Summary:
Beaufort, NC 28516 is home to four public schools serving elementary through high school grades: Beaufort Elementary, Beaufort Middle, East Carteret High, and Tiller School, together enrolling 1,333 students across two top-ranked districts: Carteret County Public Schools and the Tiller School district.
Despite very high poverty levels — roughly 98–99% free/reduced lunch at the three Carteret County schools — these schools consistently outperform state averages in multiple subjects. East Carteret High stands out as a math and science powerhouse: Math III proficiency is an extraordinary 97.5%, Math I is 36 points above the state, and Biology is over 20 points above. However, its English II score (66.9%) trails the district by 11 points, and its graduation rate (85.8%) is below both district and state averages. Beaufort Middle is the most improved school, jumping from the 66th to 75th percentile in a year, led by an impressive 8th-grade math gain from 51.6% to 74.3%. Reading is more uneven, especially in 7th grade, where proficiency is 14 points below the district.
Tiller School is the highest-ranked elementary in the area (77th percentile, 4 stars) and combines a low 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio with strong upper-grade scores, though its small size makes year-to-year swings more volatile. Beaufort Elementary is the main concern: despite solid 5th-grade scores and the lowest chronic absenteeism (13.4%), its overall ranking fell from the 80th to 58th percentile due to weak 3rd- and 4th-grade reading. All four schools keep chronic absenteeism below the state average of 24.2%, a notable strength given the high poverty in the area. Overall, families in 28516 have solid options, with the clearest challenges at Beaufort Elementary in early reading and at East Carteret High in literacy and graduation.
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