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Durham's Performance Learning Center

Public Grades 9-12

628^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 2% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Durham's Performance Learning Center is a small public high school serving grades 9-12 in Durham, North Carolina, part of the Durham Public Schools district. With just 122 students, the school has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing high schools in the state, with proficiency rates on end-of-course exams significantly below the district and state averages across all subject areas.

Despite spending a relatively high $15,776 per student and having a low student-to-teacher ratio, the school's four-year graduation rates have ranged from 58.8% to 87.7% in recent years, lower than the district and state averages. The school serves a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, which may contribute to the academic challenges they face. In comparison, nearby high-performing schools like City of Medicine Academy and J.D. Clement Early College High School have proficiency rates that are 2-3 times higher than Durham's Performance Learning Center.

Addressing the unique needs of the school's student population and implementing more effective resource allocation strategies may be key to improving the academic outcomes and graduation rates at Durham's Performance Learning Center. While the school faces significant challenges, understanding the factors contributing to its consistently low performance can help guide efforts to support student success.

122

Students ?

7.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,776

Per pupil spending ?

90.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

401 North Driver Street
Durham, NC 27703

(919) 560-9190

District: Durham Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

50.0%

Hispanic:

42.6%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Durham's Performance Learning Center to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 8th percentile in 2015 → 2nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 7 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (15% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (59% vs 88%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school15%

District avg51%

North Carolina avg58%

628^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 2% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 12High Schools in the Durham Public Schools

163^rd of 242Durham 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
2025	3.6	628 of 641	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	558 of 640	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	1.9	624 of 626	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.6	613 of 621	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.9	591 of 594	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.6	500 of 514	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	1.5	465 of 469	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	2.2	458 of 476	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.8	473 of 507	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	4.0	487 of 531	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.5	451 of 451	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	10.0	449 of 505	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	4.9	461 of 502	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	12.9	443 of 506	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	25.6	419 of 499	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	9.3	444 of 490	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	12.9	422 of 477	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	8.8	430 of 440	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.3	433 of 434	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.8	361 of 369	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.4	353 of 359	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	17.6	338 of 364	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	3.6	596 of 610	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	558 of 602	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	0.9	588 of 588	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	1.7	593 of 594	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.4	471 of 475	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	0.6	449 of 449	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	9.5	457 of 462	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.1	449 of 449	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.2	353 of 354	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	7.4	595 of 606	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.1	593 of 597	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.6	439 of 446	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.2	420 of 424	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	3.0	597 of 601	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.1	596 of 602	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	1.5	460 of 463	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2019)7th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)2nd percentile~ school

African American (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math III24%-43 vs state

Biology12%-36 vs state

English II8%-51 vs state

★

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Schools Near Durham's Performance Learning Center

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Durham's Performance Learning Center	Public	9-12	401 North Driver Street	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-9190	122	17	7.3	90.2%	3 (2.5%)	61 (50.0%)	52 (42.6%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.1%)	3.6	628^th of 641 public high schools	2.0%		14.1	558^th of 640 public high schools	12.8%	70	11.9	8.3		23.5								$15,776	$849	$14,927
Holton Career and Resource Center	Public	9-12	401 North Driver St	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2219	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Middle College High School @ DTCC	Public	11-12	1637 Lawson Street	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 536-7203	164	7	23.4	98.2%	53 (32.3%)	46 (28.0%)	46 (28.0%)	5 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	13 (7.9%)								(n/a)				85.3								$8,584	$195	$8,389
J D Clement Early College High School	Public	9-12	1801 Fayetteville Street	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2696	380	14	26.2	99.2%	16 (4.2%)	214 (56.3%)	119 (31.3%)	12 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.7%)	94.8	26^th of 641 public high schools	95.9%		94.1	37^th of 640 public high schools	94.2%	11	89.7	97.7	85.7	98.9								$8,162	$393	$7,769
Durham School of the Arts	Public, Magnet	6-12	401 North Duke Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3926	1,764	100	17.6	99.2%	612 (34.7%)	437 (24.8%)	542 (30.7%)	50 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	122 (6.9%)	85.1	111^th of 641 public high schools	82.7%		80.5	132^nd of 640 public high schools	79.4%	21	77.0	87.9	59.2	86.9	66.2	78.2	83.2	70.0	74.7	78.2	78.6	$10,260	$523	$9,737
Hillside High	Public, Magnet	9-12	3727 Fayetteville St	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3925	1,433	82	17.3	99.8%	27 (1.9%)	859 (59.9%)	460 (32.1%)	19 (1.3%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	62 (4.3%)	15.3	558^th of 641 public high schools	12.9%		14	560^th of 640 public high schools	12.5%	2	31.2	38.9	17.1	32.1								$11,407	$967	$10,441
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi	Public, Magnet	9-12	800 Clayton Road	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3968	1,384	65	21.2	99.8%	32 (2.3%)	624 (45.1%)	668 (48.3%)	7 (0.5%)	4 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	46 (3.3%)	10.4	596^th of 641 public high schools	7.0%		8.5	604^th of 640 public high schools	5.6%	8	16.3	35.1	16.4	30.6								$11,432	$509	$10,923
Durham School of Technology	Public	9-12	3727 Fayetteville St	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-9183	219	16	13.5	98.6%	13 (5.9%)	146 (66.7%)	49 (22.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.0%)	78.9	139^th of 641 public high schools	78.3%		68.9	188^th of 640 public high schools	70.6%	49	63.4	72.7	66.0	91.5								$8,663	$236	$8,427
Lakeview School	Public	6-12	3507 Dearborn Drive	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2520	52	19	2.8	94.2%	3 (5.8%)	32 (61.5%)	8 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (17.3%)	1.1	641^st of 641 public high schools	0.0%		1.1	640^th of 640 public high schools	0.0%	1		5.9		15.8		5.0			20.0	6.3		$45,258	$734	$44,524
City of Medicine Academy	Public	9-12	301 Crutchfield Road	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2001	329	20	16.6	98.5%	24 (7.3%)	121 (36.8%)	157 (47.7%)	11 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.9%)	94.9	25^th of 641 public high schools	96.1%		85	112^th of 640 public high schools	82.5%	87	95.9	94.4	86.5	97.1								$12,056	$1,005	$11,051

Frequently Asked Questions about Durham's Performance Learning Center

How many students attend Durham's Performance Learning Center?

In the 2024-25 school year, 122 students attended Durham's Performance Learning Center.

What is the racial makeup of Durham's Performance Learning Center?

Students at Durham's Performance Learning Center are 50% African American, 43% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% White.

Is Durham's Performance Learning Center a good school?

Durham's Performance Learning Center ranks in the bottom 2.0% of North Carolina high schools.

What district is Durham's Performance Learning Center in?

Durham Public Schools

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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.