Jefferson Elementary

Jefferson Elementary is a PK-5 public school in Winston Salem, NC, serving about 560 students within the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district. Although about 99.5% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, Jefferson ranks in the 87th percentile statewide — 201st of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools — and earned a 4-star rating in the most recent year. The two prior years were even stronger, with 5-star ratings and a 91st-percentile finish. That places this high-poverty school in the same achievement tier as far more affluent neighborhood schools like Vienna Elementary (31% poverty, ranked #208) and Whitaker Elementary (26% poverty, ranked #157).

Jefferson's classroom results are strong across every grade and subject. Math proficiency ranges from 72% to 81%, reading proficiency holds steady near 71% to 72%, and 5th-grade science proficiency reaches 83.3% — each roughly 15 to 20 points above district averages. The gap with nearby schools serving similar populations is even more telling: Speas Elementary, Old Town Elementary, and South Fork Elementary all have student bodies with roughly 99% economic disadvantage, yet their average test proficiency is just 57%, 37%, and 39%, respectively. Jefferson's average is near 76%.

Attendance appears to be a big part of the story. Chronic absenteeism at Jefferson is just 12.5% — less than half the district rate of 33.6% and well below the state's 24.2%. By comparison, chronic absenteeism at nearby South Fork and Old Town runs between 31% and 36%. Jefferson has also sustained this excellence for a decade, never falling below the 81st percentile in state rankings. For parents, it is a standout example of what a community school can accomplish when students show up consistently and instruction works.