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Excellent

#132 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 5% in state

Root Elementary

Elementary School · Wake County Schools · Raleigh, NC

A Wake County Schools elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

3202 Northampton Street, Raleigh, NC 27609

  • Math 71% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 66% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.0Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-0.27 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics7.9Very Good30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency71.4% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency66.4% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+7.6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+19.8 pts
Overall Proficiency69% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)67% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+1.6 pts
Adjusted Percentile69th
Resources & Environment9.6Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio12.4:1
District spending per student$11,691
Chronic Absenteeism14.3%

Students at Root Elementary score 69% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 67%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency71%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency66%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 6 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 69% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
78%
ELA
71%
2010
Math
76%
ELA
73%
2011
Math
83%
ELA
82%
2012
Math
53%
ELA
56%
2013
Math
60%
ELA
60%
2014
Math
73%
ELA
68%
2015
Math
68%
ELA
65%
2016
Math
63%
ELA
63%
2017
Math
61%
ELA
57%
2018
Math
63%
ELA
62%
2019
Math
63%
ELA
62%
2020*
Math
67%
ELA
73%
2021*
Math
67%
ELA
73%
2022
Math
71%
ELA
73%
2025
Math
71%
ELA
66%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 68% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 67% (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

31.6%

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 Root Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Raleigh map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 13Car-Dependent
  • Transit 32Some Transit
  • Bike 46Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,315/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$81,538

Median home value

$441,100

Median rent

$1,393/mo

College educated

61.2%

Homeownership

51.1%

Poverty rate

6.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27609; 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 Trilogy SchoolPrivate · tuition7.4private2–121.0 mi54Compare →
St Timothys SchoolPrivate · tuition5.6privatePK–81.1 mi552Compare →
Joyner ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.9PK–51.2 mi515Compare →
Brooks ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.2PK–51.4 mi438Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

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

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Wake County Schools

Schools in district
197
Rank in district
#26 of 194
District spending per student
$11,691NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.5%Census SAIPE · 2024

Root Elementary is listed in Wake County Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Root Elementary

Root Elementary is a public elementary school in Raleigh, NC, part of Wake County Schools, serving approximately 484 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.8 out of 10 and ranks #132 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 68% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 67% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Root Elementary

What grades does Root Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Root Elementary?

Root Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 484 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Root Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Root Elementary is 12.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Root Elementary rank in NC?

Root Elementary ranks #132 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Root Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Root Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.8 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 Root Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Root Elementary has 68% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 67% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Root Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Root Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

31.6% of students at Root 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
484
Student-Teacher Ratio
12.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
39
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Wake County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
14.3%
Area population (ZIP 27609)
35,548
Area average commute
21.7 min
Area median age
38.4
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 27609; 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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