Best Public Schools in Locust, NC

Summary:

The city of Locust, North Carolina is home to two schools: West Stanly Middle School and Locust Elementary. While both schools perform above the district and state averages, Locust Elementary stands out as an exceptional institution, consistently ranking among the top 160 elementary schools in North Carolina.

Locust Elementary's academic performance is particularly impressive, with 85.9% of 5th graders proficient or better in Math, compared to 55.2% for Stanly County and 58.1% for the state. This strong performance is even more remarkable given that the school serves a predominantly economically disadvantaged population, with 99.38% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. In contrast, while West Stanly Middle School also performs well, it does not stand out as strongly as Locust Elementary, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking in the middle of North Carolina middle schools.

The data suggests that Locust Elementary is a standout school in the Locust area, with exceptional academic performance that defies the challenges of serving a high-poverty student population. Further investigation into the factors contributing to the school's success, such as teaching practices, curriculum, or school leadership, could provide valuable insights for other schools and districts seeking to support and educate students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOG Mathematics (2024)						EOG Reading (2024)						EOG Science (2024)		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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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
Locust Elementary	Public	K-5	103 School Rd	Locust	28097	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 961-5500	486	27	17.8	99.4%	350 (72.0%)	14 (2.9%)	81 (16.7%)	10 (2.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.0%)	86.3	160^th of 1505 public elementary schools	89.4%		86.6	147^th of 1502 public elementary schools	90.2%	13	69.8	84.2	85.9				58.3	69.5	79.5				92.3		$8,043	$624	$7,419
West Stanly Middle School	Public	6-8	339 Running Creek Church Rd	Locust	28097	Stanly County	Stanly County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 961-3600	619	37	16.7	43.0%	454 (73.3%)	20 (3.2%)	95 (15.3%)	14 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	33 (5.3%)	71	199^th of 793 public middle schools	74.9%		75.3	169^th of 784 public middle schools	78.4%	30				63.6	60.1	53.0				53.3	61.4	61.3		78.2	$8,483	$608	$7,875

Cities Near Locust

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Stanfield	2.42 mi	1	337^th
Oakboro	4.52 mi	2	83^rd
Midland	6.27 mi	1	104^th
Concord	8.29 mi	37	247^th
Albemarle	8.8 mi	10	308^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

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.