Enrollment
222
Elementary
DISTRICT 389 · STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CHATHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370075000310
J S Waters School
55 J S Waters School Road, Goldston, NC 27252 · (919) 898-2259 · Chatham County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL222 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 63% of North Carolina public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded North Carolina public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
18 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.1:1 · STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
219 students
DISTRICT 84% · STATE 82%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 20 | 9% |
| Grade 1 | 32 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 26 | 12% |
| Grade 3 | 17 | 8% |
| Grade 4 | 26 | 12% |
| Grade 5 | 29 | 13% |
| Grade 6 | 23 | 10% |
| Grade 7 | 20 | 9% |
| Grade 8 | 29 | 13% |
This year's kindergarten class (20) is 31% smaller than its 8th grade class (29).
Student demographics
54%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 64% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
54.2%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
60.4%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 54 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 60 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all North Carolina schools, those numbers are about 51 and 52.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
59.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.7%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.6pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 59% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among North Carolina's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like J S Waters School
J S Waters School's state test result (59.3% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| J S Waters School this school | 222 | 98.6% | 59.3% |
| Oak Lane Elementary Hurdle Mills | 224 | 98.7% | 61.3% |
| District No 7 Elementary Wade | 211 | 96.7% | 57.1% |
| Southwood Elementary Kinston | 218 | 98.6% | 57.5% |
| Cameron Elementary Cameron | 215 | 98.6% | 57.5% |
| W B Beam Intermediate School Cherryville | 191 | 98.4% | 56.8% |
Matched among North Carolina elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where J S Waters School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In Chatham County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 59.3% | #526 of 1,297 | #7 of 11 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 60.4% | #599 of 1,296 | #7 of 11 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 54.2% | #478 of 1,300 | #8 of 11 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 222 | #1,336 of 1,485 | #10 of 12 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.5:1 | #142 of 1,377 | #4 of 10 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 53.6% | #912 of 1,379 | #4 of 10 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 98.6% | #793 of 1,414 | #8 of 11 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -9.4% | #612 of 937 | #7 of 9 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
222
-5 (-2%) vs 2020
-28% since 1990-91, when it was 307
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
was 15.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 222 | 17.8 | 12.5:1 | 99% (219) |
| 2023-24 | 208 | 15.2 | 13.7:1 | 64% (133) |
| 2022-23 | 193 | 14.1 | 13.7:1 | 58% (112) |
| 2020-21 | 227 | 15 | 15.1:1 | 44% (100) |
| 2017-18 | 245 | 18.4 | 13.3:1 | 46% (112) |
| 2015-16 | 270 | 19 | 14.2:1 | 56% (150) |
| 2010-11 | 350 | 23 | 15.2:1 | 50% (175) |
| 2000-01 | 302 | 22 | 13.7:1 | 36% (109) |
| 1990-91 | 307 | 24 | 12.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for J S Waters School.
Since 2017-18: students down 9% (245 to 222); teachers down 3% (18.4 to 17.8).
About J S Waters School
J S Waters School is a small elementary school serving families in Goldston, North Carolina. Its 222 students are spread across kindergarten through 8. The school's enrollment is 52% smaller than the 467 average for elementary schools in North Carolina.
Chatham County Schools (21 schools, 8,987 students) runs J S Waters School.
White students are the majority at J S Waters School, with 65% of enrollment. Other groups make up 16% Hispanic, 11% Black, and 8% multiracial. The school's diversity index is 54%, meaning two students picked at random have a 54% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
The school employs the equivalent of 17.8 full-time teachers, for a ratio of 12.5:1. That is 2.4 students per teacher below the 14.9:1 average for elementary schools in North Carolina. The free or reduced-price lunch rate at J S Waters School is 99%. Public schools in Chatham County average 74%.
J S Waters School is graded B by allk12, scoring above 63% of North Carolina public elementary schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
J S Waters School scores 59.3% on state tests, averaged across results. The predicted figure, based on its student poverty level, is 48.7%.
Census estimates describe Chatham County this way: the median household income is $94,317, 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Besides J S Waters School, Chatham County has 24 other public schools.
The closest public school to J S Waters School is Chatham Central High, about 3.8 miles away. J S Waters School is one of several public schools in the area, with 3 others within ten miles. The nearest schools with test data average 48.4%, lower than J S Waters School's 59.3%.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is Rural: Distant: in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Over 4 years, enrollment stayed close to where it was, going from 227 to 222. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 15.1:1 to 12.5:1.
To ask about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes, start a discussion on this page. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Chatham County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
80,151
Census ACS
Median income
$94,317
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
49%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
25
10,374 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Chatham County Schools
- Seaforth HighHigh · 1,088 students
- Jordan-Matthews HighHigh · 848 students
- Margaret B. Pollard MiddleMiddle · 736 students
- Chatham Grove ElementaryElementary · 683 students
- Northwood HighHigh · 634 students
- Siler City ElementaryElementary · 591 students
Nearby schools
- Chatham Central High3.8 mi · 320
- Bonlee School6.1 mi · 290
- Chatham Middle10.0 mi · 513
- Deep River Elementary10.0 mi · 557
- Virginia Cross Elementary10.1 mi · 494
- Central Carolina Academy10.2 mi · 536
Frequently asked questions
About J S Waters SchoolHow many students attend J S Waters School?
J S Waters School enrolls approximately 222 students in grades KG-08.
Is J S Waters School an elementary, middle, or high school?
J S Waters School is an elementary school covering grades KG-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J S Waters School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at J S Waters School is approximately 12.5:1 (18 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at J S Waters School?
Student demographics at J S Waters School are roughly 65% White, 16% Hispanic, 11% Black, 0% Asian, 8% Two or more.
Is J S Waters School public or private?
J S Waters School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Chatham County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.