Summary:
Zip code 27965 contains just one school, W T Griggs Elementary, in Poplar Branch, North Carolina, serving grades PK through 5 with 258 students. The area has no middle or high schools, so all local families attend this single elementary school before transitioning elsewhere. W T Griggs belongs to Currituck County Schools, a district ranked 49th out of 246 in the state with an 80th percentile ranking. The school itself has earned a 4-star rating for three consecutive years and ranked 411th out of 1,492 elementary schools statewide in 2025-2026.
W T Griggs is a strong school serving a majority economically disadvantaged population. About 58 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the school beats the state average in 6 of 7 tested areas. In 2025-2026, 3rd-grade math was exceptional at 92.9 percent proficiency, surpassing the state by 26.5 points. Fourth-grade reading reached 75.7 percent, and 4th-grade math reached 78.4 percent, both well above district and state averages. The most notable weakness is 5th-grade math at 53.8 percent, trailing the district by 12.2 points. Chronic absenteeism is just 16.8 percent, far below the district's 25.5 percent and the state's 24.2 percent.
Several trends stand out. The 92.9 percent proficiency in 3rd-grade math shows a clear strength in early mathematics. Fourth-grade reading jumped 10.4 points year over year, and most subjects improved. However, 5th-grade math declined for the second consecutive year, dropping from 60.6 to 53.8 percent, making it the clearest area for targeted attention. Since this is a small school of 258 students, individual grade-level cohorts are small and scores can fluctuate from year to year. Nonetheless, W T Griggs consistently delivers above-average results in reading, math, and science while keeping attendance strong.
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