Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Johnston County Public Schools

This page covers 24 elementary schools in Johnston 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.

24
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 24
1
rank
Cooper Academy
Grades PK–05444 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.1:1)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
11.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
68%
High economic need
2
rank
Powhatan Elementary
Grades PK–05616 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
54
/100
Student:Teacher
14.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
34%
Low economic need
3
rank
River Dell Elementary
Grades PK–05922 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
15.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
35%
Low economic need
4
rank
Dixon Road Elementary
Grades PK–05598 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
52
/100
Student:Teacher
14.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
46%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
Riverwood Elementary
Grades PK–05810 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
51
/100
Student:Teacher
15.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
38%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Meadow School
Grades PK–08609 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
51
/100
Student:Teacher
13.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
59%
Near nat'l 52.2%
7
rank
Micro Elementary
Grades PK–05407 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.3:1)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
12.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
75%
High economic need
8
rank
Cleveland Elementary
Grades PK–05822 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
17.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
30%
Low economic need
9
rank
Princeton Elementary
Grades PK–05713 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
14.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
60%
Near nat'l 52.2%
10
rank
Thanksgiving Elementary
Grades PK–05769 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
15.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
45%
Near nat'l 52.2%
14 more elementary schools in Johnston County Public Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Johnston County Public 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
24
Elementary Schools
48
Total Schools
54
#1 Score
48
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
1
Cooper Academy
Score: 54/100
Other School Levels
Compare Johnston 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.