Margaret Hearne Elementary

Margaret Hearne Elementary is a PK-5 school in Wilson, NC, serving 423 students in the Wilson County Schools district, where the overwhelming majority of families live in low-income households.

The school has struggled academically in recent years. In the most recent testing year, Margaret Hearne ranked 1,233rd out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools, placing it in the bottom fifth statewide. Proficiency in math and reading trails both district and state averages by wide margins—often 15 to 30 points behind the district. For example, only about 35% of third graders were proficient in math, compared with roughly 68% districtwide. Poverty doesn't explain the gap: nearby schools such as New Hope Elementary and Lucama Elementary serve nearly identical percentages of low-income students—over 99%—yet rank in the 95th and 94th percentiles statewide, respectively. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern: about 26% of students were chronically absent last year, a rate roughly double that of New Hope and Lucama, though it has improved significantly from pandemic-era highs.

There are bright spots worth noting. Fifth grade science has periodically met or exceeded state averages, reaching as high as 75% proficiency in a recent year. Subgroup results also show pockets of promise—Hispanic students recently earned a 3-star ranking, and English Learner students earned a top ranking a few years ago. However, these gains have been uneven and volatile across grades and subjects, with some scores swinging widely from year to year. For families considering this school, it's worth asking how the school plans to build on its strengths in science and among certain student groups while tackling the attendance and core academic challenges in reading and math.