Locust Elementary

As an average-sized elementary school in Locust, North Carolina, Locust Elementary instructs 563 students from grades K through 5, operated by Stanly County Schools. By comparison, North Carolina's public schools average about 467 students each, so Locust Elementary sits 21% bigger than that benchmark.

Within Stanly County Schools, which oversees 23 schools and 8,743 students, Locust Elementary is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Locust Elementary shows that 72% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school logs 16% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 5% Black.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Locust Elementary has 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.9:1, putting Locust Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 99% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Locust Elementary is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 48.5%; this one delivers 75.2%, a residual of +26.7 points.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Stanly County indicate median household income runs about $60,704, roughly 20% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. Locust Elementary is one of 24 public schools in Stanly County (combined enrollment of about 9,471 students).

The closest other public school is West Stanly Middle School, roughly 2.2 miles away. 3 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Locust Elementary at 2nd of 9; the average score across the group is 65.2%.

The campus sits in a countryside setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 34%: 420 students in 2018 compared to 563 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 81% to 72%.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for Locust Elementary typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.