B O Barnes Elementary

B O Barnes Elementary is one of the cozy primary schools in Wilson, North Carolina, one of the schools within Wilson County Schools, with 274 students on its rolls from grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 467 students per school, that is 41% leaner than typical.

Across the 25 schools in Wilson County Schools (10,451 students total), B O Barnes Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, B O Barnes Elementary shows that the largest single group is Black, at 76% of enrollment; the rest is composed of 18% Hispanic, 3% White, 3% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 39% Black, putting the school's mix noticeably more Black than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, B O Barnes Elementary has 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.9:1. The state averages around 14.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 99% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, B O Barnes Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 46.8%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Wilson County) logs that median household earnings sit near $56,423, 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 14% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Wilson County runs 29 public schools (combined enrollment of about 12,482 students), of which B O Barnes Elementary is one.

Nearest neighbor: Charles H Darden Middle, around 0.4 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, B O Barnes Elementary comes 2nd of 4 in the immediate cluster, below the nearby-schools average of 51.1%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at B O Barnes Elementary has fell 25%, going from 365 students in 2018 to 274 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 14.6:1 in 2018 to 11.9:1 today.

Inside the community feed, the feed for B O Barnes Elementary typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.