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Estes Hills Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

136^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 91% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Estes Hills Elementary is a small, 5-star PreK–5 school in Chapel Hill, NC, serving 336 students within the highly rated Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district. Ranked 136th out of 1,492 elementary schools statewide for 2025-26 (91st percentile), Estes Hills has climbed steadily from roughly the 80th percentile a decade ago to the low-to-mid 90s today. Among nearby district peers, only Glenwood Elementary and Morris Grove Elementary rank higher, placing this school in elite company within an already strong local cluster.

Parents will find several notable strengths. Chronic absenteeism is just 8.0% — dramatically below the district's 19.2% and the state's 24.2%, and among the lowest of nearby schools. With a student-teacher ratio of 10.9, Estes Hills also has the most favorable staffing levels in its local group, paired with above-average per-pupil spending. Academically, the school exceeds district and state proficiency averages in math and reading across grades 3–5, with especially consistent strength in upper elementary. Fifth-grade science has topped district averages four years running. Most striking is the school's support for special education students: it ranked 10th of 821 schools statewide in 2024-25 (99th percentile), a remarkable rise from the 33rd percentile just a few years earlier.

The school's primary internal challenge is closing its equity gap. While Estes Hills achieves at a high level overall, its low-income students ranked in the 43rd percentile statewide in 2025-26 — a clear improvement from the 26th percentile in 2023-24, but still the school's biggest disparity. As a comparison, nearby Creekside Elementary, which serves a very different population just a few miles away in Durham Public Schools, is not a meaningful apples-to-apples benchmark. For families weighing options within Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Estes Hills offers small class sizes, strong attendance, a well-resourced environment, and proven success supporting a wide range of learners.

336

Students ?

10.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

26.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 N Estes Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

(919) 942-4753

District: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.8%

Two or more races:

12.5%

African American:

11.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Estes Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 80th percentile in 2016 → 91st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (80% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school80%

District avg75%

North Carolina avg61%

136^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 9%▲ up 11 pts since 2016

From top 20% (2016) to top 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

28^th of 246Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.7	136 of 1492	90.9%	★★★★★
2025	87.8	141 of 1490	90.5%	★★★★★
2024	83.3	198 of 1505	86.8%	★★★★☆
2023	78.6	263 of 1502	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	85.5	172 of 1514	88.6%	★★★★☆
2021	84.8	183 of 1489	87.7%	★★★★☆
2019	78.0	257 of 1473	82.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.3	309 of 1434	78.5%	★★★★☆
2017	76.5	294 of 1429	79.4%	★★★★☆
2016	76.8	283 of 1425	80.1%	★★★★☆
2015	81.4	214 of 1440	85.1%	★★★★☆
2014	85.2	167 of 1390	88.0%	★★★★☆
2013	80.5	222 of 1403	84.2%	★★★★☆
2012	79.5	223 of 1388	83.9%	★★★★☆
2011	88.5	60 of 1381	95.7%	★★★★★
2010	84.9	124 of 1363	90.9%	★★★★★
2009	88.3	71 of 1354	94.8%	★★★★★
2008	84.9	124 of 1324	90.6%	★★★★★
2007	79.5	183 of 1293	85.8%	★★★★☆
2006	83.5	126 of 1276	90.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	31.2	676 of 933	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	56.1	61 of 99	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	70.7	102 of 634	83.9%	★★★★☆
2019	36.3	587 of 878	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.0	401 of 897	55.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	44.0	246 of 485	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.0	385 of 497	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.4	150 of 421	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.8	180 of 1447	87.6%	★★★★☆
2025	85.5	145 of 1451	90.0%	★★★★★
2024	78.9	229 of 1455	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.9	217 of 1459	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.4	230 of 1458	84.2%	★★★★☆
2021	81.0	204 of 1440	85.8%	★★★★☆
2019	77.4	257 of 1424	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	73.2	339 of 1405	75.9%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.2	397 of 743	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.1	408 of 710	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.3	448 of 582	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	67.2	135 of 500	73.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	37.5	588 of 893	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.5	772 of 865	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	813 of 851	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.7	816 of 1434	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.8	874 of 1437	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.7	1068 of 1450	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.7	1071 of 1437	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.1	968 of 1366	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	62.7	377 of 1329	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	8.5	1327 of 1361	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.3	1288 of 1332	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.1	74 of 1451	94.9%	★★★★★
2025	87.2	129 of 1450	91.1%	★★★★★
2024	84.4	169 of 1464	88.5%	★★★★☆
2023	74.3	309 of 1461	78.9%	★★★★☆
2022	87.4	131 of 1464	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	85.2	167 of 1444	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	75.7	278 of 1430	80.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.3	287 of 1413	79.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	69.2	44 of 159	72.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	98.1	10 of 821	98.8%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	90.4	33 of 1146	97.1%	★★★★★
2025	89.1	66 of 1172	94.4%	★★★★★
2024	86.4	103 of 1166	91.2%	★★★★★
2023	85.9	110 of 1183	90.7%	★★★★★
2022	91.7	37 of 1194	96.9%	★★★★★
2021	89.2	68 of 1172	94.2%	★★★★★
2019	85.4	109 of 1183	90.8%	★★★★★
2018	87.8	77 of 1178	93.5%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2025)99th percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)97th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)95th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)88th percentile-3 vs school

Disabled (2022)84th percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)72nd percentile-15 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)49th percentile-39 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)47th percentile-44 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile-48 vs school

Asian (2018)38th percentile-40 vs school

Hispanic (2022)34th percentile-54 vs school

African American (2023)28th percentile-55 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics82%+19 vs state

Science81%+14 vs state

Reading78%+22 vs state

3.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, March 1, 2019

They treat us like we are family Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 20, 2015

I do not know what happened to this school in the past couple of years. This year has been by far the most disappointing one. There is no communication to the parents by the teachers or the administration on changes that affect various programs or classrooms. It looks like the funding and attention has moved to the kids with behavior problems and the ones that meet or exceed expectations are just being moved along. Parents are not being offered or communicated any volunteer opportunities in the classroom, differently from past years. The school emphasizes “positive reinforcement” but the action of some of the staff is appalling. Unless I missed the latest definition of “positive reinforcement”, screaming at the kids is not positive reinforcement! Telling them to “shut-up” is not positive reinforcement! Dismissing them and telling them to “mind their own business” is not positive reinforcement! If two or three kids do not follow the rules, everyone else is punished by “walking the line” at recess instead of playing. GRIT & GROWTH certificates are a joke. There are no certain rules when giving them out so teachers just give them out as they see fit. I am all about positive reinforcement and initially I thought that was a great idea, but how can a child show GRIT if the work that is being given in the classroom is not challenging enough or in some cases too easy? I know that this issue was brought up to the SIT committee and was dismissed. I also thought that it was a parent whose child’s feelings got hurt (it happens, it is Chapel Hill), but there is a much deeper issue than just a simple certificate. The kids who are advanced are not being challenged in the classroom. There is no significant growth among these kids. I have heard the current principal use the “sit-up analogy”. It goes something like this: An individual that works out regularly does 30 sit-ups on day one and someone else that just started to work-out does only 10. If both work out every day for a certain period of time, the one that just started to work out will show greater progress.” Are you serious? Try to go to a gym and compete with an athlete and see what happens. In other words, if you bring your child to school and s/he is ahead of his classmates, do not expect your child to make much progress. While I am disappointed with changes and the leadership this year, I have to say we have had some great teachers in the past, who really care about the kids and are very responsive to parents’ concerns. Some of them are great communicators and keep everyone up to date on what is happening in the classroom. Close Quote

Schools Near Estes Hills Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Estes Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 N Estes Dr	Chapel Hill	27514	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 942-4753	336	31	10.9	26.5%	191 (56.8%)	39 (11.6%)	39 (11.6%)	25 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (12.5%)	88.7	136^th of 1492 public elementary schools	90.9%		87.8	141^st of 1490 public elementary schools	90.5%	5	77.4	84.2	86.0	71.7	82.5	79.1	81.4	$14,515	$862	$13,653
Ephesus Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1495 Ephesus Church Rd	Chapel Hill	27517	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 929-8715	410	33	12.5	30.0%	203 (49.5%)	72 (17.6%)	57 (13.9%)	55 (13.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (5.4%)	84.9	182^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	87.8%		78.9	265^th of 1490 public elementary schools	82.2%	83	79.1	76.8	80.8	76.1	71.4	76.9	76.9	$13,810	$557	$13,253
Northside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	350 Caldwell St	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 918-2220	412	32	12.9	52.9%	172 (41.7%)	110 (26.7%)	50 (12.1%)	51 (12.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.3%)	51.8	697^th of 1492 public elementary schools	53.3%		46.8	808^th of 1490 public elementary schools	45.8%	111	72.6	65.5	54.8	59.7	63.8	53.4	53.4	$14,816	$528	$14,288
Seawell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9115 Seawell School Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 967-4343	416	34	12.4	30.0%	142 (34.1%)	55 (13.2%)	44 (10.6%)	136 (32.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.4%)	88	146^th of 1492 public elementary schools	90.2%		86.9	145^th of 1490 public elementary schools	90.3%	1	76.8	78.3	84.7	75.0	71.1	73.5	92.9	$13,527	$419	$13,108
Glenwood Elementary	Public	K-5	2 Prestwick Rd	Chapel Hill	27517	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 968-3473	390	33	12.0	19.2%	150 (38.5%)	34 (8.7%)	17 (4.4%)	137 (35.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	51 (13.1%)	93.5	66^th of 1492 public elementary schools	95.6%		93.3	69^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.4%	3	84.0	88.2	91.3	74.7	88.2	85.5	88.4	$13,438	$519	$12,919
Carrboro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Shelton St	Carrboro	27510	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 968-3652	515	40	12.8	32.6%	286 (55.5%)	17 (3.3%)	174 (33.8%)	13 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.9%)	85.5	171^st of 1492 public elementary schools	88.5%		82.1	216^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.5%	45	82.7	81.5	77.0	72.8	79.0	72.7	76.1	$13,407	$564	$12,843
Rashkis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Meadowmont Ln	Chapel Hill	27517	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 918-2160	455	35	12.8	47.7%	146 (32.1%)	95 (20.9%)	68 (14.9%)	106 (23.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.8%)	67.1	468^th of 1492 public elementary schools	68.6%		66.6	456^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.4%	12	73.4	63.8	74.0	57.8	62.1	58.9	75.3	$15,130	$665	$14,464
Creekside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5321 Ephesus Church Road	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3919	554	35	15.9	99.5%	154 (27.8%)	124 (22.4%)	195 (35.2%)	31 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.8%)	19.7	1284^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.9%		18.6	1304^th of 1490 public elementary schools	12.5%	20	47.2	41.2	41.2	44.9	34.1	46.3	54.2	$9,865	$805	$9,060
FPG Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	101 Smith Level Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 942-6491	536	40	13.2	36.4%	206 (38.4%)	20 (3.7%)	275 (51.3%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.0%)	72.8	363^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	75.7%		76	305^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.5%	58	70.9	68.6	72.3	64.0	68.6	69.9	72.3	$11,908	$501	$11,407
McDougle Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	890 Old Fayetteville Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 969-2435	497	39	12.9	31.4%	281 (56.5%)	76 (15.3%)	90 (18.1%)	14 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.2%)	76.9	280^th of 1492 public elementary schools	81.2%		79.4	253^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	83.0%	27	72.0	69.8	77.0	68.8	68.6	68.9	77.0	$12,936	$505	$12,431

Frequently Asked Questions about Estes Hills Elementary

How many students attend Estes Hills Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 336 students attended Estes Hills Elementary.

What district is Estes Hills Elementary in?

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

What is the racial makeup of Estes Hills Elementary?

Students at Estes Hills Elementary are 57% White, 13% Two or more races, 12% African American, 12% Hispanic, 7% Asian.

Is Estes Hills Elementary a good school?

Yes. Estes Hills Elementary ranks in the top 9.1% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Rate Estes Hills Elementary!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.