Rex-Rennert Elementary

Rex-Rennert Elementary is a small, rural school in Shannon, North Carolina, serving roughly 395 students in grades PK–5 within the Public Schools of Robeson County. Nearly all of its students — about 99% — come from economically disadvantaged families. For most of the past decade, Rex-Rennert was ranked among the lowest elementary schools in North Carolina, sitting in the 3rd and 4th percentiles as recently as two years ago. Then, in the most recent school year, the school jumped to the 37th percentile statewide, rising above nearby Robeson County schools such as Oxendine Elementary and Magnolia Elementary.

The improvement shows up clearly in test scores. Fourth-grade reading reached 62.5% proficiency — above the district average of 42.9% and above the North Carolina state average of 57.7%. Fifth-grade math climbed to 62%, essentially matching the state average, and fifth-grade science reached 62% as well. The gains were unusually broad, spanning nearly every subject and grade — including sharp one-year jumps in fifth-grade math and reading. Subgroup rankings also strengthened: Hispanic students now place in the 70th percentile statewide, English language learners in the 59th, and low-income students in the 56th. For a school where nearly every student is economically disadvantaged, these results point to real progress.

Reading in upper elementary and outcomes for boys remain the biggest challenges. Fifth-grade reading sits at 42%, well below the state average, and while female students rank at the 50th percentile statewide, male students rank at only the 18th. Chronic absenteeism, however, has fallen from 38.4% to 29.6% — still above the state's 24.2% but far better than the district average of 42.1%. Nearby schools point to what is possible: Stoney Point Elementary, about ten miles away in Cumberland County Schools, serves a student population with nearly the same level of economic disadvantage yet ranks in the 74th percentile statewide, with 72.1% fifth-grade reading proficiency and just 17.4% chronic absenteeism. Don D Steed Elementary, in Hoke County Schools, also serves many low-income families while posting stronger reading results. Rex-Rennert has meaningful ground to cover, but its recent momentum is genuine.