Summary
Seawell Elementary serves 416 students in grades PK–5 as part of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district in Chapel Hill, NC, and has earned a reputation as one of the state's most dependable high-performing schools. In the most recent statewide rankings, Seawell Elementary placed 146th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools — the 90th percentile — and received a fifth consecutive 5-star rating. Students outperform the state in every subject and grade tested, with especially strong math scores: 84.7% of 5th graders met proficiency, compared to 62.9% statewide. The school's biggest differentiator is science: 92.9% of 5th graders scored proficient — the highest rate among nearby schools and well above the district's 78.7% average.
Attendance at Seawell is another clear strength. Just 8.9% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25, less than half the district rate of 19.2% and roughly one-third of the state rate of 24.2%. Though the school's overall rank has eased from a peak of 53rd in 2022-23 to 146th today, it remains in the top tier of local elementaries. Among nearby schools, only Glenwood Elementary, Morris Grove Elementary, and Estes Hills Elementary rank higher statewide — yet none matches Seawell's science results. With roughly 30% of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch, Seawell serves a more diverse socioeconomic population than Glenwood or Morris Grove while still achieving comparable overall rankings.
Looking deeper, Seawell serves many student groups exceptionally well: its multiracial students ranked 3rd of 181 schools statewide, and White, Hispanic, and female students all ranked in the 84th percentile or higher in the most recent year. Outcomes are more uneven for other groups, however — economically disadvantaged students rank near the middle of the state distribution, and gifted students ranked in the 17th percentile. While small group sizes can make these numbers volatile, they point to areas where the school could grow. For families, Seawell offers a compelling combination of strong academics, standout science instruction, very low chronic absenteeism, and a stable, high-performing school community.
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