Summary:
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is a K-12 district in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro, North Carolina, area that enrolls about 11,350 students across 19 schools: 11 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 4 high schools. The district is one of the state's strongest, ranked 28th of 246 districts (89th percentile) with a 4-star rating. Aside from the small alternative Phoenix Academy High, every school in the district ranks at or above the 51st percentile among schools of its type statewide.
At the elementary level, Glenwood Elementary is the district's flagship: ranked 66th of 1,492 elementary schools (96th percentile, 5 stars), it posts 91.3% fifth-grade math proficiency plus the district's lowest chronic absenteeism (5.6%) and free/reduced-price lunch rate (19.2%). Morris Grove Elementary (93rd percentile), Estes Hills Elementary (91st), and Seawell Elementary (90th) are also 5-star standouts, with Seawell reaching 92.9% proficiency in fifth-grade science. Smith Middle is the top middle school (90th percentile, 5 stars), finishing above the district average in every tested subject, followed by Phillips Middle (87th), McDougle Middle (83rd), and Culbreth Middle (78th). Among high schools, Chapel Hill High is the strongest traditional option (73rd percentile; 94.0% graduation), with East Chapel Hill High close behind (72nd) and Carrboro High further back (51st).
Several patterns stand out for parents. Chronic absenteeism climbs sharply by school level, averaging about 11% in elementary schools but exceeding the 24.2% state average at every traditional high school, from 25.7% at Chapel Hill High to 38.4% at Carrboro High. Math I is the district's clearest academic weakness: just 36.8% of students score proficient, below the state's 42.1%, and only Chapel Hill High (46.2%) tops the state. Trajectories vary: Northside Elementary has climbed from the 36th to the 53rd percentile in three years, while Rashkis Elementary, Carrboro High, and East Chapel Hill High have slipped. Higher-need schools also receive more funding, with Phoenix Academy High spending $46,250 per student — yet Phoenix still posts the district's lowest outcomes: an 88.9% free/reduced-price lunch rate, 50% chronic absenteeism, and a 74.2% graduation rate.
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