Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Carteret County Public Schools

This page covers 9 elementary schools in Carteret County Public Schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

9
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 9 of 9
1
rank
Morehead City Primary
Grades PK–03545 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.2:1)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
11.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,818
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
99%
High economic need
2
rank
Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary
Grades PK–08249 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.6:1)
48
/100
Student:Teacher
10.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,818
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
99%
High economic need
3
rank
Harkers Island Elementary
Grades KG–05117 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.4:1)
47
/100
Student:Teacher
12.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,818
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
97%
High economic need
4
rank
Atlantic Elementary
Grades PK–0588 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.7:1)
47
/100
Student:Teacher
10.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,818
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
97%
High economic need
5
rank
Beaufort Elementary
Grades PK–05378 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.5:1)
47
/100
Student:Teacher
11.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,818
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
99%
High economic need
6
rank
Morehead Elem at Camp Glenn
Grades 04–05285 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
13.9:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,818
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
99%
High economic need
7
rank
Newport Elementary
Grades KG–05645 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.7:1)
43
/100
Student:Teacher
11.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,818
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
8
rank
White Oak Elementary
Grades PK–05772 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
15.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,818
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
9
rank
Bogue Sound Elementary
Grades PK–05467 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.8:1)
42
/100
Student:Teacher
12.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,818
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
99%
High economic need
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
9
Elementary Schools
18
Total Schools
51
#1 Score
46
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
1
Other School Levels
Compare Carteret County Public Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.