Top Rankings
Richmond County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 12 public elementary schools serving 4,503 students in Richmond County Schools School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in North Carolina.
Public Elementary Schools in Richmond County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 42% (versus the North Carolina public elementary school average of 50%), and reading proficiency score of 39% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 64% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the North Carolina public elementary school average of 57% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
15 Schools
2,174 Schools
# Students
6,631 Students
1,091,007 Students
# Teachers
421 Teachers
73,903 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Richmond County Schools School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 81% has increased from 77% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#229 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
44%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
40%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
57%
63%
Graduation Rate
81%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.71
0.72
% American Indian
3%
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
15%
21%
% Black
36%
25%
% White
38%
43%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $12,055 is higher than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,892 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$80 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$79 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,055
$11,187
Spending / Student
$11,892
$11,612
Best Richmond County Schools School District Public Elementary Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Mineral Springs Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
1426 Green Lake Rd
Ellerbe, NC 28338
(910) 582-7915
Ellerbe, NC 28338
(910) 582-7915
Grades: PK-5
| 413 students
Rank: #22.
Fairview Heights Elementary School
(Math: 65% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
104 Hamilton Ave
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7900
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7900
Grades: PK-5
| 495 students
Rank: #33.
Ellerbe Middle School
(Math: 45% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
128 W Ballard Street
Ellerbe, NC 28338
(910) 582-7925
Ellerbe, NC 28338
(910) 582-7925
Grades: 6-8
| 202 students
Rank: #44.
L J Bell Elementary School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
442 Hawthorne Ave
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9834
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9834
Grades: PK-5
| 480 students
Rank: #55.
East Rockingham Elementary School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 35%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
154 Chalk Road
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 557-0900
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 557-0900
Grades: K-5
| 462 students
Rank: #66.
Rockingham Middle School
(Math: 41% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
415 Wall Street
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9827
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9827
Grades: 6-8
| 590 students
Rank: #77.
Hamlet Middle School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
1406 Mcdonald Ave
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7903
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7903
Grades: 6-8
| 409 students
Rank: #88.
Monroe Avenue Elementary School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
400 Monroe Ave
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7907
Hamlet, NC 28345
(910) 582-7907
Grades: PK-5
| 379 students
Rank: #99.
Cordova Middle School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
194 Church St
Cordova, NC 28330
(910) 997-9839
Cordova, NC 28330
(910) 997-9839
Grades: 6-8
| 254 students
Rank: #1010.
West Rockingham Elementary School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
271 W Us 74 Hwy
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9802
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9802
Grades: PK-5
| 317 students
Rank: #1111.
Washington Street Elementary School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 31%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
566 E Washington St Ext
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9836
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9836
Grades: PK-5
| 409 students
Rank: #1212.
Ashley Chapel Educational Center
Alternative School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤10%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
377 Mizpah Road
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9800
Rockingham, NC 28379
(910) 997-9800
Grades: 6-12
| 93 students
Recent Articles

Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Special education law is not easy to decipher, with several regulations that govern special education services for disabled students. In this article, learn about the core components of the laws, rights, and individual education plans that can help create the best public school environment for your child.

Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
A school district in Virginia has given the green light to schools that want to install surveillance cameras in common areas like cafeterias and hallways. We’ll look at whether this is a violation of student privacy or the best way to keep order in schools.

Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
As of 2014, nineteen states still allow corporal punishment – spanking and paddling the most common choices – in their public schools. However, some argue that not only are these punishments physically harmful, they also are disproportionately administered to students of color. As a result, House democrats have taken up the issue in a new bill that would ban all forms of corporal punishment nationwide.