L J Bell Elementary

Summary:

L J Bell Elementary is a public elementary school in Rockingham, North Carolina, serving 476 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Richmond County Schools district, which is ranked 172 out of 242 districts in the state.

L J Bell Elementary has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of White (47.69%) and African American (35.71%) students compared to nearby schools. Academically, the school's performance on End-of-Grade (EOG) tests is generally lower than the state averages but higher than the district averages in most subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade math proficiency (54.4%) was higher than the district (48.7%) but lower than the state (62.7%), while its 5th-grade science proficiency (63.6%) was higher than both the district (61.4%) and the state (66.2%).

L J Bell Elementary faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with over 99% of its students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with female students and Gifted and Talented students performing better than their peers. However, Special Education students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds perform relatively poorly. While L J Bell Elementary generally outperforms other schools in the district, its statewide ranking has been steadily declining over the past several years, suggesting the need for targeted interventions to address equity and support underperforming groups.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 442 Hawthorne Ave
       Rockingham, NC  28379-3061


(910) 997-9834

District: Richmond County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
786th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,668 Help


Students who attend L J Bell Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Rockingham Middle
High:    Richmond Early College High
    Richmond Senior High

Student/teacher ratio:  14.3 Help
Number of students:  476

Racial breakdown:

White:
47.7%
African American:
35.7%
Hispanic:
6.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.4% Help


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 Compare L J Bell Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details L J Bell Elementary ranks worse than 52.2% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 2nd among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Richmond County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.63. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (47.7%), African American (35.7%), Hispanic (6.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at L J Bell Elementary is 14.3, which is the lowest among 7 elementary schools in the Richmond County Schools District! (See more...)
Help
Compare L J Bell Elementary employs 33.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at L J Bell Elementary is $9,668, which is the lowest among 7 elementary schools in the Richmond County Schools District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

L J Bell Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks L J Bell Elementary 786th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See L J Bell Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Richmond County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Richmond County Schools 172nd of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for L J Bell Elementary

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Rank History for all students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 52.46 735th 1354 45.7%
2010 59.76 619th 1363 54.6%
2011 66.22 491st 1381 64.4%
2012 69.05 427th 1388 69.2%
2013 56.20 570th 1403 59.4%
2014 52.95 646th 1390 53.5%
2015 59.22 588th 1440 59.2%
2016 58.21 585th 1425 58.9%
2017 53.97 683rd 1429 52.2%
2018 50.95 728th 1434 49.2%
2019 49.76 777th 1473 47.3%
2021 40.85 862nd 1489 42.1%
2022 44.03 842nd 1514 44.4%
2023 48.13 793rd 1502 47.2%
2024 47.63 786th 1505 47.8%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 58.26 49th 133 63.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 30.92 582nd 801 27.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.59 963rd 1332 27.7%
2019 53.25 617th 1361 54.7%
2021 43.20 716th 1329 46.1%
2022 42.07 803rd 1366 41.2%
2023 45.52 805th 1437 44.0%
2024 53.81 624th 1450 57.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.63 755th 1405 46.3%
2019 52.23 711th 1424 50.1%
2021 40.74 820th 1440 43.1%
2022 41.83 853rd 1458 41.5%
2023 50.95 719th 1459 50.7%
2024 54.22 639th 1455 56.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 37.46 567th 878 35.4%
2021 90.50 22nd 646 96.6%
2022 32.79 424th 634 33.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 65.32 118th 612 80.7%
2023 67.99 102nd 582 82.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.65 696th 1413 50.7%
2019 47.00 794th 1430 44.5%
2021 40.72 843rd 1444 41.6%
2022 45.56 789th 1464 46.1%
2023 45.75 824th 1461 43.6%
2024 41.96 866th 1464 40.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 42.20 544th 927 41.3%
2019 37.08 631st 949 33.5%
2021 29.14 657th 896 26.7%
2022 32.35 664th 927 28.4%
2023 42.67 520th 933 44.3%
2024 37.54 613th 924 33.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at L J Bell Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.48 444th 1178 62.3%
2019 63.99 414th 1183 65.0%
2021 38.93 738th 1172 37.0%
2022 46.01 669th 1194 44.0%
2023 53.84 560th 1183 52.7%
2024 56.45 504th 1166 56.8%
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.

L J Bell Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

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0%

100%

  

by a parent
Thursday, May 30, 2019

Open Quote this is a school that made my child pay $10 for lunch Close Quote



Enrollment information for L J Bell Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 462 338 11 1 7 n/a n/a -6 813
1989 475 314 8 0 3 n/a n/a 0 800
1990 419 317 9 1 4 n/a n/a 0 750
1991 432 306 14 0 2 n/a n/a 0 754
1992 423 275 12 1 2 n/a n/a 0 713
1993 427 300 8 1 0 n/a n/a 0 736
1994 410 335 5 2 3 n/a n/a 0 755
1995 444 387 10 3 3 n/a n/a 0 847
1996 444 387 10 3 3 n/a n/a 0 847
1997 443 386 13 3 4 n/a n/a 0 849
1998 424 382 15 4 9 n/a n/a 0 834
1999 411 355 8 5 11 n/a n/a 0 790
2000 383 397 10 8 12 n/a n/a 0 810
2001 288 269 4 6 7 n/a n/a 0 574
2002 309 255 6 10 4 n/a n/a 0 584
2003 309 255 6 10 4 n/a n/a 0 584
2004 276 245 8 12 3 n/a n/a 0 544
2005 265 231 8 9 8 n/a n/a 0 521
2006 275 244 7 12 5 n/a n/a 0 543
2007 284 233 7 14 5 n/a n/a 17 560
2008 270 234 5 13 7 n/a n/a 15 544
2009 278 253 5 9 9 n/a n/a 0 554
2010 276 221 5 17 6 n/a n/a 0 525
2011 271 199 13 26 7 0 20 0 536
2012 295 219 8 32 8 0 18 0 580
2013 274 214 11 29 7 0 25 0 560
2014 281 211 7 26 5 0 27 0 557
2015 259 235 6 27 11 0 16 0 554
2016 249 241 7 29 12 0 24 0 562
2017 255 229 6 41 10 0 31 0 572
2018 256 209 6 44 10 2 33 0 560
2019 247 218 6 37 11 2 38 0 559
2020 234 206 6 37 12 0 33 0 528
2021 221 194 5 36 16 0 28 0 500
2022 231 196 5 40 14 0 33 0 519
2023 227 170 5 33 8 0 33 0 476

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 L J Bell Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 813 36.0 22.5 40.3
1989 800 36.0 22.2 86.5
1990 750 38.0 19.7 93.9
1991 754 42.0 17.9 93.4
1992 713 36.0 19.8 34.1
1993 736 35.0 21.0 41.3
1994 755 36.0 21.0 41.7
1995 847 48.0 17.6 43
1996 847 48.0 17.6 43
1997 849 49.0 17.3 45.5
1998 834 55.0 15.2 47.2
1999 790 55.0 14.4 56.3
2000 810 55.0 14.7 56
2001 574 55.0 10.4 80.5
2002 584 55.0 10.6 0
2003 584 55.0 10.6 0
2004 544 55.0 9.9 57
2005 521 55.0 9.5 64.9
2006 543 55.0 9.9 50.3
2007 560 n/a n/a 59.3
2008 544 36.0 15.1 64.5
2009 554 35.2 15.7 59.6
2010 525 32.0 16.4 61.1
2011 536 31.5 17.0 62.7
2012 580 32.5 17.8 61.7
2013 560 38.0 14.7 67.9
2014 557 33.7 16.4 68
2015 554 36.0 15.3 99.5
2016 562 34.0 16.5 99.1
2017 572 31.9 17.8 99.5
2018 560 33.0 16.9 99.5
2019 559 36.0 15.5 99.5
2020 528 34.0 15.5 99.4
2021 500 34.0 14.7 99.4
2022 519 32.0 16.2 99.4
2023 476 33.1 14.3 99.4

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 L J Bell Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 813 36.0 22.5 40.3
1989 800 36.0 22.2 86.5
1990 750 38.0 19.7 93.9
1991 754 42.0 17.9 93.4
1992 713 36.0 19.8 34.1
1993 736 35.0 21.0 41.3
1994 755 36.0 21.0 41.7
1995 847 48.0 17.6 43
1996 847 48.0 17.6 43
1997 849 49.0 17.3 45.5
1998 834 55.0 15.2 47.2
1999 790 55.0 14.4 56.3
2000 810 55.0 14.7 56
2001 574 55.0 10.4 80.5
2002 584 55.0 10.6 0
2003 584 55.0 10.6 0
2004 544 55.0 9.9 57
2005 521 55.0 9.5 64.9
2006 543 55.0 9.9 50.3
2007 560 n/a n/a 59.3
2008 544 36.0 15.1 64.5
2009 554 35.2 15.7 59.6
2010 525 32.0 16.4 61.1
2011 536 31.5 17.0 62.7
2012 580 32.5 17.8 61.7
2013 560 38.0 14.7 67.9
2014 557 33.7 16.4 68
2015 554 36.0 15.3 99.5
2016 562 34.0 16.5 99.1
2017 572 31.9 17.8 99.5
2018 560 33.0 16.9 99.5
2019 559 36.0 15.5 99.5
2020 528 34.0 15.5 99.4
2021 500 34.0 14.7 99.4
2022 519 32.0 16.2 99.4
2023 476 33.1 14.3 99.4

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 L J Bell Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,319 (13.6%) $8,349 (86.4%) $9,668

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

Impact of COVID-19 on L J Bell 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 777th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 793rd of 1502 Elementary schools
 0%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (L J Bell Elementary)6657.3
 8.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Richmond County Schools)61.955.3
 6.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (L J Bell Elementary)48.933.3
 15.6%
   3rd Grade Reading (Richmond County Schools)50.335.9
 14.4%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (L J Bell Elementary)45.751.2
 5.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Richmond County Schools)51.650.5
 1.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (L J Bell Elementary)40.746.3
 5.6%
   4th Grade Reading (Richmond County Schools)48.444.4
 4%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (L J Bell Elementary)6367.1
 4.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Richmond County Schools)60.150.8
 9.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (L J Bell Elementary)61.745.5
 16.2%
   5th Grade Reading (Richmond County Schools)57.939.3
 18.6%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (L J Bell Elementary)81.972.7
 9.2%
   5th Grade Science (Richmond County Schools)79.360.8
 18.5%
   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 Students559476
 14.8%
African American218170
 22%
American Indian118
 27.3%
Asian65
 16.7%
Hispanic3733
 10.8%
Pacific Islander20
 100%
White247227
 8.1%
Two or More Races3833
 13.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.5%99.4%
 0.1%


Schools Near L J Bell Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about L J Bell Elementary

Students at L J Bell Elementary are 48% White, 36% African American, 7% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 1% Asian.

Students who attend L J Bell Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Rockingham Middle
High : Richmond Early College High
High : Richmond Senior High

L J Bell Elementary ranks 786th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 476 students attended L J Bell Elementary.


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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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