Is Surf City Elementary a good school?

Surf City Elementary ranks 274 th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Surf City Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 850 students attended Surf City Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Surf City Elementary?

Students at Surf City Elementary are 80% White, 10% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Surf City Elementary

Summary:

Surf City Elementary is a public elementary school in Hampstead, North Carolina, serving 808 students in grades PK-5. As part of the Pender County Schools district, Surf City Elementary consistently ranks among the top 20% of North Carolina elementary schools, with strong academic performance that exceeds district and state averages.

Surf City Elementary's academic excellence is particularly evident in its high proficiency rates on state assessments, with 75% of 3rd graders proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 67.4% for the district and 62.7% for the state. The school's performance is even more impressive in Science, with 89.8% of 5th graders proficient or better, significantly higher than the district's 74% and the state's 66.2%. While the school has a predominantly white student population, with lower percentages of African American and Hispanic students compared to nearby schools like Rocky Point Elementary and South Topsail Elementary, it also serves a less economically disadvantaged community, with only 30.82% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Interestingly, Surf City Elementary's higher student-teacher ratio of 18.3, compared to the lower ratios of 10.7 to 16.3 at nearby schools, may be a factor to consider, as smaller class sizes can potentially contribute to better student outcomes. Overall, Surf City Elementary stands out as a high-performing school within the Pender County Schools district, with a strong academic track record and a unique demographic profile compared to its surrounding counterparts.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

12345-A Literacy Lane
Hampstead, NC 28443

(910) 928-0067

District: Pender County Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,721

Student/teacher ratio: 17.0

Number of students: 850

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.0%

Hispanic:

9.8%

Two or more races:

6.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 34.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Surf City Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Surf City Elementary ranks better than 81.8% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 4^th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Pender County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 78.37. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Surf City Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Pender County Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (80%), Hispanic (9.8%), two or more races (6.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 34.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Surf City Elementary is 17, which is the highest among 9 elementary schools in the Pender County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Surf City Elementary employs 50 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Surf City Elementary is $7,721, which is the lowest among 9 elementary schools in the Pender County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Surf City Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Surf City Elementary 274^th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Surf City 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:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Pender County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Pender County Schools 124^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Surf City Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	82.06	207^th	1473	85.9%
2021	84.17	192^nd	1489	87.1%
2022	87.53	140^th	1514	90.8%
2023	80.69	224^th	1502	85.1%
2024	78.37	274^th	1505	81.8%

See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	75.64	26^th	133	80.5%
2023	80.67	25^th	154	83.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	29.55	611^th	801	23.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	80.78	149^th	1361	89.1%
2021	80.53	146^th	1329	89.0%
2022	79.11	151^st	1366	88.9%
2023	65.51	403^rd	1437	72.0%
2024	63.45	433^rd	1450	70.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	79.86	212^th	1424	85.1%
2021	83.96	173^rd	1440	88.0%
2022	86.06	141^st	1458	90.3%
2023	80.17	211^th	1459	85.5%
2024	73.70	299^th	1455	79.5%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	58.88	259^th	878	70.5%
2021	48.24	255^th	646	60.5%
2022	74.15	82^nd	634	87.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	65.65	106^th	612	82.7%
2023	68.10	94^th	582	83.8%
2024	57.10	358^th	669	46.5%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	72.20	15^th	72	79.2%
2021	82.30	7^th	76	90.8%
2022	80.66	8^th	85	90.6%
2023	64.10	25^th	81	69.1%
2024	77.44	10^th	75	86.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	81.77	196^th	1430	86.3%
2021	81.17	215^th	1444	85.1%
2022	86.47	146^th	1464	90.0%
2023	78.68	245^th	1461	83.2%
2024	79.96	229^th	1464	84.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	37.39	629^th	949	33.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	57.86	307^th	893	65.6%
2023	67.43	212^th	915	76.8%
2024	77.83	138^th	951	85.5%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Surf City Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	67.92	349^th	1183	70.5%
2021	63.38	397^th	1172	66.1%
2022	75.84	247^th	1194	79.3%
2023	64.84	390^th	1183	67.0%
2024	61.59	431^st	1166	63.0%

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.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Surf City Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2019	492	18	5	33	1	0	35	584
2020	503	16	4	46	2	0	40	611
2021	469	16	4	47	1	0	48	585
2022	587	18	6	58	4	2	48	723
2023	652	25	5	75	2	0	49	808
2024	680	24	3	83	1	0	59	850

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 Surf City Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	584	31.0	18.8	38.7
2020	611	32.0	19.0	26.8
2021	585	36.0	16.2	23.9
2022	723	40.0	18.0	17.8
2023	808	44.0	18.3	30.8
2024	850	50.0	17.0	34.5

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 Surf City Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	584	31.0	18.8	38.7
2020	611	32.0	19.0	26.8
2021	585	36.0	16.2	23.9
2022	723	40.0	18.0	17.8
2023	808	44.0	18.3	30.8
2024	850	50.0	17.0	34.5

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 Surf City Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$547 (7.1%)	$7,174 (92.9%)	$7,721

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Surf City 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 207^th of 1473 Elementary schools	Ranks 224^th of 1502 Elementary schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Surf City Elementary)	82.8	65.5	17.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pender County Schools)	69.9	65.3	4.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	64.3	61.1	3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Surf City Elementary)	78.8	58.1	20.7%
3rd Grade Reading (Pender County Schools)	58.7	47.7	11%
3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)	56.8	48	8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Surf City Elementary)	78.8	77.4	1.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pender County Schools)	62.2	69.9	7.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	57.3	55.3	2%
4th Grade Reading (Surf City Elementary)	68.8	68.7	0.1%
4th Grade Reading (Pender County Schools)	60.2	64.3	4.1%
4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	57.3	55.3	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Surf City Elementary)	70.3	75	4.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pender County Schools)	68.4	64.5	3.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	60.2	55.9	4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Surf City Elementary)	67.6	65.5	2.1%
5th Grade Reading (Pender County Schools)	62.2	53.7	8.5%
5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	54.6	48	6.6%
5th Grade Science (Surf City Elementary)	85.5	84.4	1.1%
5th Grade Science (Pender County Schools)	79.9	75.5	4.4%
5th Grade Science (North Carolina)	72.6	65.3	7.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	584	808	38.4%
African American	18	25	38.9%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	5	5
Hispanic	33	75	127.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	492	652	32.5%
Two or More Races	35	49	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	38.7%	30.8%	7.9%

Schools Near Surf City Elementary

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
Surf City Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12345-A Literacy Lane	Hampstead	28443	Onslow County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 928-0067	850	50	17.0	34.5%	680 (80.0%)	24 (2.8%)	83 (9.8%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (6.9%)	78.4	274^th of 1505 public elementary schools	81.8%		80.7	224^th of 1502 public elementary schools	85.1%	50	75.0	58.1	79.7				57.6	61.3	74.6				89.8		$7,721	$547	$7,175
North Topsail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1310 Sloop Point Loop Road	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-0694	565	36	15.9	23.7%	477 (84.4%)	7 (1.2%)	42 (7.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.5%)	88.8	130^th of 1505 public elementary schools	91.4%		85.6	156^th of 1502 public elementary schools	89.6%	26	83.8	89.8	79.2				57.6	83.7	67.6				85.7		$9,936	$444	$9,492
Coastal Elementary	Public	K-5	370 Folkstone Rd	Holly Ridge	28445	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 455-2448	832	55	15.1	33.9%	629 (75.6%)	19 (2.3%)	107 (12.9%)	7 (0.8%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)	62 (7.5%)	82.5	210^th of 1505 public elementary schools	86.0%		72.5	368^th of 1502 public elementary schools	75.5%	158	75.7	66.9	72.6				67.1	70.3	69.5				78.0
Topsail Annandale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	17385 US Hwy 17	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-1977	587	43	13.6	14.5%	521 (88.8%)	10 (1.7%)	38 (6.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.4%)	93.3	68^th of 1505 public elementary schools	95.5%		95.9	26^th of 1502 public elementary schools	98.3%	42	84.4	83.5					73.4	78.3							$8,786	$660	$8,125
South Topsail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	997 Hoover Road	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-2756	610	38	16.0	31.0%	472 (77.4%)	17 (2.8%)	64 (10.5%)	8 (1.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.4%)	84	187^th of 1505 public elementary schools	87.6%		87.3	141^st of 1502 public elementary schools	90.6%	46	79.1	71.7	78.6				65.1	62.8	71.4				81.6		$10,357	$486	$9,871
Dixon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	130 Betty Dixon Rd	Holly Ridge	28460	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 327-2104	734	45	16.3	30.8%	562 (76.6%)	18 (2.5%)	93 (12.7%)	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.1%)	74.4	331^st of 1505 public elementary schools	78.0%		77.9	274^th of 1502 public elementary schools	81.8%	57	75.2	59.5	60.8				64.4	70.6	67.6				70.6		$8,351	$596	$7,756
Porters Neck Elementary	Public	K-5	416 Edgewater Club Rd	Wilmington	28411	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 251-2975	655	41	15.8	22.7%	512 (78.2%)	31 (4.7%)	63 (9.6%)	11 (1.7%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	33 (5.0%)	85.5	174^th of 1505 public elementary schools	88.4%		85	164^th of 1502 public elementary schools	89.1%	10	81.0	72.6	76.3				68.0	65.3	69.1				82.5
Chinquapin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	3894 NC 50 South	Chinquapin	28454	Duplin County	Duplin County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 285-3476	511	35	14.6	99.2%	341 (66.7%)	74 (14.5%)	69 (13.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.3%)	46.2	816^th of 1505 public elementary schools	45.8%		60.7	566^th of 1502 public elementary schools	62.3%	250	33.9	51.0	47.1	63.0	54.1	50.0	28.6	57.1	52.9	54.3	41.9	40.9	76.5	70.5	$14,420	$1,253	$13,167
Rocky Point Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	255 Elementary School Road	Rocky Point	28457	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 675-2309	402	36	11.1	99.3%	157 (39.1%)	52 (12.9%)	172 (42.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.0%)	59.2	598^th of 1505 public elementary schools	60.3%		58.8	605^th of 1502 public elementary schools	59.7%	7	69.6	68.7	62.0				42.0	49.3	47.9				76.1		$11,562	$1,485	$10,077
Southwest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2601 Burgaw Hwy	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 347-0900	740	54	13.7	59.5%	442 (59.7%)	91 (12.3%)	125 (16.9%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	74 (10.0%)	54.6	671^st of 1505 public elementary schools	55.4%		41.1	913^th of 1502 public elementary schools	39.2%	242	61.7	56.1	56.9				51.7	59.2	48.0				65.0		$8,706	$779	$7,927

Surf City Elementary

Surf City Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Pender County Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Surf City Elementary

Rank History for all students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for Disabled students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for Military Connected students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Surf City Elementary

Rank History for White students at Surf City Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Surf City Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Surf City Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Surf City Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Surf City Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Surf City Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Surf City Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Surf City Elementary

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