Sylvan Elementary

Sylvan Elementary is a small rural PK–5 school in Snow Camp, NC, serving roughly 298 students in Alamance-Burlington Schools. Over the past several years, the school's statewide ranking has fallen dramatically — from the 47th percentile in 2021-22 to the 9th percentile (0 stars) in 2025-26 — placing it near the bottom of North Carolina elementary schools. Nearly all students (about 99%) now qualify for free or reduced lunch, a sharp rise from about 63% a few years earlier.

Academically, Sylvan trails its district and the state in nearly every grade and subject. The most urgent concern is 3rd-grade reading, where just 24.4% of students are proficient — a 31-point gap from the state average. Math proficiency in grades 3–5 ranges from about 36% to 49%, and 5th-grade science has declined from 67.4% proficiency in 2022-23 to 44.2% today. Nearby schools facing similar economic challenges show much stronger results: Nathanael Greene Elementary (98% poverty) ranks in the 49th percentile, and Silk Hope School (98.9% poverty) ranks in the 79th percentile. However, Sylvan's own district peers like Edwin M Holt Elementary (65th percentile) and Highland Elementary (54th percentile) also outperform it substantially.

There are also significant equity gaps. Female students at Sylvan rank in the 2nd percentile statewide, while male students rank in the 30th percentile — a persistent gap that suggests the learning environment is not working equally well for all. On a more positive note, chronic absenteeism has improved to 21.4%, below the state average of 24.2%, and per-pupil spending is competitive with stronger nearby schools. That combination suggests Sylvan has the resources and attendance to improve; the challenge ahead is translating those resources into more effective instruction and support, especially in early literacy and for all student subgroups.