Ashley Chapel Educational Center

Ashley Chapel Educational Center is a very small alternative-style school in Rockingham, NC, serving roughly 59 students in grades 6-12 through Richmond County Schools and currently ranking 661st out of 662 high schools in North Carolina, putting it in the 0th percentile with zero stars. Although labeled a high school, its wide grade span and tiny enrollment show that it functions as an alternative/educational center rather than a traditional campus. Ashley Chapel has never ranked above the 10th percentile in the state, and recent years have been the worst yet.

Academic proficiency is in the single digits or low teens in every tested subject. Just 10% of students scored proficient on English II, 12.5% on Math III, and 6.3% on Biology, far below district and state averages. The graduation rate has also fallen sharply, from 69.2% three years ago to 50.5% today, compared with a 90.4% district average and a 91.2% rate at Richmond Senior High. Chronic absenteeism is the most glaring problem: 89.2% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25, versus 27% at Richmond Senior High, and the school has remained above 80% for several consecutive years.

About 95% of Ashley Chapel students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, but surrounding schools serve similar or higher poverty populations. Richmond Early College High, only about four miles away, serves comparable students and ranks 14th in the state, while Scotland Early College High ranks 27th. The school also spends roughly $31,523 per student, about three times the per-pupil spending of neighboring traditional high schools, while keeping its student-teacher ratio at just 6.1 to 1. Its grade 6-12 structure suggests an alternative mission for students who have struggled elsewhere, but even with that context, a decade of bottom-ranked results and persistent attendance problems indicate a school in deep distress. Major structural changes around attendance, engagement, and academic recovery are essential.