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Aquadale Elementary

Q: Is Aquadale Elementary a good school?

Aquadale Elementary ranks 737 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

737^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 51% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Aquadale Elementary is a small, rural PK–5 school in Norwood, NC, serving 379 students as part of Stanly County Schools, where about 99% of students qualify for free/reduced-price lunch. In the 2025–2026 school year, Aquadale Elementary ranked in the 51st percentile of North Carolina elementary schools, earning 3 stars and landing squarely in the middle of the state. That puts it very close to Norwood Elementary (53rd percentile) and Endy Elementary (50th percentile), while trailing higher-poverty neighbors like Millingport Elementary (87th percentile), Locust Elementary (85th percentile), and Oakboro Choice STEM (84th percentile). It also outperforms Central Elementary (14th percentile) and East Albemarle Elementary (2nd percentile), showing that poverty alone doesn't explain the school's mid-tier position.

Academically, Aquadale has clear pockets of strength. Third-grade math has held steady at 70–78% proficiency for four straight years, beating both district and state averages, and 5th grade science proficiency reached 71.9% in 2025–2026—above the state average and better than several local schools. The biggest weak point is 4th grade: reading proficiency was just 43.9% (more than 14 points below district and state averages) and math was 54.5%, roughly 7–9 points below the state and district. This is not a one-year blip; 4th grade has been the lowest grade level in multiple recent years. The strong 5th grade reading result (59.4%) right after the weak 4th grade result suggests students may be struggling during the 4th grade year itself, making it a key target for extra support.

Aquadale also shows notable differences across student groups. In 2025–2026, gifted students ranked in the 96th percentile statewide and African American students in the 89th percentile, while White students (28th percentile) and male students (44th percentile) ranked much lower. The school's chronic absenteeism rate improved to 16.6%—better than the district (19.7%) and state (24.2%)—though still behind high-performing neighbors like Millingport (11.3%) and Oakboro (5.3%). With a low student-teacher ratio of 13.0 and attendance trending in the right direction, Aquadale has solid structural foundations to build on, especially if it can address the 4th grade slump and broaden its successes across all student groups.

379

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

11707 NC Hwy 138
Norwood, NC 28128-7505

(704) 961-5600

District: Stanly County Schools

Students who attend Aquadale Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	South Stanly Middle
High:	South Stanly High

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.4%

African American:

12.7%

Two or more races:

9.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Aquadale Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 43rd percentile in 2022 → 51st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 51st (2026) from a 43rd-percentile low (2022)

✓Above the North Carolina median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg61%

737^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

100^th of 246Stanly 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	49.6	737 of 1492	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.8	695 of 1490	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.1	443 of 1505	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	46.1	829 of 1502	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	861 of 1514	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.9	658 of 1489	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.9	656 of 1473	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.3	268 of 1434	81.3%	★★★★☆
2017	72.6	358 of 1429	74.9%	★★★★☆
2016	69.7	400 of 1425	71.9%	★★★★☆
2015	70.5	406 of 1440	71.8%	★★★★☆
2014	70.1	386 of 1390	72.2%	★★★★☆
2013	44.7	755 of 1403	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	63.5	541 of 1388	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.7	598 of 1381	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	40.6	925 of 1363	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	52.8	728 of 1354	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.3	748 of 1324	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	56.6	612 of 1293	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	71.7	313 of 1276	75.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.5	95 of 903	89.5%	★★★★☆
2025	36.8	610 of 918	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	48.9	250 of 646	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.9	559 of 878	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.3	660 of 1447	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.9	718 of 1451	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.8	418 of 1455	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	39.3	893 of 1459	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	833 of 1458	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.1	667 of 1440	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.3	516 of 1424	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.5	214 of 1405	84.8%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.2	31 of 743	95.8%	★★★★☆
2025	57.7	380 of 710	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	70.5	37 of 669	94.5%	★★★★★
2021	50.1	335 of 494	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.7	411 of 1434	71.3%	★★★★☆
2025	53.1	626 of 1437	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.6	467 of 1450	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.6	964 of 1437	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.1	967 of 1366	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	48.9	613 of 1329	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.0	653 of 1361	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.6	263 of 1332	80.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.6	815 of 1451	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	54.0	645 of 1450	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.9	472 of 1464	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.7	732 of 1461	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	844 of 1464	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.8	613 of 1444	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.3	757 of 1430	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	67.7	426 of 1413	69.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.0	829 of 1146	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.2	732 of 1172	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.9	342 of 1166	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	37.4	804 of 1183	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.5	940 of 1194	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.3	805 of 1172	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.9	728 of 1183	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	66.7	384 of 1178	67.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)96th percentile+45 vs school

African American (2026)89th percentile+39 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)71st percentile+21 vs school

Disabled (2021)61st percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)54th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)28th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science72%+4 vs state

Mathematics62%~ state avg

Reading51%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Aquadale 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 Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Aquadale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11707 NC Hwy 138	Norwood	28128	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-5600	379	29	13.0	—	244 (64.4%)	48 (12.7%)	34 (9.0%)	16 (4.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.2%)	49.6	737^th of 1492 public elementary schools	50.6%		52.8	695^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.4%	42	70.8	54.5	62.5				50.0	43.9	59.4				71.9		$8,983	$974	$8,009
Norwood Elementary	Public	K-5	400 South Main St	Norwood	28128	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-4000	354	23	15.0	—	227 (64.1%)	41 (11.6%)	53 (15.0%)	6 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.3%)	51.5	706^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.7%		52.7	699^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.1%	7	69.2	75.9	54.4				50.8	63.0	47.4				61.4		$8,500	$935	$7,565
Endy Elementary	Public	K-5	27670 Betty Rd	Albemarle	28001	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-3300	360	27	13.2	—	289 (80.3%)	14 (3.9%)	35 (9.7%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.4%)	48.7	751^st of 1492 public elementary schools	49.7%		51.9	712^th of 1490 public elementary schools	52.2%	39	75.0	54.2	54.1				62.5	58.3	45.9				57.4		$9,108	$956	$8,152
Oakboro Choice STEM	Public	K-8	1244 N Main St	Oakboro	28129	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-4700	353	25	13.9	—	288 (81.6%)	9 (2.5%)	35 (9.9%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.5%)	80.8	234^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.3%		83	204^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.3%	30	87.0	84.8	63.8	68.2	79.3	86.7	69.6	76.1	68.1	68.2	86.2	93.3	76.6	93.3	$8,393	$828	$7,565
Central Elementary	Public	K-5	206 N 3rd Street	Albemarle	28001	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-3200	525	39	13.4	—	174 (33.1%)	174 (33.1%)	84 (16.0%)	17 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	75 (14.3%)	19.4	1287^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.7%		21.8	1247^th of 1490 public elementary schools	16.3%	40	35.4	59.3	44.6				34.2	44.4	40.2				43.4		$9,432	$1,366	$8,066
East Albemarle Elementary	Public	K-5	1813 E Main Street	Albemarle	28001	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-3500	261	20	13.2	—	47 (18.0%)	146 (55.9%)	33 (12.6%)	11 (4.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.8%)	4.3	1469^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.5%		6.6	1452^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	2.6%	17	29.8	19.6	31.7				36.2	19.6	26.8				29.3		$10,004	$1,532	$8,473
New Salem Elementary	Public	K-5	6106 Hwy 205	Marshville	28103	Union County	Union County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 296-3175	249	17	15.0	37.8%	222 (89.2%)	2 (0.8%)	17 (6.8%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	76.7	286^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.8%		82.2	213^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.7%	73	83.3	72.7	75.0				69.4	68.2	64.6				70.8		$10,320	$659	$9,661
Ansonville Elementary	Public	K-6	9104 Hwy 52 N	Ansonville	28170	Anson County	Anson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 826-8337	158	11	14.6	—	76 (48.1%)	58 (36.7%)	10 (6.3%)	6 (3.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.4%)	35.6	990^th of 1492 public elementary schools	33.6%		51.4	721^st of 1490 public elementary schools	51.6%	269	40.0	72.7	33.3	44.4			60.0	66.7	25.0	44.4			37.5		$12,916	$1,926	$10,991
Millingport Elementary	Public	K-5	24198 NC Hwy 73 W	Albemarle	28001	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-4300	192	15	12.9	97.9%	138 (71.9%)	2 (1.0%)	16 (8.3%)	18 (9.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.9%)	84	190^th of 1492 public elementary schools	87.3%		85.7	161^st of 1490 public elementary schools	89.2%	29	82.1	69.4	84.6				78.6	75.0	63.2				84.6		$10,684	$1,258	$9,426
Locust Elementary	Public	K-5	103 School Rd	Locust	28097	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-5500	563	36	15.7	—	408 (72.5%)	27 (4.8%)	88 (15.6%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.7%)	81.9	220^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.3%		83	203^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	86.4%	17	73.7	72.7	79.4				64.5	71.6	72.2				86.6		$8,043	$624	$7,419

Frequently Asked Questions about Aquadale Elementary

Is Aquadale Elementary a good school?

Aquadale Elementary ranks 737^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Aquadale Elementary in?

Stanly County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Aquadale Elementary?

Students at Aquadale Elementary are 64% White, 13% African American, 9% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 4% Asian.

How many students attend Aquadale Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 379 students attended Aquadale Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Aquadale Elementary attend?

Students who attend Aquadale Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : South Stanly Middle
High : South Stanly High

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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.