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Kernersville Elementary

Q: Is Kernersville Elementary a good school?

Kernersville Elementary ranks 1032 nd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1032^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Kernersville Elementary is a PK–5 school in Kernersville, NC, serving 568 students as part of Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools. It serves an exceptionally high-poverty student body — 99.5% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — and statewide it ranks at the 31st percentile (2 stars), placing it in the lower third of North Carolina elementary schools.

Reading is the school’s biggest academic challenge. Proficiency rates sit below both district and state averages in every grade, hovering in the low-to-mid 40s. Math is more mixed: 3rd and 4th grade math trail the state, but 5th grade math (66.7% proficient) actually beats the state average — a genuine bright spot. The most serious area of concern is special education, with results for students with disabilities near the very bottom statewide (11th percentile in 2025–26). At the same time, the school’s African American students perform at the 63rd percentile compared with the same group across the state, and its low-income students land near the middle of the pack — an important nuance given that nearly all students at Kernersville Elementary are low-income.

What makes the picture more complex is that poverty alone does not explain this performance. A few miles away, Piney Grove Elementary (89th percentile), Sedge Garden Elementary (83rd percentile), and Cash Elementary (65th percentile) serve essentially the same poverty rate yet achieve much stronger results. Attendance looks like a key difference: chronic absenteeism at Kernersville Elementary is 27.1%, versus the 9.8% rate at Piney Grove Elementary and the 16.4% rate at Sedge Garden Elementary. Notably, Kernersville Elementary also spends more per student ($10,687) than those higher-performing neighbors, so funding clearly is not the limiting factor. Since 2022–23, the school has shown real gains in 5th grade math and reading and in 3rd grade math, but 4th grade remains stagnant. That makes early literacy and special education the clearest priorities for improvement.

568

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

512 W Mountain Street
Kernersville, NC 27284-2514

(336) 703-4100

District: Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Students who attend Kernersville Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Kernersville Middle
High:	Early College of Forsyth County
	East Forsyth High
	Middle College of Forsyth County

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.4%

White:

23.9%

African American:

22.0%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Kernersville Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 25th percentile in 2023 → 31st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 31st (2026) from a 25th-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (52% vs 61% meeting standards)

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

!Reading scores 12 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg58%

North Carolina avg61%

1,032^nd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From bottom 42% (2016) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

159^th of 246Winston Salem / Forsyth County 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	33.6	1032 of 1492	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.5	974 of 1490	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.2	977 of 1505	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.6	1129 of 1502	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.2	1035 of 1514	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.0	1106 of 1489	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.2	765 of 1473	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.9	956 of 1434	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.6	865 of 1429	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	45.6	826 of 1425	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	42.7	860 of 1440	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	40.1	845 of 1390	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	45.8	731 of 1403	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.8	729 of 1388	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.5	876 of 1381	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.9	863 of 1363	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	44.1	865 of 1354	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.8	550 of 1324	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	55.9	631 of 1293	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	45.6	781 of 1276	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.3	331 of 903	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.0	408 of 918	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.2	346 of 924	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.9	365 of 933	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.1	366 of 927	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	22.9	777 of 896	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.6	418 of 949	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.4	414 of 927	55.3%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	32.1	432 of 634	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.9	497 of 646	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.4	550 of 878	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.8	740 of 897	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	345 of 519	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.9	284 of 563	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.3	193 of 533	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.1	301 of 514	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.8	140 of 485	71.1%	★★★★☆
2021	39.7	212 of 385	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	70.6	82 of 497	83.5%	★★★★☆
2018	52.0	156 of 421	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.8	941 of 1447	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.9	934 of 1451	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.2	926 of 1455	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.1	1058 of 1459	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.3	1006 of 1458	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.9	1134 of 1440	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.1	792 of 1424	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.7	1012 of 1405	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.7	448 of 743	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.6	477 of 710	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	69.8	72 of 669	89.2%	★★★★☆
2019	65.0	212 of 612	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.4	696 of 981	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.5	640 of 961	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.8	467 of 951	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.7	685 of 915	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.3	493 of 893	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.6	479 of 843	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.8	237 of 865	72.6%	★★★★☆
2018	45.8	475 of 851	44.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.7	743 of 1434	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.8	669 of 1437	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.5	713 of 1450	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.8	932 of 1437	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.3	611 of 1366	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.6	731 of 1329	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	70.1	311 of 1361	77.1%	★★★★☆
2018	49.3	683 of 1332	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.3	1047 of 1451	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.8	958 of 1450	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.3	985 of 1464	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.0	1137 of 1461	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.9	1002 of 1464	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.6	1030 of 1444	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	53.3	686 of 1430	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.4	886 of 1413	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	30.9	97 of 133	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.3	724 of 815	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.0	794 of 821	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	700 of 801	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.9	673 of 1146	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.2	682 of 1172	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.1	860 of 1166	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.6	904 of 1183	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	1037 of 1194	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.6	1003 of 1172	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.9	743 of 1183	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.8	928 of 1178	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)63rd percentile+33 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)48th percentile+17 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile+10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)40th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)35th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)34th percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2022)32nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)29th percentile~ school

Male (2026)28th percentile-3 vs school

Multi-racial (2022)27th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)11th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science63%-5 vs state

Mathematics56%-8 vs state

Reading44%-12 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near Kernersville 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
Kernersville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	512 W Mountain Street	Kernersville	27284	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4100	568	46	12.4	99.5%	136 (23.9%)	125 (22.0%)	252 (44.4%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	50 (8.8%)	33.6	1032^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	30.8%		36.5	974^th of 1490 public elementary schools	34.6%	58	56.0	46.6	66.7	45.0	42.7	45.6	62.6	$10,687	$1,397	$9,290
Cash Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4700 Old Hollow Road	Kernersville	27284	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4174	520	40	13.1	99.4%	267 (51.3%)	95 (18.3%)	97 (18.7%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (10.8%)	64	518^th of 1492 public elementary schools	65.3%		69.6	399^th of 1490 public elementary schools	73.2%	119	54.2	61.9	69.3	61.1	69.4	69.7	71.1	$9,587	$645	$8,943
Piney Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 Piney Grove Road	Kernersville	27284	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-4122	635	43	14.7	99.5%	437 (68.8%)	50 (7.9%)	107 (16.9%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.8%)	85.8	169^th of 1492 public elementary schools	88.7%		90	111^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.6%	58	79.5	73.6	80.6	75.9	69.2	76.7	85.4	$9,557	$655	$8,903
Caleb's Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1109 Salem Crossing Rd	Kernersville	27284	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-6757	642	45	14.2	99.5%	259 (40.3%)	165 (25.7%)	139 (21.7%)	12 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (10.3%)	46.2	799^th of 1492 public elementary schools	46.4%		54.2	666^th of 1490 public elementary schools	55.3%	133	64.6	58.1	68.5	51.2	55.9	48.4	57.3	$8,703	$641	$8,062
Sedge Garden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	475 Sedge Garden Road	Kernersville	27284	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 771-4545	714	50	14.3	99.6%	327 (45.8%)	160 (22.4%)	160 (22.4%)	10 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.8%)	78.6	257^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.8%		79.2	258^th of 1490 public elementary schools	82.7%	1	82.9	78.8	78.1	63.2	65.0	62.3	79.8	$10,357	$874	$9,482
Colfax Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9112 West Market Street	Colfax	27235	Guilford County	Guilford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 275-4332	587	37	16.0	99.5%	273 (46.5%)	147 (25.0%)	76 (12.9%)	49 (8.3%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (5.8%)	80.6	237^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.1%		76.5	303^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	79.7%	66	81.3	70.3	73.7	70.1	68.5	70.7	81.8	$9,282	$751	$8,531
Smith Farm Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4250 Johnny Knoll Lane	Winston Salem	27107	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4188	440	36	12.0	99.3%	49 (11.1%)	177 (40.2%)	181 (41.1%)	9 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.5%)	36.9	963^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	35.5%		36.9	967^th of 1490 public elementary schools	35.1%	4	63.6	43.3	56.9	53.0	41.8	48.6	63.9	$9,662	$1,153	$8,509
Walkertown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2971 Main Street	Walkertown	27051	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4252	633	49	13.0	99.5%	299 (47.2%)	164 (25.9%)	124 (19.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.3%)	30.4	1086^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.2%		24.2	1199^th of 1490 public elementary schools	19.5%	113	57.5	44.2	47.1	50.0	45.3	48.2	58.6	$9,356	$1,237	$8,119
Appalachian Academy at Middle Fork	Public	K-5	3125 Williston Rd	Walkertown	27051	Forsyth County	Appalachian State U Academy Middle Fork	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 748-4090	295	16	18.0	71.9%	48 (16.3%)	127 (43.1%)	106 (35.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.7%)	22.8	1230^th of 1492 public elementary schools	17.6%		10	1422^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	4.6%	192	57.5	36.0	46.9	50.0	42.0	40.6	50.0
Oak Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2050 Oak Ridge Road	Oak Ridge	27310	Guilford County	Guilford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 643-8410	712	45	15.6	15.7%	496 (69.7%)	31 (4.4%)	51 (7.2%)	94 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.6%)	96.2	24^th of 1492 public elementary schools	98.4%		95.7	46^th of 1490 public elementary schools	96.9%	22	89.4	90.1	94.3	83.0	85.1	86.5	95.7	$8,852	$563	$8,289

Frequently Asked Questions about Kernersville Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Kernersville Elementary?

Students at Kernersville Elementary are 44% Hispanic, 24% White, 22% African American, 9% Two or more races.

What district is Kernersville Elementary in?

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Is Kernersville Elementary a good school?

Kernersville Elementary ranks 1032^nd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Kernersville Elementary attend?

Students who attend Kernersville Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kernersville Middle
High : Early College of Forsyth County
High : East Forsyth High
High : Middle College of Forsyth County

How many students attend Kernersville Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 568 students attended Kernersville Elementary.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 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.