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#1445 of 2,648 schools in NC

Southern Elementary

Elementary School · Guilford County Schools · Greensboro, NC

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

5720 Drake Road, Greensboro, NC 27406

  • Math 58% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 56% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.0Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.85 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics6.5Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency57.4% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency55.6% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg-6.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+9 pts
Overall Proficiency57% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)60% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-3.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile50th
Resources & Environment8.4Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13.8:1
District spending per student$12,897
Chronic Absenteeism25.6%

Students at Southern Elementary score 56% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 60%).

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 Proficiency56%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 30 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 57% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
92%
ELA
82%
2010
Math
92%
ELA
82%
2011
Math
92%
ELA
77%
2012
Math
57%
ELA
47%
2013
Math
52%
ELA
47%
2014
Math
47%
ELA
47%
2015
Math
52%
ELA
47%
2016
Math
57%
ELA
42%
2017
Math
57%
ELA
47%
2018
Math
37%
ELA
52%
2019
Math
37%
ELA
52%
2020*
Math
62%
ELA
52%
2021*
Math
62%
ELA
52%
2022
Math
64%
2025
Math
58%
ELA
56%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 61% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 56% (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 35 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

56%

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 Southern 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 14Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,336/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$56,748

Median home value

$191,800

Median rent

$1,103/mo

College educated

26.9%

Homeownership

55%

Poverty rate

20%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27406; 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
Sumner ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.5K–53.1 mi525Compare →
College Prep and Leadership AcademyCharter · enrollment unverified5.2K–124.0 mi868Compare →
Haynes Inman Education CenterEnrollment path unverified5.2PK–124.2 mi110Compare →
Next Generation AcademyCharter · enrollment unverified7.7K–74.6 mi419Compare →

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.

Guilford County Schools

Schools in district
124
Rank in district
#63 of 121
District spending per student
$12,897NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
17.7%Census SAIPE · 2024

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

About Southern Elementary

Southern Elementary is a public elementary school in Greensboro, NC, part of Guilford County Schools, serving approximately 234 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 6.1 out of 10 and ranks #1,445 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 61% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 56% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Southern Elementary

What grades does Southern Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Southern Elementary?

Southern Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 234 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Southern Elementary is 13.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Southern Elementary rank in NC?

Southern Elementary ranks #1,445 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Southern Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Southern Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.1 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 Southern Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Southern Elementary has 61% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 56% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Southern Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Southern Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

56.0% of students at Southern 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
234
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
17
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Guilford County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
25.6%
Area population (ZIP 27406)
63,661
Area average commute
24 min
Area median age
35.3
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 27406; 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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