Top Rankings
Lincoln County Schools ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 12 public preschools serving 5,042 students in Lincoln County Schools. This district's average pre testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Lincoln County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 62% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 54% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 28% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public preschool average of 60% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
23 Schools
1,007 Schools
# Students
11,710 Students
477,947 Students
# Teachers
762 Teachers
32,759 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Lincoln County Schools, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 314 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 89% has decreased from 90% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#109 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
(21-22)60%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
53%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
73%
63%
Graduation Rate
(21-22)89%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.46
0.73
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
14%
24%
% Black
7%
25%
% White
72%
40%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $9,974 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,168. The school district revenue/student has grown by 5% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $9,695 is less than the state median of $11,592. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$117 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$114 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$9,974
$11,168
Spending / Student
$9,695
$11,592
Best Lincoln County Schools Public Preschools (2026)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Rock Springs Elementary School
(Math: 83% | Reading: 73%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
3633 Hwy 16 N
Denver, NC 28037
(704) 483-2281
Denver, NC 28037
(704) 483-2281
Gr: PK-5 | 639 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 19%
Rank: #22.
Catawba Springs Elementary School
(Math: 77% | Reading: 66%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
206 North Little Egypt Rd
Denver, NC 28037
(704) 736-1895
Denver, NC 28037
(704) 736-1895
Gr: PK-5 | 543 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 32%
Rank: #33.
St. James Elementary School
(Math: 75% | Reading: 66%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
1774 St James Church Road
Denver, NC 28037
(704) 736-1958
Denver, NC 28037
(704) 736-1958
Gr: PK-5 | 653 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 20%
Rank: #44.
Union Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
4875 Reepsville Rd
Vale, NC 28168
(704) 276-1493
Vale, NC 28168
(704) 276-1493
Gr: PK-5 | 342 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 9%
Rank: #55.
Ge Massey Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
130 Newbold St
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 735-2322
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 735-2322
Gr: PK-5 | 370 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 53%
Rank: #66.
North Brook Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
642 Hwy 274
Vale, NC 28168
(704) 276-2479
Vale, NC 28168
(704) 276-2479
Gr: PK-5 | 344 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 14%
Rank: #77.
Iron Station Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
4207 Hwy 27 E
Iron Station, NC 28080
(704) 736-4292
Iron Station, NC 28080
(704) 736-4292
Gr: PK-5 | 367 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 24%
Rank: #88.
Childers Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
2595 Rock Dam Road
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 736-9610
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 736-9610
Gr: PK-5 | 418 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 27%
Rank: #99.
S Ray Lowder Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
350 Kennedy Dr
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 735-2741
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 735-2741
Gr: PK-5 | 306 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 50%
Rank: #1010.
Love Memorial Elementary School
(Math: 20-24% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
1463 Love Memorial Sch Rd
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 735-5649
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 735-5649
Gr: PK-5 | 315 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 23%
Rank: #1111.
Battleground Elementary School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
301 Jeb Seagle Dr
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 736-1626
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 736-1626
Gr: PK-5 | 420 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 55%
Rank: n/an/a
3970 King Wilkinson Road
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 736-1394
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 736-1394
Gr: PK-2 | 325 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 20%
Recent Articles
Media Literacy as a Core Skill: How to Tell if a School Teaches It Well
Learn how to evaluate whether a public school teaches media literacy effectively, from fact-checking and source evaluation to digital citizenship and critical thinking.
Screen Time, Paper Learning, and the New Back-to-Basics Debate
Explore why some public schools are reducing screen time, bringing back paper learning, and rethinking the balance between technology and traditional instruction.
Student Data, AI Tools, and Privacy: Questions to Ask Your District
Learn how public schools use AI, protect student data, and the key privacy questions every parent should ask their school district in 2026.
