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Below Average

#2056 of 2,648 schools in NC

Grady Brown Elementary

Elementary School · Orange County Schools · Hillsborough, NC

An Orange County Schools elementary school where students score 3 points below what's typical for similar communities.

1100 New Grady Brown Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278

  • Math 58% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 52% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 11.8:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress2.2Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-2.67 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics6.4Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency57.9% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency52.2% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg-5.9 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+5.6 pts
Overall Proficiency55% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)58% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-3.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile48th
Resources & Environment9.5Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio11.8:1
District spending per student$14,399
Chronic Absenteeism30.2%

Students at Grady Brown Elementary score 55% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 58%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency58%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency52%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 26 points since 2020, reaching 55% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
85%
ELA
78%
2010
Math
85%
ELA
71%
2011
Math
86%
ELA
79%
2012
Math
61%
ELA
56%
2013
Math
57%
ELA
54%
2014
Math
48%
ELA
52%
2015
Math
57%
ELA
48%
2016
Math
52%
ELA
47%
2017
Math
50%
ELA
48%
2018
Math
35%
ELA
44%
2019
Math
35%
ELA
44%
2020*
Math
22%
ELA
37%
2021*
Math
22%
ELA
37%
2022
Math
34%
ELA
39%
2025
Math
58%
ELA
52%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 53% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 52% (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

60.6%

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 Grady Brown 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 4Car-Dependent
  • Bike 20Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,904/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Hillsborough), 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

$101,821

Median home value

$380,000

Median rent

$1,294/mo

College educated

53.8%

Homeownership

77.3%

Poverty rate

7.3%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27278; 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
The Expedition SchoolCharter · enrollment unverified9.5K–81.4 mi361Compare →
Central ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.9PK–52.1 mi287Compare →
Hillsborough ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.8PK–52.2 mi434Compare →
River Park ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.9PK–52.5 mi555Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

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

Orange County Schools

Schools in district
13
Rank in district
#12 of 13
District spending per student
$14,399NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Grady Brown Elementary is listed in Orange County Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Grady Brown Elementary

Grady Brown Elementary is a public elementary school in Hillsborough, NC, part of Orange County Schools, serving approximately 401 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 11.8:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.9 out of 10 and ranks #2,056 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 53% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 52% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Grady Brown Elementary

What grades does Grady Brown Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Grady Brown Elementary?

Grady Brown Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 401 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Grady Brown Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Grady Brown Elementary is 11.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Grady Brown Elementary rank in NC?

Grady Brown Elementary ranks #2,056 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Grady Brown Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Grady Brown Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.9 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 Grady Brown Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Grady Brown Elementary has 53% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 52% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Grady Brown Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Grady Brown Elementary a Title I school?

No, Grady Brown Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

60.6% of students at Grady Brown 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
401
Student-Teacher Ratio
11.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
34
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Orange County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
30.2%
Area population (ZIP 27278)
28,546
Area average commute
27.2 min
Area median age
44.9
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 27278; 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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