Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in New Hanover County Schools

This page covers 26 elementary schools in New Hanover County 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 near 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.

26
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 26
1
rank
Lake Forest Academy
Grades KG–0838 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (2.7:1)
63
/100
Student:Teacher
2.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
92%
High economic need
2
rank
Dr Hubert Eaton Sr Elem
Grades KG–05440 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
60
/100
Student:Teacher
13.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
29%
Low economic need
3
rank
Dr John Codington Elem
Grades KG–05441 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
59
/100
Student:Teacher
14.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
26%
Low economic need
4
rank
Heyward C Bellamy Elem
Grades KG–05556 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
57
/100
Student:Teacher
14.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
38%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
Wrightsville Beach Elem
Grades KG–05263 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
56
/100
Student:Teacher
13.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
9%
Low economic need
6
rank
Edwin A Anderson Elementary
Grades KG–05624 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
55
/100
Student:Teacher
14.9:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
41%
Near nat'l 52.2%
7
rank
Holly Tree Elementary
Grades KG–05423 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
54
/100
Student:Teacher
14.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
21%
Low economic need
8
rank
R Freeman Sch of Engineering
Grades PK–05332 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.4:1)
53
/100
Student:Teacher
10.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
99%
High economic need
9
rank
A H Snipes Academy of Arts/Des
Grades KG–05377 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.3:1)
53
/100
Student:Teacher
10.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
99%
High economic need
10
rank
Masonboro Elementary
Grades KG–05575 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
16.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,481
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
17%
Low economic need
16 more elementary schools in New Hanover County Schools not shown here.
View all schools in New Hanover County Schools
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
26
Elementary Schools
42
Total Schools
63
#1 Score
52
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
1
Lake Forest Academy
Score: 63/100
Other School Levels
Compare New Hanover County 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.