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Excellent

#65 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 2% in state

Burton Elementary

Elementary School · Durham Public Schools · Durham, NC

A Durham Public Schools elementary school where students score 17 points above what's typical for similar communities.

1500 Mathison Avenue, Durham, NC 27701

  • Math 64% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 63% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 9.5:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.1Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-0.03 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics8.5Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency64.1% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency63.5% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+0.3 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+16.9 pts
Overall Proficiency64% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)47% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+17.2 pts
Adjusted Percentile78th
Resources & Environment9.6Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio9.5:1
District spending per student$15,239
Chronic Absenteeism31%

Students at Burton Elementary score 64% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 47%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency64%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency63%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 27 points since 2020, reaching 64% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
67%
ELA
47%
2010
Math
72%
ELA
57%
2011
Math
82%
ELA
62%
2012
Math
27%
ELA
17%
2013
Math
27%
ELA
22%
2014
Math
32%
ELA
27%
2015
Math
37%
ELA
27%
2016
Math
37%
ELA
27%
2017
Math
37%
ELA
27%
2018
Math
27%
ELA
42%
2019
Math
27%
ELA
42%
2020*
Math
32%
ELA
42%
2021*
Math
32%
ELA
42%
2022
Math
65%
ELA
48%
2025
Math
64%
ELA
63%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 48% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 44% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 36 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

99%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Burton Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 50Somewhat Walkable
  • Transit 41Some Transit
  • Bike 21Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,431/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Durham), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$66,852

Median home value

$457,600

Median rent

$1,279/mo

College educated

50.2%

Homeownership

29.3%

Poverty rate

20%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27701; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
R N Harris ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.4PK–50.6 mi301Compare →
Maureen Joy Charter SchoolCharter · enrollment unverified6.1K–80.7 mi634Compare →
Eastway ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.1PK–50.8 mi393Compare →
Y E Smith ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.7PK–50.9 mi265Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Durham Public Schools

Schools in district
56
Rank in district
#5 of 54
District spending per student
$15,239NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.7%Census SAIPE · 2024

Burton Elementary is listed in Durham Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Burton Elementary

Burton Elementary is a public elementary school in Durham, NC, part of Durham Public Schools, serving approximately 294 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 9.5:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 9.0 out of 10 and ranks #65 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 48% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 44% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Burton Elementary

What grades does Burton Elementary serve?

Burton Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Burton Elementary?

Burton Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 294 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Burton Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Burton Elementary is 9.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Burton Elementary rank in NC?

Burton Elementary ranks #65 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Burton Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Burton Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 9.0 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Burton Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Burton Elementary has 48% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 44% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Burton Elementary a charter school?

No, Burton Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Burton Elementary a Title I school?

No, Burton Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Burton Elementary?

99.0% of students at Burton Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
294
Student-Teacher Ratio
9.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
31
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Durham County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
31.0%
Area population (ZIP 27701)
24,881
Area average commute
21.4 min
Area median age
34.6
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 27701; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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