The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in Science. The lowest is 50% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Virginia Williamson Elem
Virginia Williamson Elementary is a small rural school serving pre-K through fifth grade in Bolivia, the county seat of Brunswick County, North Carolina. The school sits in an area experiencing rapid residential growth, with multiple large-scale developments approved in the past two years, and serves a student body of roughly the size typical for a multi-grade elementary in its setting.
The school's student composition is economically under significant strain. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that families in the school's catchment area face genuine economic hardship. The student population is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students, and two American Indian students. Data on the enrollment of English learners and students with disabilities was not available.
On state assessments, Virginia Williamson's performance is mixed. In math, students showed proficiency at a rate in the low-to-mid range for the state tests. In science, the school performed notably stronger, with proficiency at a substantially higher rate. In English language arts, proficiency was near the midpoint, meaning roughly half of tested students met or exceeded the state standard. Science test data were affected by a change in the assessment format and scoring criteria, so year-to-year comparison on that subject is not reliable. Math and ELA results appear comparable to prior years, though trend data was not available to confirm directional movement. A parent evaluating whether this is the right fit may want to look into what instructional supports the school offers in language arts, where the 50 percent mark represents the lowest of the three tested areas.
Brunswick County Schools is in the midst of consequential district-wide shifts. The board adopted a standardized curriculum across K-12 state-tested subjects in 2024 and aims to expand work-based learning partnerships with Brunswick Community College and the UNC System, a change that will ripple into elementary preparation and student mindset over time. The district also paused a major pedagogical change to standards-based grading after parent and teacher pushback in 2022, keeping traditional grading in place—a decision that signals the district's responsiveness to feedback.
The most pressing local issue for any family considering the school is the November 2026 bond referendum. Elementary schools in the district are already operating at very high capacity, and all schools are projected to exceed capacity within the next few years. The bond, if approved, would fund a new elementary school and new high school along with renovations; if it fails, the next referendum opportunity is not until 2028. For families moving into the area or considering staying, the outcome will reshape class sizes, attendance zones, and local property taxes for the next decade.
Bolivia itself is a very small, rural county seat built around government offices and a community college campus rather than a commercial center. The area is undergoing wholesale residential transformation, with master-planned communities totaling thousands of units approved for nearby land, homesites beginning delivery in 2026, and Highway 211 widening underway. Housing values are moderate, with median home prices in the zip code below the state average. Rentals are available and relatively affordable. Most daily shopping and dining require a short drive to nearby towns or to Wilmington, the nearest larger city about 18 miles away.
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