Summary
Ellerbe Middle is a small, rural middle school in Ellerbe, NC, serving 182 students in grades 6–8, nearly all of whom come from economically disadvantaged households. It is part of Richmond County Schools, and despite the district's low ranking among North Carolina districts, Ellerbe is the strongest middle school in its local group. Ellerbe sits at the 44th percentile statewide, ahead of Rockingham Middle (40th percentile), Hamlet Middle (37th percentile), and Cordova Middle (33rd percentile).
The school's most distinctive strength is its 8th grade year. In 2025-26, Ellerbe's 8th graders surpassed both district and state averages in math, reading, and science. Science is especially notable: 75% of 8th graders were proficient, compared to 68.6% statewide and well above nearby Cordova Middle (63.4%) and Rockingham Middle (55.1%). This continues a multi-year pattern of strong 8th grade science scores. Ellerbe also serves several student subgroups well by statewide standards, including African American students (71st percentile) and low-income students (73rd percentile), indicating strong support for historically underserved groups. In 2024-25, gifted students at Ellerbe ranked at the 98th percentile statewide.
However, 6th and 7th grade performance is less strong, with 7th grade reading the clearest concern: only 38.2% of students are proficient, well below the state average of 56.3%. Small enrollment also causes significant year-to-year swings in grade-level scores — a factor parents should keep in mind when reviewing any single year's results. On a positive note, Ellerbe's chronic absenteeism rate of 20.9% is far better than the state average of 24.2% and dramatically better than nearby Hamlet Middle (35.9%), Rockingham Middle (36.2%), and Cordova Middle (42.1%). With a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio, the school offers a relatively intimate learning environment where attendance and 8th grade outcomes stand out as genuine strengths.
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