The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in Math. The lowest is 56% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Southport Elementary
Southport Elementary sits in a small coastal town built around oak-lined streets and a compact historic downtown overlooking the Cape Fear River. The school itself draws from an enrollment of about four hundred students across pre-K through fifth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students, and Asian students making up a small portion. An extraordinarily high share of students—nearly all—qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a context of economic pressure that is relevant to understanding both what students bring to school and what resources the school must manage.
On state testing, Southport Elementary's proficiency rates fall below where parents typically hope. In math, just under two-thirds of students tested met proficiency. In English language arts, about half did. Science proficiency landed near the mid-range of those two, though state testing in science has undergone changes in assessment design that affect year-to-year comparability. These numbers suggest that while some students are meeting grade-level benchmarks, a substantial portion are not, and a parent should ask the school directly about the specific supports available for students who are trailing, whether through tutoring, small-group intervention, or other means. No data was available on the school's graduation rate—a metric that does not apply to an elementary school—or on chronic absenteeism, special education enrollment, or English learner enrollment, which would help round out the picture of student need and school response.
Southport sits in the growth phase of a coastal housing market. A major mixed-use development off West 9th Street was approved in mid-2025 and is expected to bring new families into the area starting in 2026, with hundreds of housing units planned. Several smaller workforce and affordable-housing projects are also underway. The median home value in the area exceeds the state benchmark, and rents are rising but remain modest relative to national figures. For families relocating to support a career at Duke Energy's nuclear facility or in healthcare, government, or tourism, Southport offers a walkable downtown with antique shops, galleries, and restaurants along the waterfront, plus parks and civic anchors scattered throughout the town center—a setting appealing to families seeking small-town livability over suburban sprawl.
The Brunswick County Schools district is entering a critical juncture. A substantial school bond referendum is on the November 2026 ballot to build a new elementary school and a new high school and to renovate existing facilities. Elementary schools are already at or near capacity, and all schools are projected to exceed capacity within a few years. The outcome of that referendum will determine whether Southport Elementary expands, whether new facilities open nearby to relieve overcrowding, and the extent of property-tax increase for district families. If the referendum fails, no further bond opportunity is expected until 2028, a delay that could force the school into portable classrooms or forced split schedules. For any family moving into the area, this is not a peripheral issue—it directly affects class size, teaching resources, and the school's physical environment over the coming years.
At the district level, the Board of Education adopted a 2024-2029 strategic plan committing to common-core curricula across all state-tested K-12 subjects and substantially expanded work-based learning pathways for older students, with the aim of lifting the share of schools meeting or exceeding academic growth. The district previously attempted a shift to standards-based grading in 2022, but paused it after parent and teacher pushback, reverting to traditional 0-100 grading. That decision signals a willingness to listen to constituent concern about instructional change—relevant context for families making their own judgments about how the district handles shifts in practice.
Southport Elementary is a neighborhood public school serving an economically stressed community in a town experiencing real residential growth. Its test proficiency rates suggest room for improvement, and parents considering the school should investigate the specific interventions available for students below grade level. The broader trajectory—capacity constraints, a pending bond vote, a new strategic plan, and incoming families—means the school's environment may shift noticeably within the next few years depending on referendum outcomes and growth-management decisions made at the district level.
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