Glenn Elementary vs Southwest Elementary

Glenn Elementary and Southwest Elementary are both Durham, North Carolina elementary schools, but Southwest Elementary holds a meaningful rating advantage. Southwest Elementary scores 9.1/10 overall versus Glenn Elementary's 8.4/10 — a 0.7-point gap that translates into a stark difference in state standing: Southwest Elementary ranks #56 of 2648 schools in North Carolina while Glenn Elementary ranks #273 of 2648. That 217-position spread places Southwest Elementary in the top 2% of all elementary schools statewide, compared to Glenn Elementary's top 11%.

Academically, the two schools diverge most sharply in tested proficiency. Southwest Elementary posts a 7.8/10 academic score against Glenn Elementary's 6.6/10 — a 1.2-point difference that reflects meaningful gaps in grade-level proficiency across subjects. However, both schools are identical on growth: Glenn Elementary and Southwest Elementary each earn a 9.9/10 growth score, meaning students at both campuses are advancing at an equally exceptional rate relative to their starting points. A family weighing these two schools should understand that Glenn Elementary students gain knowledge at the same pace as Southwest Elementary students — the proficiency gap reflects where students start, not how fast they grow.

The demographic and resource picture differs considerably. Glenn Elementary serves 570 students with a 10.8:1 student-teacher ratio and 100% free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, indicating a high-poverty student population. Southwest Elementary enrolls 669 students at a 12.9:1 ratio with 52% free and reduced-price lunch — a lower-poverty, larger, and slightly less teacher-intensive environment. Glenn Elementary's smaller ratio means each teacher covers roughly two fewer students, which can support more individualized attention despite the resource constraints the school's demographic profile typically signals.

One structural difference separates the two campuses at the youngest grade levels: Southwest Elementary offers a Pre-K program (PK–05), while Glenn Elementary begins at kindergarten (KG–05). Families with a four-year-old seeking a single-school pre-K through fifth-grade pathway have only one option here. Both schools are located in Durham and sit 8.4 miles apart, making the choice largely neighborhood-driven for most families — though the Southwest Elementary pre-K access and state ranking edge are worth the cross-town consideration for some.