Skip to main content

Average

#1876 of 2,648 schools in NC

Smith Elementary

Elementary School · Wake County Schools · Raleigh, NC

A Wake County Schools elementary school where students score 16 points below what's typical for similar communities.

1101 Maxwell Drive, Raleigh, NC 27603

  • Math 43% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 37% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.6Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.71 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics3.8Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency43.6% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency36.5% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg-20.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-10.1 pts
Overall Proficiency40% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)56% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-15.9 pts
Adjusted Percentile19th
Resources & Environment7.0Very Good20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio11.1:1
District spending per student$11,691
Chronic Absenteeism40.5%

Students at Smith Elementary score 40% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 56%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency43%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency37%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 11 points since 2020, reaching 40% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
72%
ELA
58%
2010
Math
75%
ELA
65%
2011
Math
78%
ELA
64%
2012
Math
32%
ELA
27%
2013
Math
35%
ELA
34%
2014
Math
39%
ELA
37%
2015
Math
43%
ELA
33%
2016
Math
34%
ELA
24%
2017
Math
39%
ELA
22%
2018
Math
38%
ELA
29%
2019
Math
38%
ELA
29%
2020*
Math
27%
ELA
32%
2021*
Math
27%
ELA
32%
2022
Math
47%
ELA
44%
2025
Math
43%
ELA
37%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 44% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 38% (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

68.5%

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 Smith 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 31Car-Dependent
  • Bike 27Somewhat 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

$87,939

Median home value

$347,000

Median rent

$1,496/mo

College educated

48.1%

Homeownership

60.9%

Poverty rate

12.7%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27603; 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
Oak City AcademyPrivate · tuition5.2privatePK–101.0 mi180Compare →
Wake Christian AcademyPrivate · tuition5.1privateK–121.0 mi897Compare →
Vandora Springs ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.0PK–51.7 mi553Compare →
Timber Drive ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.2PK–51.8 mi383Compare →

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
#153 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

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

About Smith Elementary

Smith Elementary is a public elementary school in Raleigh, NC, part of Wake County Schools, serving approximately 521 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 5.3 out of 10 and ranks #1,876 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 44% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 38% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Smith Elementary

What grades does Smith Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Smith Elementary?

Smith Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 521 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Smith Elementary is 11.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Smith Elementary rank in NC?

Smith Elementary ranks #1,876 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Smith Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Smith Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.3 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 Smith Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Smith Elementary has 44% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 38% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Smith Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Smith Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

68.5% of students at Smith 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
521
Student-Teacher Ratio
11.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
47
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Wake County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
40.5%
Area population (ZIP 27603)
53,835
Area average commute
27.7 min
Area median age
34.8
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 27603; 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

Get school insights in your inbox

New rankings, best-schools lists, and parent guides — delivered free. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.