The top reported proficiency rate is 90% in Science. The lowest is 68% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Heyward C Bellamy Elem
Heyward C. Bellamy Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Wilmington's east side, at the edge of the residential area near the Sanders Road corridor. The school sits within New Hanover County Schools, a district serving a fast-growing coastal region where population and housing costs have risen sharply in recent years and where a substantial bond referendum for school facilities is slated for November 2026.
The school's enrollment is stable and reflects the broader demographics of the county. The student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic students forming a meaningful minority and smaller numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economic diversity within the enrollment. Specific counts for students with individual education plans and English learners were not available in the data provided.
On state assessments administered in spring 2025, Heyward C. Bellamy showed an uneven academic profile across subjects. In math, the proficiency rate was strong for grades three through five combined. In science, proficiency was notably high. In English language arts, however, proficiency was noticeably lower than in the other two subjects, a pattern a parent may want to discuss directly with the school to understand where instruction is focused, what support exists for reading and writing, and whether there are plans to address the gap. Science test participation was smaller than in math and ELA, a common occurrence in elementary grades where science testing may occur at a different grade level or on a different schedule. The most recent scores are from 2024-25, and historical trend data was not available, so a parent looking at year-to-year growth would need to ask the school directly.
Wilmington itself is a mid-sized coastal port city with a split character: a compact, historic downtown core along the Cape Fear River with walkable streets, restaurants, galleries, and waterfront parks, surrounded by increasingly developed suburban neighborhoods and beach-adjacent communities. The city anchors a metro region growing faster than the national average, driven by health care and medical employment, university presence, fintech companies like nCino, nuclear energy operations, and film and television production. This growth has pushed housing costs upward substantially over the past decade, and affordability has become a top concern for residents. The school's location sits within the broader sprawl, where most daily travel requires a car, though downtown Wilmington and the Riverwalk are accessible for family outings.
The district is preparing for substantial change. A school facilities bond referendum on the November ballot would fund replacement of Trask Middle School and Pine Valley Elementary, a new elementary school in the growing Riverlights area, and improvements to New Hanover High School, with projects touching nearly every school in the county. A local community endowment has pledged support contingent on passage, which would lower the property-tax impact. The board has also adopted a stricter cell phone policy to curb cyberbullying and integrated local African American history, including the story of the Seabreeze Resort, into the curriculum.
For a family considering Heyward C. Bellamy, the school represents a neighborhood elementary option in a growing region with accessible state-test data in math and science but a notable ELA proficiency gap worth exploring. The school does not serve high school grades, so this is a feeder school within a larger district pathway.
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