, and meaningful success across several student groups.

570

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

47.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

141 Carolina Forest Boulevard
Jacksonville, NC 28546

(910) 346-1778

District: Onslow County Schools

Students who attend Carolina Forest Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Jacksonville Commons Middle
High:	White Oak High

Racial breakdown:

White:

36.3%

African American:

24.6%

Hispanic:

20.7%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Carolina Forest Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 53rd percentile in 2022 → 72nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (69% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 72nd (2026) from a 53rd-percentile low (2022)

✓Above the North Carolina median (72nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg58%

North Carolina avg61%

416^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 28%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 28% (2026)

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	70.0	416 of 1492	72.1%	★★★★☆
2025	73.0	344 of 1490	76.9%	★★★★☆
2024	70.1	397 of 1505	73.6%	★★★★☆
2023	64.0	517 of 1502	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.0	706 of 1514	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.1	368 of 1489	75.3%	★★★★☆
2019	66.4	468 of 1473	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.5	451 of 1434	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	68.9	428 of 1429	70.0%	★★★★☆
2016	74.5	315 of 1425	77.9%	★★★★☆
2015	74.5	333 of 1440	76.9%	★★★★☆
2014	75.0	313 of 1390	77.5%	★★★★☆
2013	77.6	260 of 1403	81.5%	★★★★☆
2012	84.9	113 of 1388	91.9%	★★★★★
2011	82.1	165 of 1381	88.1%	★★★★☆
2010	77.8	241 of 1363	82.3%	★★★★☆
2009	63.5	538 of 1354	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	73.7	288 of 1324	78.2%	★★★★☆
2007	81.1	155 of 1293	88.0%	★★★★☆
2006	68.5	363 of 1276	71.6%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.9	293 of 903	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.5	227 of 918	75.3%	★★★★☆
2024	67.7	215 of 924	76.7%	★★★★☆
2023	59.3	314 of 933	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.1	330 of 927	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.0	188 of 896	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	62.0	285 of 949	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	53.9	399 of 927	57.0%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	18.1	115 of 130	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	39.7	344 of 634	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.8	363 of 646	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.8	398 of 878	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.0	560 of 897	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.8	313 of 1447	78.4%	★★★★☆
2025	67.5	407 of 1451	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	65.9	440 of 1455	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.9	539 of 1459	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.4	755 of 1458	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	62.5	471 of 1440	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.5	415 of 1424	70.9%	★★★★☆
2018	75.3	297 of 1405	78.9%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.7	110 of 743	85.2%	★★★★☆
2025	61.3	297 of 710	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.5	200 of 669	70.1%	★★★★☆
2023	63.2	210 of 582	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.8	371 of 500	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	69.4	119 of 494	75.9%	★★★★☆
2019	44.6	502 of 612	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.9	55 of 981	94.4%	★★★★★
2025	92.3	35 of 961	96.4%	★★★★★
2024	80.1	119 of 951	87.5%	★★★★☆
2023	77.5	125 of 915	86.3%	★★★★☆
2022	74.9	152 of 893	83.0%	★★★★☆
2021	88.3	62 of 843	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	76.6	124 of 865	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	83.0	78 of 851	90.8%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.1	296 of 1434	79.4%	★★★★☆
2025	72.7	268 of 1437	81.4%	★★★★☆
2024	76.2	212 of 1450	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	59.7	497 of 1437	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.9	636 of 1366	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.2	511 of 1329	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.3	328 of 1361	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	61.1	470 of 1332	64.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.5	559 of 1451	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	76.0	287 of 1450	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	70.8	376 of 1464	74.3%	★★★★☆
2023	65.0	469 of 1461	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.4	636 of 1464	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	76.5	287 of 1444	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	63.3	482 of 1430	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.7	552 of 1413	60.9%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.8	43 of 67	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.8	34 of 72	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.1	43 of 75	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.0	28 of 81	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.6	65 of 85	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.6	47 of 76	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.7	42 of 72	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.4	44 of 76	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.1	125 of 181	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.5	78 of 175	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.5	53 of 159	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.6	59 of 154	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.4	63 of 133	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.4	45 of 97	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.7	46 of 103	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.6	20 of 86	76.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.5	226 of 815	72.3%	★★★★☆
2025	70.8	121 of 821	85.3%	★★★★☆
2024	64.0	177 of 801	77.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.2	317 of 1146	72.3%	★★★★☆
2025	65.2	382 of 1172	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.0	423 of 1166	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.4	581 of 1183	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.7	780 of 1194	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.7	458 of 1172	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.3	461 of 1183	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.5	530 of 1178	55.0%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)94th percentile+22 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)85th percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)79th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)78th percentile+6 vs school

White (2026)72nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)72nd percentile~ school

African American (2026)68th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)61st percentile-11 vs school

Disabled (2022)46th percentile-8 vs school

Military Connected (2026)36th percentile-36 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)31st percentile-41 vs school

Asian (2024)12th percentile-62 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science78%+10 vs state

Mathematics68%+5 vs state

Reading66%+10 vs state

4.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, June 24, 2019

All 3 of my children attended CFE and had a great experience. It's as clean as a hospital and offers all levels of classes. I highly recommend it for all ages. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, April 8, 2014

we rented by this school for the "9" rating we saw online. It is a great neighborhood and has a lot of military families in the area. The school started a foreign teacher program when we registered. I requested a different teacher for my child and was not granted that request. After the first few weeks, I asked that my child to be moved to a new class, just too easily distracted in that environment. Admin refused to honor that request. I understand they didn't want to set precedence but I felt like my child's individual needs were not a consideration. Crowded classrooms, teachers seemed overwhelmed, (they eat lunch with their students), foreign teacher program didn't seem organized or well-supported. Felt a lack of communication from day 1. And my child didn't feel safe at school. I didn't feel welcome as a new parent. I felt disappointment as I thought this school was the 'best' in the area and when you're renting in a new town that is all you care about when finding the right house and location. I will admit we didn't stay long and moved our child to a different school, and I've learned sometimes the ratings you see are only how students tested in the upper grades that year prior and doesn't provide a whole picture of the school environment. I noticed a drop in testing scores from that year. Close Quote

Schools Near Carolina Forest 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 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
Carolina Forest Elementary	Public	K-5	141 Carolina Forest Boulevard	Jacksonville	28546	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 346-1778	570	39	14.6	47.9%	207 (36.3%)	140 (24.6%)	118 (20.7%)	32 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	66 (11.6%)	70	416^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.1%		73	344^th of 1490 public elementary schools	76.9%	72	82.1	54.1	71.3		75.0	63.3	60.0		77.5	$8,201	$658	$7,543
Jacksonville Commons Elementary	Public	K-5	1121 Commons Drive North	Jacksonville	28546	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 347-1056	506	37	13.6	69.8%	165 (32.6%)	140 (27.7%)	103 (20.4%)	11 (2.2%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	83 (16.4%)	26	1169^th of 1492 public elementary schools	21.6%		30.7	1078^th of 1490 public elementary schools	27.7%	91	43.8	59.1	37.3		40.0	47.7	49.3		52.0	$10,168	$1,161	$9,007
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
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
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
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
Stateside Elementary	Public	K-5	132 Stateside Blvd	Jacksonville	28546	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 478-3460	579	38	15.1	47.8%	299 (51.6%)	98 (16.9%)	123 (21.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (9.3%)	65.8	494^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.9%		53.8	677^th of 1490 public elementary schools	54.6%	183	71.0	70.2	58.9		66.4	61.7	57.9		75.8	$9,013	$862	$8,151
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Carolina Forest Elementary

How many students attend Carolina Forest Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 570 students attended Carolina Forest Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Carolina Forest Elementary attend?

Students who attend Carolina Forest Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jacksonville Commons Middle
High : White Oak High

What is the racial makeup of Carolina Forest Elementary?

Students at Carolina Forest Elementary are 36% White, 25% African American, 21% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 6% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander.

What district is Carolina Forest Elementary in?

Onslow County Schools

Is Carolina Forest Elementary a good school?

Carolina Forest Elementary ranks 416^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 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.