The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in Science. The lowest is 37% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Pembroke Elementary
Pembroke Elementary serves a small enrollment of students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Pembroke, a rural Robeson County town that blends residential and tribal identity with the presence of UNC Pembroke. The school is deeply embedded in its community: it sits within walking distance of the downtown historic district and the university, and operates within a district that is investing in pedestrian connections to link the school, downtown, and civic institutions.
The student body reflects the town and county's demographics. The vast majority of students are from American Indian, Alaska Native, or multiracial backgrounds, with a smaller presence of Black, Hispanic, Asian, and white students. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community with limited household income. The school has a moderate enrollment distributed across its grade bands, with slightly larger cohorts in second and fifth grades.
On state academic assessments for grades three through five, Pembroke Elementary's results fall below the proficiency bar across measured subjects. In English language arts, about one-third of students achieved proficiency. Mathematics proficiency reached about half. Science was the strongest subject, with proficiency near three-fifths, though science testing involved a smaller student group and the assessment itself underwent changes that year, making direct comparisons difficult. These results suggest that students are entering grades six and beyond with gaps in reading and math fundamentals that secondary settings will need to address. A parent may want to look into how the school is using its Science of Reading-aligned literacy curriculum to support reading development, since elementary reading skills set the trajectory for later learning.
The district has recently adopted a structured literacy approach across all its elementary schools. Pembroke Elementary follows this shift: kindergarten and first- and second-grade students work through a Reading Foundations Skills Block, while upper elementary students use an Additional Literacy and Language block, both part of the EL Education curriculum. Teachers also receive LETRS training to support Science of Reading practices. The district pairs this with Eureka Math Squared. These are systematic changes meant to address reading and math, and they represent the instructional foundation the school is building on.
The town of Pembroke itself is experiencing quiet growth. UNC Pembroke, the region's dominant employer and economic engine, is among the fastest-growing institutions in the UNC system and is driving housing development and downtown revitalization. A major streetscape project is rebuilding the central business district to include bike paths, pedestrian routes, and new sidewalks that explicitly connect downtown to the university campus and the Lumbee Tribe Governmental Complex. The median home value in the zip code is modest compared to state and national figures, and most residents are renters. For families seeking affordable housing near a school with strong community ties, Pembroke offers that context; for families seeking a competitive academic profile on entry to middle school, the test results here signal that supplemental or targeted support may be needed.
At the district level, PSRC is managing constrained resources. The district ranks last in North Carolina for local per-student spending and recently lost a major tranche of pandemic-era federal funding that had been earmarked for facility upgrades. However, the district is completing a new Career and Technical Education Center in Pembroke, opening in August, which will expand middle and high school pathway options in Culinary Arts, Drone Technology, Welding, EMT, and other fields. This is the district's first major new school facility in over two decades and signals an investment in vocational and STEM access for older students.
See more original research from School Decision →