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North Rowan Elementary

Q: Is North Rowan Elementary a good school?

North Rowan Elementary ranks in the bottom 0.1% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend North Rowan Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 405 students attended North Rowan Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of North Rowan Elementary?

Students at North Rowan Elementary are 38% African American, 30% Hispanic, 21% White, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Q: What schools do graduates of North Rowan Elementary attend?

Students who attend North Rowan Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : North Rowan Middle High : North Rowan High

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1491^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 0% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

North Rowan Elementary is a PK–5 school in Spencer, NC, serving about 405 students within the Rowan-Salisbury Schools district. It has ranked among the very lowest elementary schools in North Carolina for over a decade, placing 1491st out of 1492 in 2025–2026 with a 0-star rating. Nearly all of its students (99%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and more than one in three was chronically absent in 2024–2025.

Proficiency rates are well below district and state averages in every tested subject and grade. For example, only 10.6% of 5th graders were proficient in math and 18.2% in reading, versus district rates of 48.5% and 40.4%. Even 3rd grade reading sat at 18.6%, compared with 55.6% statewide. Science is a relative bright spot—32.3% of 5th graders were proficient—but that still trails the state’s 67.7%. Nearby schools with similar poverty levels show much stronger results. Southwood Elementary, where about 99.5% of students are economically disadvantaged, posted 77.2% proficiency in 5th grade math and ranks in the 56th percentile. Tyro Elementary and Southmont Elementary also serve similar student populations and perform far better. Even within the same district, Isenberg Elementary and Granite Quarry Elementary achieve meaningfully higher proficiency while serving equally high-poverty populations.

Chronic absenteeism stands out as a key concern: North Rowan’s 38.4% rate is about 2.5 times higher than Southwood Elementary’s 15.5% and well above the state’s 24.2%. There were small improvements in 2025–2026—4th grade math rose from 6.3% to 12.2%—but the pace remains very slow. Low achievement is broad-based across every measured student group, pointing to school-wide challenges rather than issues isolated to one population of students.

405

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

91.1%

Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 1.8% (any vaccine)

600 Charles St
Spencer, NC 28159-1706

(704) 639-3042

District: Rowan-Salisbury Schools

Students who attend North Rowan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	North Rowan Middle
High:	North Rowan High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

37.5%

Hispanic:

30.1%

White:

21.0%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare North Rowan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 3rd percentile in 2016 → <1st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (18% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg46%

North Carolina avg61%

1,491^st of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

199^th of 246Rowan-Salisbury 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	1.0	1491 of 1492	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	1.5	1487 of 1490	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.6	1496 of 1505	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.5	1497 of 1502	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.4	1499 of 1514	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.2	1354 of 1489	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.0	1444 of 1473	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.6	1397 of 1434	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	3.7	1397 of 1429	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	5.2	1389 of 1425	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.6	1370 of 1440	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	5.7	1344 of 1390	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	10.3	1326 of 1403	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.1	1358 of 1388	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	5.1	1356 of 1381	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	12.3	1257 of 1363	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	17.2	1194 of 1354	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	13.1	1215 of 1324	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	25.3	1084 of 1293	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	10.1	1216 of 1276	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	8.8	884 of 903	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.2	916 of 918	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.0	905 of 924	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	921 of 933	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.2	896 of 927	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.5	896 of 896	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.4	942 of 949	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.7	915 of 927	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	25.3	534 of 646	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.8	769 of 878	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.6	691 of 897	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	5.6	518 of 519	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.6	477 of 533	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.2	473 of 514	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	0.7	1447 of 1447	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	2.0	1449 of 1451	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.8	1437 of 1455	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.0	1456 of 1459	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.1	1436 of 1458	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.3	1310 of 1440	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.4	1415 of 1424	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.5	1365 of 1405	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	2.0	981 of 981	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.0	961 of 961	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.2	943 of 951	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	912 of 915	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.2	882 of 893	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	698 of 843	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.8	847 of 865	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	30.8	659 of 851	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	1.7	1433 of 1434	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.1	1434 of 1437	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.7	1436 of 1450	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.8	1420 of 1437	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.6	1354 of 1366	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.1	1265 of 1329	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.7	1356 of 1361	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.1	1314 of 1332	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	2.0	1451 of 1451	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	1.7	1448 of 1450	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.4	1457 of 1464	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.9	1441 of 1461	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.0	1447 of 1464	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.9	1345 of 1444	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.3	1398 of 1430	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.5	1378 of 1413	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	2.3	159 of 159	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.0	154 of 154	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.0	755 of 815	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	0.6	1146 of 1146	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	1.5	1166 of 1172	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.6	1160 of 1166	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.7	1172 of 1183	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.1	1184 of 1194	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.3	1121 of 1172	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.6	1167 of 1183	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.3	1157 of 1178	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2021)17th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2026)7th percentile+7 vs school

African American (2026)2nd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)<1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)<1st percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2024)<1st percentile~ school

Female (2026)<1st percentile~ school

Male (2026)<1st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)<1st percentile~ school

White (2026)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science32%-35 vs state

Reading19%-38 vs state

Mathematics13%-50 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, July 9, 2018

Get a different principal and maybe things will change. Close Quote

Schools Near North Rowan 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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		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	Vaccination: Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
North Rowan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 Charles St	Spencer	28159	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 639-3042	405	27	15.0	—	85 (21.0%)	152 (37.5%)	122 (30.1%)	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (8.9%)	1	1491^st of 1492 public elementary schools	0.1%		1.5	1487^th of 1490 public elementary schools	0.2%	4	16.9	12.2	10.6	18.6	18.9	18.2	32.3	91.1%	1.8%	$10,610	$1,852	$8,758
Dole Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	465 Choate Rd	Salisbury	28146	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 639-3046	388	25	15.5	—	87 (22.4%)	138 (35.6%)	120 (30.9%)	9 (2.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.2%)	3	1485^th of 1492 public elementary schools	0.5%		5.5	1466^th of 1490 public elementary schools	1.6%	19	18.8	17.1	31.1	18.8	29.3	29.7	31.1	92.6%	1.5%	$11,955	$1,494	$10,461
Overton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1825 Park Rd W	Salisbury	28144	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 639-3000	237	15	15.3	92.0%	24 (10.1%)	109 (46.0%)	73 (30.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (12.7%)	3.9	1475^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.1%		6.7	1451^st of 1490 public elementary schools	2.6%	24	18.6	28.6	31.4	23.3	26.3	31.4	37.1	86.7%	2.2%	$12,485	$2,175	$10,310
Isenberg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2800 Jake Alexander Blvd N	Salisbury	28147	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 639-3009	509	34	15.0	95.3%	95 (18.7%)	249 (48.9%)	109 (21.4%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (9.8%)	19.9	1280^th of 1492 public elementary schools	14.2%		25	1185^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.5%	95	51.9	42.2	31.8	45.0	43.4	28.2	61.2	88.8%	0%	$10,360	$1,726	$8,634
Churchland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7571 S NC Hwy 150	Lexington	27295	Davidson County	Davidson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 242-5690	441	27	16.2	—	318 (72.1%)	16 (3.6%)	77 (17.5%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.7%)	29.3	1105^th of 1492 public elementary schools	25.9%		27.2	1129^th of 1490 public elementary schools	24.2%	24	61.4	45.6	45.5	54.3	44.1	39.0	57.7	92.7%	7.3%	$9,754	$1,111	$8,642
Granite Quarry Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	118 South Walnut St	Salisbury	28072	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 279-2154	586	29	19.9	—	284 (48.5%)	128 (21.8%)	105 (17.9%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (10.4%)	19.8	1283^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	14.0%		19.1	1295^th of 1490 public elementary schools	13.1%	12	50.0	34.4	45.5	30.5	49.0	41.6	55.7	91.5%	2.4%	$9,473	$1,028	$8,446
Koontz Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	685 East Ritchie Rd	Salisbury	28146	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 216-0273	554	38	14.7	92.8%	65 (11.7%)	278 (50.2%)	164 (29.6%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (7.4%)	8.5	1440^th of 1492 public elementary schools	3.5%		0.9	1490^th of 1490 public elementary schools	0.0%	50	57.0	10.0	9.8	41.9	18.9	15.2	22.5	93.8%	2.1%	$10,522	$1,875	$8,647
Hurley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	625 Hurley School Rd	Salisbury	28147	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 639-3038	466	31	14.8	—	68 (14.6%)	176 (37.8%)	179 (38.4%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.9%)	4.6	1468^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.6%		4	1475^th of 1490 public elementary schools	1.0%	7	14.9	9.6	26.9	23.9	24.7	30.8	48.7	89.4%	0%	$10,704	$1,927	$8,777
Tyro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	450 Cow Palace Rd	Lexington	27295	Davidson County	Davidson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 242-5760	393	23	17.0	—	298 (75.8%)	28 (7.1%)	39 (9.9%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.6%)	48.8	748^th of 1492 public elementary schools	49.9%		34.6	1009^th of 1490 public elementary schools	32.3%	261	71.4	75.3	61.2	50.0	43.2	43.3	68.2	100%	0%	$9,626	$1,145	$8,480
Southmont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	398 Owen Rd	Lexington	27292	Davidson County	Davidson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 242-5800	281	20	14.2	—	235 (83.6%)	7 (2.5%)	22 (7.8%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.0%)	55.7	645^th of 1492 public elementary schools	56.8%		46.2	814^th of 1490 public elementary schools	45.4%	169	71.4	55.8	76.1	55.1	29.5	54.3	84.8	95.3%	4.7%	$9,403	$977	$8,426

Frequently Asked Questions about North Rowan Elementary

What schools do graduates of North Rowan Elementary attend?

Students who attend North Rowan Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : North Rowan Middle
High : North Rowan High

Is North Rowan Elementary a good school?

North Rowan Elementary ranks in the bottom 0.1% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of North Rowan Elementary?

Students at North Rowan Elementary are 38% African American, 30% Hispanic, 21% White, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend North Rowan Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 405 students attended North Rowan Elementary.

What district is North Rowan Elementary in?

Rowan-Salisbury Schools

Rate North Rowan Elementary!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.