Best Public Schools in Clemmons, NC

Clemmons, North Carolina, is served by four schools in the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district: three elementary schools — Clemmons Elementary, Frank Morgan Elementary, and Southwest Elementary — and one high school, West Forsyth High, with no middle school within the city and a combined enrollment of about 4,291 students. Overall, the elementary schools are the clear strength: each holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 74th to 89th percentile statewide, while the high school earns 3 stars and sits in the 61st percentile among North Carolina high schools.

Among the elementary schools, Southwest Elementary is the highest-ranked, posting about 77.9% average EOG proficiency and an exceptional 91.4% proficiency in 5th-grade science. Clemmons Elementary, the largest elementary school with 839 students, is nearly as strong at roughly 76.9% proficiency; despite 99.64% free/reduced lunch eligibility, it previously reached 5-star status and has the district’s lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 11.9%. Frank Morgan Elementary trails its peers at about 69.2% proficiency, though it still beats district averages on most subjects. West Forsyth High stands out with a 94.7% graduation rate and above-state scores on Biology, English II, and Math III, but its Math I proficiency is only 46.2% and chronic absenteeism reaches 33.8%.

A sharp economic split exists within the city: Clemmons Elementary and Frank Morgan Elementary both sit near 99.6% free/reduced lunch, while Southwest Elementary and West Forsyth High are near 38%. Yet high poverty does not predict low results, as Clemmons Elementary outperforms Frank Morgan despite nearly identical economic profiles. Attendance problems are concentrated at the high school, not the elementary grades, and the lack of a local middle school may make the transition into West Forsyth more fragile. Finally, higher spending does not clearly translate into higher test scores: Frank Morgan spends the most per student but shows the weakest elementary results, while West Forsyth spends the least yet graduates students at a high rate.