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South Topsail Elementary

Q: Is South Topsail Elementary a good school?

South Topsail Elementary ranks 214 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

214^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

South Topsail Elementary is a well-regarded public school in Hampstead, NC, serving about 618 students in grades PK–5 within Pender County Schools. It has been a consistent high-performer for over a decade, earning 4 or 5 stars in almost every recent school year and ranking in the 86th percentile statewide — far above its district’s 51st-percentile ranking.

South Topsail’s biggest strengths are math and science. In 2025-26, its 5th-grade math proficiency hit 85.1%, about 22 points above the state average, and 5th-grade science matched that same 85.1% rate. Even its "weaker" 4th-grade math score of 74.2% sits well above state norms. In fact, South Topsail’s 5th-grade math and reading scores beat those of the slightly higher-ranked North Topsail Elementary. Reading is more of a mixed story: while still above state and district averages, 3rd and 4th grade reading scores trail nearby Topsail Annandale Elementary School and North Topsail by roughly 10 points, making early elementary reading the clearest area for improvement. The school also outpaces many neighbors like Surf City Elementary and Rocky Point Elementary.

Attendance is another bright spot, with a 20.2% chronic absenteeism rate that beats both district and state averages — though top neighbors like Topsail Annandale (14.6%) and North Topsail (14.5%) do better. Subgroup performance has slipped for students receiving special education services and low-income students since 2023-24, but those rankings remain competitive. Note that the school’s reported free/reduced-price lunch rate jumped from 31% to 99.5% in 2024-25, almost certainly due to a change in meal-eligibility reporting, not a demographic shift. Overall, South Topsail delivers dependable, above-average academics, backed by strong math and science instruction, with room to grow in early reading and attendance.

618

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

997 Hoover Road
Hampstead, NC 28443

(910) 270-2756

District: Pender County Schools

Students who attend South Topsail Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Topsail Middle
High:	Pender Early College High
	Topsail High

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.9%

Hispanic:

10.8%

Two or more races:

7.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare South Topsail Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 91st percentile in 2023 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (75% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 91st-percentile peak (2023) to 86th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school75%

District avg65%

North Carolina avg61%

214^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

120^th of 246Pender 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	82.1	214 of 1492	85.7%	★★★★☆
2025	77.0	297 of 1490	80.1%	★★★★☆
2024	84.0	187 of 1505	87.6%	★★★★☆
2023	87.3	141 of 1502	90.6%	★★★★★
2022	84.2	191 of 1514	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	83.7	203 of 1489	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	83.5	187 of 1473	87.3%	★★★★☆
2018	76.0	295 of 1434	79.4%	★★★★☆
2017	79.3	239 of 1429	83.3%	★★★★☆
2016	73.5	338 of 1425	76.3%	★★★★☆
2015	81.1	222 of 1440	84.6%	★★★★☆
2014	74.2	323 of 1390	76.8%	★★★★☆
2013	66.4	418 of 1403	70.2%	★★★★☆
2012	73.7	328 of 1388	76.4%	★★★★☆
2011	83.8	141 of 1381	89.8%	★★★★☆
2010	86.5	99 of 1363	92.7%	★★★★★
2009	86.3	106 of 1354	92.2%	★★★★★
2008	87.6	95 of 1324	92.8%	★★★★★
2007	86.3	74 of 1293	94.3%	★★★★★
2006	77.4	209 of 1276	83.6%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	49.4	255 of 634	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.6	436 of 897	51.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.7	241 of 1447	83.3%	★★★★☆
2025	78.6	236 of 1451	83.7%	★★★★☆
2024	84.5	158 of 1455	89.1%	★★★★☆
2023	87.0	121 of 1459	91.7%	★★★★★
2022	85.2	149 of 1458	89.8%	★★★★☆
2021	82.2	191 of 1440	86.7%	★★★★☆
2019	87.1	108 of 1424	92.4%	★★★★★
2018	71.5	369 of 1405	73.7%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.2	195 of 743	73.8%	★★★★☆
2025	63.6	241 of 710	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.5	243 of 669	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.2	73 of 582	87.5%	★★★★☆
2022	70.2	14 of 500	97.2%	★★★★★
2021	77.0	22 of 494	95.5%	★★★★★
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.3	242 of 981	75.3%	★★★★☆
2025	50.3	473 of 961	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	80.2	97 of 893	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	79.4	107 of 843	87.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.4	448 of 1434	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.6	417 of 1437	71.0%	★★★★☆
2024	77.6	193 of 1450	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	85.0	93 of 1437	93.5%	★★★★★
2022	78.3	165 of 1366	87.9%	★★★★☆
2021	69.7	258 of 1329	80.6%	★★★★☆
2019	84.5	102 of 1361	92.5%	★★★★★
2018	55.3	582 of 1332	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.7	208 of 1451	85.7%	★★★★☆
2025	72.0	344 of 1450	76.3%	★★★★☆
2024	79.8	232 of 1464	84.2%	★★★★☆
2023	85.0	150 of 1461	89.7%	★★★★☆
2022	81.0	215 of 1464	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	78.8	254 of 1444	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	75.9	275 of 1430	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	77.8	248 of 1413	82.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.8	289 of 815	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.6	458 of 821	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	71.7	118 of 801	85.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.6	351 of 1146	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.9	452 of 1172	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.1	312 of 1166	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	76.4	230 of 1183	80.6%	★★★★☆
2022	71.4	306 of 1194	74.4%	★★★★☆
2021	69.7	316 of 1172	73.0%	★★★★☆
2019	74.9	243 of 1183	79.5%	★★★★☆
2018	63.1	429 of 1178	63.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2026)86th percentile~ school

Female (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)75th percentile-10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)74th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile-16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile-17 vs school

Special Education (2026)65th percentile-21 vs school

Disabled (2022)60th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science85%+17 vs state

Mathematics79%+16 vs state

Reading68%+12 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Excellent School. Would recommend to anyone. Close Quote

Schools Near South Topsail 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 Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Topsail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	997 Hoover Road	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-2756	618	38	16.1	—	475 (76.9%)	19 (3.1%)	67 (10.8%)	8 (1.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (7.3%)	82.1	214^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.7%		77	297^th of 1490 public elementary schools	80.1%	83	80.4	74.2	85.1	66.7	64.5	73.4	85.1	$10,357	$486	$9,871
Topsail Annandale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	17385 US Hwy 17	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-1977	580	34	17.0	19.8%	502 (86.6%)	13 (2.2%)	42 (7.2%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.9%)	89.8	116^th of 1492 public elementary schools	92.2%		90.3	106^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.9%	10	87.9	80.8		77.8	74.6			$8,786	$660	$8,125
North Topsail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1310 Sloop Point Loop Road	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-0694	529	33	15.9	—	450 (85.1%)	12 (2.3%)	36 (6.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.3%)	89.2	129^th of 1492 public elementary schools	91.4%		85.5	165^th of 1490 public elementary schools	88.9%	36	90.4	86.4	78.4	71.1	75.4	72.1	87.4	$9,936	$444	$9,492
Porters Neck Elementary	Public	K-5	416 Edgewater Club Rd	Wilmington	28411	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 251-2975	666	42	16.0	22.4%	530 (79.6%)	30 (4.5%)	58 (8.7%)	16 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.4%)	79.6	246^th of 1492 public elementary schools	83.5%		86.3	156^th of 1490 public elementary schools	89.5%	90	74.8	79.1	71.4	71.5	73.6	65.7	75.2
Surf City Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12345-A Literacy Lane	Hampstead	28445	Onslow County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 928-0067	857	51	16.8	—	684 (79.8%)	25 (2.9%)	79 (9.2%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (7.2%)	78.3	264^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.3%		66.8	451^st of 1490 public elementary schools	69.7%	187	81.9	69.7	77.2	67.8	68.3	65.5	75.9	$7,721	$547	$7,175
Rocky Point Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	255 Elementary School Road	Rocky Point	28457	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 675-2309	403	29	13.7	—	145 (36.0%)	55 (13.6%)	189 (46.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.5%)	46.6	793^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	46.8%		62.5	522^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	65.0%	271	52.8	58.1	72.6	41.5	51.6	58.1	66.1	$11,562	$1,485	$10,077
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
Ogden Elementary	Public	K-5	3637 Middle Sound Rd	Wilmington	28411	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 686-6464	619	39	15.9	17.6%	541 (87.4%)	7 (1.1%)	36 (5.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (5.0%)	94.7	47^th of 1492 public elementary schools	96.8%		96.8	22^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	98.5%	25	561.6	92.1	88.2	84.9	83.3	80.0	86.4	$9,099	$487	$8,612
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
Dr Hubert Eaton Senior Elementary	Public	K-5	6701 Gordon Road	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 397-1544	461	32	14.2	30.4%	342 (74.2%)	31 (6.7%)	39 (8.5%)	13 (2.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.2%)	91	98^th of 1492 public elementary schools	93.4%		91.7	86^th of 1490 public elementary schools	94.2%	12	87.7	86.8	90.2	70.4	76.5	73.8	91.8	$10,965	$754	$10,211

Frequently Asked Questions about South Topsail Elementary

What is the racial makeup of South Topsail Elementary?

Students at South Topsail Elementary are 77% White, 11% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Asian.

Is South Topsail Elementary a good school?

South Topsail Elementary ranks 214^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of South Topsail Elementary attend?

Students who attend South Topsail Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Topsail Middle
High : Pender Early College High
High : Topsail High

How many students attend South Topsail Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 618 students attended South Topsail Elementary.

What district is South Topsail Elementary in?

Pender County 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.