Estes Hills Elementary

Summary:

Estes Hills Elementary is a public elementary school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, serving around 340 students in grades PK-5 and part of the highly-ranked Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district.

Estes Hills Elementary consistently ranks among the top 20% of North Carolina elementary schools, with students performing significantly better than the state average in all tested subjects across grades 3-5. The school's diversity, with a racial makeup of 55.59% White, 14.12% African American, 11.18% Hispanic, and 7.94% Asian, is higher than the district average. However, while White students at Estes Hills perform at a high level, ranking in the top 10% of North Carolina elementary schools, the performance of other student subgroups, such as African American and Hispanic students, is more varied. The school's low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.9 to 11.6 over the past three years, is also a strength.

Compared to nearby schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district, such as Morris Grove Elementary and Seawell Elementary, Estes Hills Elementary performs well in most subject areas and grade levels. However, the school may need to focus on addressing achievement gaps and ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all students, particularly those from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 500 N Estes Dr
       Chapel Hill, NC  27514


(919) 942-4753

District: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
198th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,515 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  11.3 Help
Number of students:  340

Racial breakdown:

White:
55.6%
African American:
14.1%
Hispanic:
11.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  31.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Estes Hills Elementary ranks better than 86.8% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 6th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.31. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Estes Hills Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (55.6%), African American (14.1%), Hispanic (11.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 31.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Estes Hills Elementary is 11.3, which is the 3rd best among 11 elementary schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Estes Hills Elementary employs 30 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Estes Hills Elementary is $14,515, which is the 3rd highest among 11 elementary schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Estes Hills Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Estes Hills Elementary 198th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Estes Hills Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools 24th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Estes Hills Elementary?

Rank History for Estes Hills Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 83.53 126th 1276 90.1%
2007 79.52 183rd 1293 85.8%
2008 84.93 124th 1324 90.6%
2009 88.33 71st 1354 94.8%
2010 84.85 124th 1363 90.9%
2011 88.50 60th 1381 95.7%
2012 79.49 223rd 1388 83.9%
2013 80.51 222nd 1403 84.2%
2014 85.20 167th 1390 88.0%
2015 81.36 214th 1440 85.1%
2016 76.83 283rd 1425 80.1%
2017 76.54 294th 1429 79.4%
2018 75.27 309th 1434 78.5%
2019 77.97 257th 1473 82.6%
2021 84.84 183rd 1489 87.7%
2022 85.50 172nd 1514 88.6%
2023 78.56 263rd 1502 82.5%
2024 83.31 198th 1505 86.8%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 69.16 44th 159 72.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.43 150th 421 64.4%
2019 29.98 385th 497 22.5%
2022 44.04 246th 485 49.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.34 1288th 1332 3.3%
2019 8.54 1327th 1361 2.5%
2021 62.67 377th 1329 71.6%
2022 33.11 968th 1366 29.1%
2023 30.70 1071st 1437 25.5%
2024 32.71 1068th 1450 26.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.23 339th 1405 75.9%
2019 77.38 257th 1424 82.0%
2021 81.05 204th 1440 85.8%
2022 79.42 230th 1458 84.2%
2023 79.91 217th 1459 85.1%
2024 78.91 229th 1455 84.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.99 401st 897 55.3%
2019 36.33 587th 878 33.1%
2022 70.75 102nd 634 83.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 67.18 135th 500 73.0%
2023 48.26 448th 582 23.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.26 287th 1413 79.7%
2019 75.73 278th 1430 80.6%
2021 85.16 167th 1444 88.4%
2022 87.40 131st 1464 91.1%
2023 74.30 309th 1461 78.9%
2024 84.39 169th 1464 88.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 56.12 61st 99 38.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 31.24 676th 933 27.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.69 813th 851 4.5%
2019 21.50 772nd 865 10.8%
2022 37.47 588th 893 34.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Estes Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.75 77th 1178 93.5%
2019 85.38 109th 1183 90.8%
2021 89.17 68th 1172 94.2%
2022 91.67 37th 1194 96.9%
2023 85.95 110th 1183 90.7%
2024 86.39 103rd 1166 91.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Estes Hills Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.5)
50%

0%

0%

50%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, March 1, 2019

Open Quote They treat us like we are family Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Open Quote 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



Enrollment information for Estes Hills Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 330 125 21 3 2 n/a n/a 0 481
1989 351 142 30 4 2 n/a n/a 0 529
1990 346 143 35 3 0 n/a n/a 0 527
1991 330 131 24 1 1 n/a n/a 1 488
1992 363 134 35 5 0 n/a n/a 0 537
1993 356 114 35 3 3 n/a n/a 0 511
1994 405 126 41 2 2 n/a n/a 0 576
1995 394 106 42 6 0 n/a n/a 0 548
1996 394 106 42 6 0 n/a n/a 0 548
1997 377 124 59 12 0 n/a n/a 0 572
1998 370 118 58 5 0 n/a n/a 0 551
1999 363 122 42 4 0 n/a n/a 0 531
2000 382 121 36 9 0 n/a n/a 0 548
2001 367 116 36 14 0 n/a n/a 0 533
2002 316 138 55 22 2 n/a n/a 0 533
2003 316 138 55 22 2 n/a n/a 0 533
2004 278 127 89 33 5 n/a n/a 0 532
2005 250 100 87 31 4 n/a n/a 0 472
2006 269 103 88 35 3 n/a n/a 0 498
2007 272 84 81 42 1 n/a n/a 33 513
2008 292 86 90 41 2 n/a n/a 36 547
2009 292 120 57 44 3 n/a n/a 0 516
2010 301 115 49 48 3 n/a n/a 0 516
2011 293 66 36 55 3 0 37 0 490
2012 302 79 34 77 7 0 36 0 535
2013 308 81 48 83 9 0 37 0 566
2014 297 63 34 79 3 0 25 0 501
2015 276 61 39 71 0 0 32 0 479
2016 267 59 39 73 1 0 41 0 480
2017 262 47 56 81 2 0 41 0 489
2018 276 52 55 70 2 0 36 0 491
2019 274 46 52 71 0 0 38 0 481
2020 242 49 44 63 0 0 36 0 434
2021 217 50 44 56 0 0 33 0 400
2022 197 48 38 46 0 0 27 0 356
2023 189 48 27 38 0 0 38 0 340

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Estes Hills Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 481 32.0 15.0 n/a
1989 529 33.0 16.0 23.6
1990 527 38.0 13.8 24.9
1991 488 40.0 12.2 26.8
1992 537 40.0 13.4 17.7
1993 511 36.0 14.2 21.1
1994 576 34.0 16.9 19.6
1995 548 37.0 14.8 18.8
1996 548 37.0 14.8 18.8
1997 572 38.0 15.1 16.1
1998 551 40.0 13.8 19.1
1999 531 40.0 13.3 25
2000 548 40.0 13.7 21.7
2001 533 40.0 13.3 23.1
2002 533 40.0 13.3 0
2003 533 40.0 13.3 0
2004 532 40.0 13.3 23.7
2005 472 40.0 11.8 22.9
2006 498 40.0 12.5 24.3
2007 513 n/a n/a 25
2008 547 36.5 15.0 25.8
2009 516 41.5 12.4 23.3
2010 516 41.6 12.3 23.6
2011 490 40.7 12.0 22.9
2012 535 42.5 12.5 28.4
2013 566 40.8 13.8 30.9
2014 501 38.1 13.1 26.3
2015 479 41.0 11.6 26.7
2016 480 38.0 12.6 27.9
2017 489 38.7 12.6 29
2018 491 39.0 12.5 27.1
2019 481 35.2 13.6 26
2020 434 33.5 12.9 31.1
2021 400 34.4 11.6 25.8
2022 356 32.5 10.9 28.1
2023 340 30.0 11.3 31.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Estes Hills Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 481 32.0 15.0 n/a
1989 529 33.0 16.0 23.6
1990 527 38.0 13.8 24.9
1991 488 40.0 12.2 26.8
1992 537 40.0 13.4 17.7
1993 511 36.0 14.2 21.1
1994 576 34.0 16.9 19.6
1995 548 37.0 14.8 18.8
1996 548 37.0 14.8 18.8
1997 572 38.0 15.1 16.1
1998 551 40.0 13.8 19.1
1999 531 40.0 13.3 25
2000 548 40.0 13.7 21.7
2001 533 40.0 13.3 23.1
2002 533 40.0 13.3 0
2003 533 40.0 13.3 0
2004 532 40.0 13.3 23.7
2005 472 40.0 11.8 22.9
2006 498 40.0 12.5 24.3
2007 513 n/a n/a 25
2008 547 36.5 15.0 25.8
2009 516 41.5 12.4 23.3
2010 516 41.6 12.3 23.6
2011 490 40.7 12.0 22.9
2012 535 42.5 12.5 28.4
2013 566 40.8 13.8 30.9
2014 501 38.1 13.1 26.3
2015 479 41.0 11.6 26.7
2016 480 38.0 12.6 27.9
2017 489 38.7 12.6 29
2018 491 39.0 12.5 27.1
2019 481 35.2 13.6 26
2020 434 33.5 12.9 31.1
2021 400 34.4 11.6 25.8
2022 356 32.5 10.9 28.1
2023 340 30.0 11.3 31.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Estes Hills Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $862 (5.9%) $13,653 (94.1%) $14,515

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Estes Hills Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 257th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 263rd of 1502 Elementary schools
 0.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Estes Hills Elementary)75.464.6
 10.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)74.574.1
 0.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Estes Hills Elementary)76.857.8
 19%
   3rd Grade Reading (Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)73.767.4
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Estes Hills Elementary)67.466.2
 1.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)74.470.1
 4.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Estes Hills Elementary)68.473.8
 5.4%
   4th Grade Reading (Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)73.571.5
 2%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Estes Hills Elementary)73.380.7
 7.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)76.371.5
 4.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Estes Hills Elementary)75.263.2
 12%
   5th Grade Reading (Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)70.865.1
 5.7%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Estes Hills Elementary)77.178.9
 1.8%
   5th Grade Science (Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)80.377.1
 3.2%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students481340
 29.3%
African American4648
 4.3%
American Indian00
Asian5227
 48.1%
Hispanic7138
 46.5%
Pacific Islander00
White274189
 31%
Two or More Races3838
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients26%31.2%
 5.2%


Schools Near Estes Hills Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Estes Hills Elementary

Students at Estes Hills Elementary are 56% White, 14% African American, 11% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 8% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 340 students attended Estes Hills Elementary.

Estes Hills Elementary ranks 198th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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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.





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