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Excellent

#407 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 15% in state

Seawell Elementary

Elementary School · Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools · Chapel Hill, NC

A Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools elementary school where students score 9 points above what's typical for similar communities.

9115 Seawell School Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

  • Math 74% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 75% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 13:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress6.6Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.46 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics8.9Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency76.4% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency76.4% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+12.6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+29.8 pts
Overall Proficiency76% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)67% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+9.4 pts
Adjusted Percentile83th
Resources & Environment9.9Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13:1
District spending per student$16,963
Chronic Absenteeism15.8%

Students at Seawell Elementary score 76% 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 Proficiency74%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency75%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 8 points since 2020, reaching 74% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
96%
ELA
92%
2010
Math
97%
ELA
93%
2011
Math
98%
ELA
95%
2012
Math
82%
ELA
77%
2013
Math
78%
ELA
76%
2014
Math
73%
ELA
75%
2015
Math
75%
ELA
75%
2016
Math
76%
ELA
71%
2017
Math
76%
ELA
70%
2018
Math
72%
ELA
73%
2019
Math
72%
ELA
73%
2020*
Math
64%
ELA
68%
2021*
Math
64%
ELA
68%
2022
Math
79%
ELA
75%
2025
Math
74%
ELA
75%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 78% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 77% (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

32.6%

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 Seawell 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 5Car-Dependent
  • Transit 20Minimal Transit
  • Bike 46Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,693/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Chapel Hill), 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

$100,788

Median home value

$508,400

Median rent

$1,446/mo

College educated

72.4%

Homeownership

72%

Poverty rate

15.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27516; 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
Mcdougle ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.4PK–51.3 mi483Compare →
Carrboro ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.6PK–51.8 mi506Compare →
Northside ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.4PK–51.8 mi390Compare →
Estes Hills ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.5PK–52.0 mi349Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools

Schools in district
21
Rank in district
#12 of 18
District spending per student
$16,963NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
6.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Seawell Elementary is listed in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Seawell Elementary

Seawell Elementary is a public elementary school in Chapel Hill, NC, part of Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools, serving approximately 442 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.0 out of 10 and ranks #407 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 78% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 77% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Seawell Elementary

What grades does Seawell Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Seawell Elementary?

Seawell Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 442 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Seawell Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Seawell Elementary is 13:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Seawell Elementary rank in NC?

Seawell Elementary ranks #407 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Seawell Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Seawell Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.0 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 Seawell Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Seawell Elementary has 78% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 77% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Seawell Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Seawell Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

32.6% of students at Seawell 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
442
Student-Teacher Ratio
13:1
Teachers (FTE)
34
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Orange County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
15.8%
Area population (ZIP 27516)
46,372
Area average commute
23.8 min
Area median age
35.8
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 27516; 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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