Beaufort Elementary

Beaufort Elementary operates as a tight-knit elementary-level community in Beaufort, North Carolina, run under Carteret County Public Schools. Current enrollment sits at 346 students spanning grades pre-K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 26% below the state mean of about 467.

Beaufort Elementary is one of 17 schools operated by Carteret County Public Schools, a district that caters to 7,847 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Beaufort Elementary records that 68% of the student body identifies as White; the rest consists of 12% Black, 12% multiracial, 8% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 86% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Beaufort Elementary has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.7:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 14.9:1 average. An estimated 99% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is higher than Carteret County's rate of about 76%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Beaufort Elementary ranks in the top 10% of North Carolina public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 48.6%; Beaufort Elementary posts 69.0%, +20.4 points above that line.

Across the wider county, Carteret County reports that median household income runs about $72,322, roughly 35% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Carteret County runs 19 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,053 students), of which Beaufort Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Beaufort Middle, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Beaufort Elementary at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 65.7%.

The campus sits in a town-based setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 23%: 447 students in 2018 compared to 346 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share increased from 61% to 68%.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.