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E K Powe Elementary

Q: Is E K Powe Elementary a good school?

E K Powe Elementary ranks 858 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

858^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 42% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

E K Powe Elementary is a PK-5 school in Durham, NC, serving 454 students as part of Durham Public Schools. Its overall state ranking of 858th out of 1,492 elementary schools (42nd percentile, 2 stars) represents meaningful improvement from the 16th percentile it occupied in 2015-16. Academically, 3rd grade is the soft spot, with math (51.7%) and reading (43.3%) trailing district averages. By 4th and 5th grade, however, proficiency runs above district averages, which suggests the school adds genuine academic value in the upper elementary grades.

Attendance is a real bright spot. E K Powe's 21.6% chronic absenteeism rate is well below the district's 36.1% and slightly below the statewide 24.2%. Similar high-poverty neighbors struggle far more: C C Spaulding Elementary posts 45.8%, Eastway Elementary 38.1%, Lakewood Elementary 34.3%, KIPP Durham College Preparatory 51.3%, and Global Scholars Academy 41.5%. Only Morehead Montessori (18.0%), Central Park School For Children (15.9%), and Hillandale Elementary (18.1%) do better, and George Watts Elementary (24.4%) and Club Boulevard Elementary (23.5%) are close. Students showing up consistently gives teachers a solid foundation.

The most critical challenge is the enormous variation in outcomes among student groups. White students rank in the 91st percentile statewide, yet the school sits near the bottom for Hispanic students (6th percentile for three years running), English Learners (3rd percentile), students from low-income households (5th percentile), and African American students (11th percentile). These gaps point to how consistently instruction and support are reaching every child — not to potential — and closing them is the most urgent work ahead. Nearby George Watts Elementary (72nd percentile) and Morehead Montessori (79th percentile) serve similarly high-poverty populations yet post much stronger results in reading, math, and science. They are practical proof that excellent outcomes are achievable in the same neighborhood and comparable circumstances.

454

Students ?

12.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

85.2%

Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)

913 9th Street
Durham, NC 27705-4104

(919) 560-3963

District: Durham Public Schools

Students who attend E K Powe Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Brogden Middle
	Rogers-Herr Middle
High:	Riverside High

Racial breakdown:

White:

37.4%

Hispanic:

35.5%

African American:

17.8%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare E K Powe Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 16th percentile in 2016 → 42nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 26 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (56% vs 61% meeting standards)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg55%

North Carolina avg61%

858^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 42%▲ up 26 pts since 2016

From bottom 16% (2016) to bottom 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

155^th of 246Durham Public 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	43.1	858 of 1492	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.8	884 of 1490	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.5	736 of 1505	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.4	809 of 1502	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.9	728 of 1514	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.4	746 of 1489	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.7	921 of 1473	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.9	940 of 1434	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.5	958 of 1429	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	21.9	1191 of 1425	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.6	1191 of 1440	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	21.3	1138 of 1390	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	20.3	1180 of 1403	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	20.7	1209 of 1388	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.5	1248 of 1381	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	11.6	1269 of 1363	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	20.9	1140 of 1354	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	13.3	1211 of 1324	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	3.6	1281 of 1293	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	6.3	1250 of 1276	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	19.3	807 of 903	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.4	853 of 918	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.0	789 of 924	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.0	607 of 933	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.2	635 of 927	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.8	845 of 896	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.4	759 of 949	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.7	716 of 927	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	30.0	673 of 878	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.2	639 of 897	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	501 of 519	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.3	546 of 563	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	496 of 533	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	463 of 514	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.7	438 of 485	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.2	466 of 497	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	26.6	347 of 421	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.0	756 of 1447	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.3	484 of 1451	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.2	575 of 1455	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.6	780 of 1459	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.2	759 of 1458	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.6	978 of 1440	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.7	798 of 1424	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.7	817 of 1405	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.6	492 of 743	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.5	559 of 710	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	60.0	306 of 669	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.1	509 of 582	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.5	420 of 500	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.3	429 of 494	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.8	572 of 612	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.8	926 of 981	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.1	899 of 961	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.3	898 of 951	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.2	839 of 915	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	26.6	751 of 893	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.0	776 of 843	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.0	852 of 865	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.0	820 of 851	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.7	1362 of 1434	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.6	1402 of 1437	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.6	1337 of 1450	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	1152 of 1437	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.9	1159 of 1366	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.1	1261 of 1329	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.5	1295 of 1361	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.7	1273 of 1332	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	936 of 1451	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.3	1213 of 1450	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.2	886 of 1464	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	821 of 1461	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.8	628 of 1464	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.5	541 of 1444	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.0	1058 of 1430	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.5	1034 of 1413	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.6	447 of 821	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.4	306 of 801	61.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	86.2	98 of 1146	91.4%	★★★★★
2025	91.1	40 of 1172	96.6%	★★★★★
2024	90.2	56 of 1166	95.2%	★★★★★
2023	85.2	118 of 1183	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	92.4	27 of 1194	97.7%	★★★★★
2021	92.0	41 of 1172	96.5%	★★★★★
2019	87.3	84 of 1183	92.9%	★★★★★
2018	82.7	146 of 1178	87.6%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2026)91st percentile+49 vs school

Female (2026)48th percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2025)46th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)35th percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)34th percentile-9 vs school

Disabled (2019)23rd percentile-14 vs school

African American (2026)11th percentile-32 vs school

Hispanic (2026)6th percentile-37 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)5th percentile-37 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)3rd percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science59%-9 vs state

Mathematics57%-7 vs state

Reading54%~ state avg

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, June 11, 2015

My son goes to Powe. I love the community of progressive, engaged parents there. Close Quote

Schools Near E K Powe 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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
E K Powe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	913 9th Street	Durham	27705	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3963	454	36	12.7	—	170 (37.4%)	81 (17.8%)	161 (35.5%)	10 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.8%)	43.1	858^th of 1492 public elementary schools	42.5%		41.8	884^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.7%	26	51.7	58.3	60.7				43.3	62.5	54.1				59.0		85.2%	0%	$12,287	$1,073	$11,214
George Watts Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	700 Watts Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 560-3947	358	25	14.2	—	176 (49.2%)	55 (15.4%)	90 (25.1%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (8.4%)	69.8	421^st of 1492 public elementary schools	71.8%		76.9	299^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.9%	122	69.1	69.2	61.9				67.3	65.4	69.0				73.8		95.6%	0%	$15,158	$1,151	$14,007
Central Park School For Children	Public, Charter	K-8	724 Foster Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	Central Park School For Children	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 682-1200	585	47	12.4	35.6%	284 (48.5%)	133 (22.7%)	108 (18.5%)	13 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.9%)	40.5	898^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.8%		55.6	642^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	56.9%	256	54.4	53.2	48.4	41.8	49.2	51.9	52.9	66.1	50.8	58.2	61.3	70.4	57.4	75.9	93%	3.5%
Club Boulevard Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	400 W Club Boulevard	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 560-3918	364	25	14.6	—	141 (38.7%)	73 (20.1%)	128 (35.2%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.2%)	31.1	1072^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	28.2%		51.6	717^th of 1490 public elementary schools	51.9%	355	50.8	51.8	47.0				41.5	64.3	48.2				53.0		87.9%	0%	$12,570	$1,172	$11,398
Morehead Montessori	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	909 Cobb Street	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3954	278	20	14.2	—	136 (48.9%)	55 (19.8%)	46 (16.5%)	12 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.4%)	75.6	309^th of 1492 public elementary schools	79.3%		77.3	287^th of 1490 public elementary schools	80.7%	22	81.8	55.0	67.6				81.8	65.0	73.5				80.0		86.3%	0%	$16,804	$1,621	$15,183
Global Scholars Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1305 W Club Blvd	Durham	27705	Durham County	Global Scholars Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 682-5903	201	17	11.8	—	0 (0.0%)	77 (38.3%)	121 (60.2%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	18.7	1302^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	12.7%		16.8	1328^th of 1490 public elementary schools	10.9%	26	50.0	64.0	55.0	42.9	46.7	60.0	16.7	28.0	15.0	28.6	33.3	50.0	40.0	90.0	100%	0%
Lakewood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2520 Vesson Avenue	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3939	439	39	11.2	—	91 (20.7%)	119 (27.1%)	188 (42.8%)	15 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.9%)	32.6	1045^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.0%		16.7	1330^th of 1490 public elementary schools	10.7%	285	48.3	47.8	68.1				50.0	50.7	42.0				50.7		87.7%	0%	$14,031	$1,898	$12,133
C C Spaulding Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1531 S Roxboro Road	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3974	247	24	10.2	—	22 (8.9%)	88 (35.6%)	117 (47.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.7%)	33.9	1029^th of 1492 public elementary schools	31.0%		26	1156^th of 1490 public elementary schools	22.4%	127	59.5	48.5	80.8				40.5	24.2	38.5				69.2		62.1%	6.9%	$16,448	$4,879	$11,568
Eastway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	610 North Alston Avenue	Durham	27701	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 560-3910	331	31	10.5	—	12 (3.6%)	128 (38.7%)	173 (52.3%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	22.9	1226^th of 1492 public elementary schools	17.8%		17.1	1327^th of 1490 public elementary schools	10.9%	101	73.2	60.4	51.7				31.7	26.4	24.1				36.2		92.3%	3.8%	$13,790	$3,532	$10,259
KIPP Durham College Preparatory	Public, Charter	K-8	1107 Holloway Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	KIPP Durham College Preparatory	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 973-0285	380	26	14.9	—	9 (2.4%)	180 (47.4%)	183 (48.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	10.7	1409^th of 1492 public elementary schools	5.6%		19.2	1289^th of 1490 public elementary schools	13.5%	120	57.9	28.9		36.1	66.1	52.4	21.1	24.4		22.2	33.9	38.1		57.5	90.7%	1.9%

Frequently Asked Questions about E K Powe Elementary

Is E K Powe Elementary a good school?

E K Powe Elementary ranks 858^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of E K Powe Elementary attend?

Students who attend E K Powe Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Brogden Middle
Middle : Rogers-Herr Middle
High : Riverside High

What district is E K Powe Elementary in?

Durham Public Schools

How many students attend E K Powe Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 454 students attended E K Powe Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of E K Powe Elementary?

Students at E K Powe Elementary are 37% White, 35% Hispanic, 18% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2026

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.