Carteret County Public Schools

The Carteret County Public Schools district in North Carolina consists of 17 schools, including 9 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The district as a whole is ranked 35 out of 242 in the state and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Several schools stand out in the district, including Croatan High School, which consistently ranks among the top high schools in the state, and Atlantic Elementary, a small school with exceptional performance, ranking 132nd out of 1,505 North Carolina elementary schools. Another standout is Broad Creek Middle, which ranks 73rd out of 793 North Carolina middle schools and earns 5 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger.

While the district as a whole performs well, there are notable differences in academic achievement between the top-performing and lower-performing schools. The schools with the highest free and reduced lunch rates tend to have lower academic proficiency rates, suggesting a link between socioeconomic status and student outcomes. However, the smallest schools in the district, such as Atlantic Elementary and Harkers Island Elementary, tend to have the highest performance, indicating that smaller class sizes and more individualized attention may be beneficial for student learning.