Lower Creek Elementary

Summary:

Lower Creek Elementary is a public elementary school in Lenoir, North Carolina, serving 392 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Caldwell County Schools district, which is ranked 151 out of 242 districts in the state.

Lower Creek Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in standardized test scores, with significantly higher proficiency rates in Mathematics and Reading across multiple grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 3rd-grade students at Lower Creek Elementary had a 74.6% proficiency rate in Mathematics, compared to 62.7% statewide. The school also excels in 5th-grade Science, with 77.3% of students proficient or better, compared to 66.2% at the state level. Additionally, Lower Creek Elementary has a more diverse student population, with a higher percentage of non-White students compared to nearby schools.

While Lower Creek Elementary serves a relatively high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 56.63% receiving free or reduced-price lunch, the school has maintained a consistent level of academic performance, often ranking in the top 25% of North Carolina elementary schools for specific student subgroups, such as male students and special education students. However, the school's performance for gifted and talented students has been relatively lower. When compared to nearby schools, such as Hudson Elementary, Lower Creek Elementary generally outperforms its peers in academic achievement, particularly in Mathematics and Reading.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 630 Lower Creek Drive NE
       Lenoir, NC  28645-4524


(828) 754-4022

District: Caldwell County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
498th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,688 Help


Students who attend Lower Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    William Lenoir Middle
High:    Hibriten High

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  392

Racial breakdown:

White:
75.5%
Hispanic:
8.7%
African American:
6.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  56.6% Help


 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

 Compare Lower Creek Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Lower Creek Elementary ranks better than 66.9% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 13 ranked elementary schools in the Caldwell County Schools District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 64.4. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (75.5%), Hispanic (8.7%), African American (6.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 56.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lower Creek Elementary is 15.3. 12 elementary schools in the Caldwell County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Lower Creek Elementary employs 25.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lower Creek Elementary is $8,688, which is the lowest among 14 elementary schools in the Caldwell County Schools District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lower Creek Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Lower Creek Elementary 498th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Lower Creek Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
White students:


Caldwell County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Caldwell County Schools 151st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Lower Creek Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Lower Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 61.91 504th 1276 60.5%
2007 57.51 599th 1293 53.7%
2008 63.06 493rd 1324 62.8%
2009 60.42 598th 1354 55.8%
2010 71.93 352nd 1363 74.2%
2011 70.21 397th 1381 71.3%
2012 71.13 376th 1388 72.9%
2013 62.35 483rd 1403 65.6%
2014 64.20 479th 1390 65.5%
2015 68.89 434th 1440 69.9%
2016 53.42 671st 1425 52.9%
2017 68.75 431st 1429 69.8%
2018 72.92 347th 1434 75.8%
2019 72.20 362nd 1473 75.4%
2021 62.25 535th 1489 64.1%
2022 66.33 466th 1514 69.2%
2023 75.37 317th 1502 78.9%
2024 64.40 498th 1505 66.9%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Lower Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 71.73 117th 801 85.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lower Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.65 331st 1332 75.2%
2019 56.45 551st 1361 59.5%
2021 60.34 415th 1329 68.8%
2022 55.72 552nd 1366 59.6%
2023 72.40 281st 1437 80.4%
2024 73.11 271st 1450 81.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Lower Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.08 431st 1405 69.3%
2019 62.94 506th 1424 64.5%
2021 43.58 776th 1440 46.1%
2022 55.39 642nd 1458 56.0%
2023 72.87 337th 1459 76.9%
2024 59.18 557th 1455 61.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Lower Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.98 243rd 897 72.9%
2021 48.91 249th 646 61.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Lower Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 65.11 206th 612 66.3%
2021 55.07 282nd 494 42.9%
2022 37.94 434th 500 13.2%
2023 67.99 102nd 582 82.5%
2024 51.29 456th 669 31.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Lower Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.22 290th 1413 79.5%
2019 76.98 256th 1430 82.1%
2021 73.62 340th 1444 76.5%
2022 73.91 322nd 1464 78.0%
2023 74.35 308th 1461 78.9%
2024 67.23 431st 1464 70.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lower Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.63 91st 851 89.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Lower Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.41 588th 1178 50.1%
2019 55.16 530th 1183 55.2%
2021 38.48 743rd 1172 36.6%
2022 47.60 644th 1194 46.1%
2023 62.07 431st 1183 63.6%
2024 52.27 569th 1166 51.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Lower Creek Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Lower Creek Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 316 75 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 392
1989 316 79 0 0 2 n/a n/a -2 395
1990 286 70 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 356
1991 265 51 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 317
1992 273 45 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 318
1993 258 44 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 302
1994 274 59 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 333
1995 274 38 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 315
1996 274 38 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 315
1997 285 38 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 327
1998 293 40 7 5 0 n/a n/a 0 345
1999 289 49 7 5 0 n/a n/a 0 350
2000 297 64 6 5 0 n/a n/a 0 372
2001 294 67 4 6 0 n/a n/a 0 371
2002 297 78 5 9 0 n/a n/a 0 389
2003 297 78 5 9 0 n/a n/a 0 389
2004 298 87 6 9 1 n/a n/a 0 401
2005 284 98 8 7 3 n/a n/a 0 400
2006 284 89 7 10 1 n/a n/a 0 391
2007 289 52 6 18 2 n/a n/a 20 387
2008 298 38 8 13 2 n/a n/a 17 376
2009 305 42 6 15 0 n/a n/a 0 368
2010 290 45 5 17 0 n/a n/a 0 357
2011 283 40 4 19 0 1 12 0 359
2012 280 30 5 20 0 1 13 0 349
2013 282 29 5 22 0 1 23 0 362
2014 283 26 8 26 0 0 23 0 366
2015 294 24 7 26 0 0 22 0 373
2016 330 30 5 26 0 0 23 0 414
2017 340 28 5 32 0 0 24 0 429
2018 323 29 5 26 0 0 23 0 406
2019 323 23 7 19 0 0 19 0 391
2020 317 21 5 23 0 0 18 0 384
2021 302 18 3 27 0 0 17 0 367
2022 310 21 5 34 0 0 25 0 395
2023 296 27 6 34 2 0 27 0 392

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Lower Creek Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 392 24.0 16.3 22.7
1989 395 26.0 15.1 24.6
1990 356 25.0 14.2 30.1
1991 317 24.0 13.2 33.8
1992 318 20.0 15.9 18.9
1993 302 22.0 13.7 22.2
1994 333 21.0 15.9 21.9
1995 315 18.0 17.5 17.8
1996 315 18.0 17.5 17.8
1997 327 19.0 17.2 20.5
1998 345 22.0 15.7 19.4
1999 350 23.0 15.2 27.1
2000 372 23.0 16.2 29.3
2001 371 23.0 16.1 29.9
2002 389 23.0 16.9 0
2003 389 23.0 16.9 0
2004 401 23.0 17.4 37.9
2005 400 23.0 17.4 42.8
2006 391 23.0 17.0 39.6
2007 387 n/a n/a 39.5
2008 376 21.7 17.3 44.8
2009 368 21.6 17.0 38.9
2010 357 19.6 18.2 41.5
2011 359 21.2 16.8 47.4
2012 349 19.6 17.8 46.4
2013 362 20.6 17.5 46.7
2014 366 20.8 17.5 42.6
2015 373 22.0 16.9 48
2016 414 24.0 17.2 47.8
2017 429 24.4 17.5 46.4
2018 406 23.4 17.3 41.9
2019 391 22.4 17.4 42.5
2020 384 23.2 16.5 45.1
2021 367 26.0 14.0 42
2022 395 26.1 15.1 36.7
2023 392 25.6 15.3 56.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Lower Creek Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 392 24.0 16.3 22.7
1989 395 26.0 15.1 24.6
1990 356 25.0 14.2 30.1
1991 317 24.0 13.2 33.8
1992 318 20.0 15.9 18.9
1993 302 22.0 13.7 22.2
1994 333 21.0 15.9 21.9
1995 315 18.0 17.5 17.8
1996 315 18.0 17.5 17.8
1997 327 19.0 17.2 20.5
1998 345 22.0 15.7 19.4
1999 350 23.0 15.2 27.1
2000 372 23.0 16.2 29.3
2001 371 23.0 16.1 29.9
2002 389 23.0 16.9 0
2003 389 23.0 16.9 0
2004 401 23.0 17.4 37.9
2005 400 23.0 17.4 42.8
2006 391 23.0 17.0 39.6
2007 387 n/a n/a 39.5
2008 376 21.7 17.3 44.8
2009 368 21.6 17.0 38.9
2010 357 19.6 18.2 41.5
2011 359 21.2 16.8 47.4
2012 349 19.6 17.8 46.4
2013 362 20.6 17.5 46.7
2014 366 20.8 17.5 42.6
2015 373 22.0 16.9 48
2016 414 24.0 17.2 47.8
2017 429 24.4 17.5 46.4
2018 406 23.4 17.3 41.9
2019 391 22.4 17.4 42.5
2020 384 23.2 16.5 45.1
2021 367 26.0 14.0 42
2022 395 26.1 15.1 36.7
2023 392 25.6 15.3 56.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Lower Creek Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $856 (9.9%) $7,832 (90.1%) $8,688

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lower Creek Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 362nd of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 317th of 1502 Elementary schools
 3.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lower Creek Elementary)7167.6
 3.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Caldwell County Schools)60.351.5
 8.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Lower Creek Elementary)62.354.4
 7.9%
   3rd Grade Reading (Caldwell County Schools)58.843.4
 15.4%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lower Creek Elementary)67.763.9
 3.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Caldwell County Schools)53.646.2
 7.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Lower Creek Elementary)72.667.2
 5.4%
   4th Grade Reading (Caldwell County Schools)60.546.7
 13.8%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Lower Creek Elementary)59.471.4
 12%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Caldwell County Schools)58.848
 10.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Lower Creek Elementary)68.166.1
 2%
   5th Grade Reading (Caldwell County Schools)6044.1
 15.9%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Lower Creek Elementary)8778.6
 8.4%
   5th Grade Science (Caldwell County Schools)75.160
 15.1%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students391392
 0.3%
African American2327
 17.4%
American Indian02
Asian76
 14.3%
Hispanic1934
 78.9%
Pacific Islander00
White323296
 8.4%
Two or More Races1927
 42.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients42.5%56.6%
 14.2%


Schools Near Lower Creek Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Lower Creek Elementary

Students who attend Lower Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : William Lenoir Middle
High : Hibriten High

Students at Lower Creek Elementary are 76% White, 9% Hispanic, 7% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 392 students attended Lower Creek Elementary.

Lower Creek Elementary ranks 498th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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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.





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