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Old Town Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1404^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Old Town Elementary is a PK–5 school in Winston-Salem, NC, serving 617 students in the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district. The school currently ranks in the 6th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools with a 0-star rating, placing it among the lowest-performing schools in the state despite spending slightly more per student ($11,107) than many nearby schools.

The most striking finding is how much worse Old Town performs than nearby schools serving essentially identical student populations. Jefferson Elementary, just 2.75 miles away, has nearly the same percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch (99.46%) yet ranks in the 87th percentile, with 3rd grade reading proficiency around 71.7% compared to Old Town's 35.8%. Old Richmond Elementary (4.23 miles away) and Speas Elementary (3.10 miles away) also achieve far stronger results with similar poverty levels. Chronic absenteeism is one clear operational difference: 31.4% of Old Town students are chronically absent, compared to 12.5% at Jefferson and 16.3% at Old Richmond. Schools like Gibson Elementary and North Hills Elementary show that Old Town is not alone in struggling, but the success of nearby high-poverty schools proves demographics alone do not determine outcomes.

Academically, reading is the most critical weakness, with proficiency rates that start well below district averages in 3rd grade and fall further behind by 5th grade—just 24.5% of 5th graders read proficiently, less than half the state rate. Gaps versus the district widen from about 18 points in 3rd grade reading to 26 points by 5th grade, with similar patterns in math and science. There were encouraging year-over-year improvements in 2025-2026, including 3rd grade reading rising from 21.3% to 35.8%, but the school remains in the bottom 6% statewide. The path forward likely depends less on funding and more on improving attendance and replicating the practices of high-performing, high-poverty neighbors like Jefferson and Old Richmond.

617

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3930 Reynolda Road
Winston Salem, NC 27106-1712

(336) 703-4283

District: Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Students who attend Old Town Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hanes Magnet School
High:	Early College of Forsyth County
	Middle College of Forsyth County
	North Forsyth Magnet High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

54.8%

African American:

32.9%

Two or more races:

5.0%

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Compare Old Town Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 12th percentile in 2016 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (37% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg58%

North Carolina avg61%

1,404^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 6% (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	11.2	1404 of 1492	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.9	1437 of 1490	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.3	1422 of 1505	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	36.9	970 of 1502	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.5	1236 of 1514	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.9	1273 of 1489	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.0	1430 of 1473	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.8	1369 of 1434	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.1	1318 of 1429	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	16.4	1251 of 1425	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.9	1246 of 1440	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	20.7	1146 of 1390	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	17.8	1224 of 1403	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	27.4	1119 of 1388	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	36.2	976 of 1381	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	35.7	989 of 1363	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.4	1037 of 1354	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	25.5	1067 of 1324	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	12.9	1197 of 1293	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	17.5	1146 of 1276	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	654 of 903	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.0	801 of 918	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.3	673 of 924	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	61.8	285 of 933	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.5	502 of 927	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.5	580 of 896	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	11.7	918 of 949	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.2	661 of 927	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	54.3	212 of 634	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.4	239 of 646	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.1	647 of 878	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.2	428 of 897	52.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.7	386 of 519	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.0	389 of 563	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.2	388 of 533	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.9	218 of 514	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.3	294 of 485	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.2	154 of 385	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	20.0	468 of 497	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.7	368 of 421	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	9.1	1394 of 1447	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.0	1378 of 1451	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	1383 of 1455	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	35.2	968 of 1459	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.6	1206 of 1458	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.5	1288 of 1440	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.6	1371 of 1424	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.9	1346 of 1405	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	68.0	102 of 582	82.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.2	891 of 981	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	22.8	825 of 961	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	820 of 951	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	51.4	411 of 915	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.6	692 of 893	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.1	577 of 843	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.2	804 of 865	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.9	795 of 851	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.5	1310 of 1434	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.4	1324 of 1437	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.6	1260 of 1450	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	52.7	648 of 1437	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.7	855 of 1366	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.5	1121 of 1329	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.8	1322 of 1361	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.2	1254 of 1332	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.9	1315 of 1451	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.4	1390 of 1450	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.0	1386 of 1464	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	38.7	941 of 1461	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.0	1192 of 1464	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.8	1168 of 1444	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	5.4	1403 of 1430	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.5	1356 of 1413	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.2	751 of 815	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	25.0	702 of 821	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.8	780 of 801	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2023)82nd percentile+47 vs school

Disabled (2022)67th percentile+48 vs school

African American (2026)28th percentile+22 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)26th percentile+20 vs school

Male (2026)9th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)9th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)8th percentile~ school

Female (2026)4th percentile~ school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics44%-19 vs state

Science38%-29 vs state

Reading30%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near Old Town 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 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Old Town Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3930 Reynolda Road	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4283	617	45	13.8	99.5%	25 (4.1%)	203 (32.9%)	338 (54.8%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.3%)	31 (5.0%)	11.2	1404^th of 1492 public elementary schools	5.9%		8.9	1437^th of 1490 public elementary schools	3.6%	33	54.7	43.0	36.3				35.8	29.0	24.5				38.2		$11,107	$1,932	$9,175
The Special Children's School	Public	PK, KG-5	4505 Shattalon Dr	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-4191	98	13	7.7	96.9%	34 (34.7%)	40 (40.8%)	18 (18.4%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.1%)								(n/a)															$85,793	$18,643	$67,150
Forsyth Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	5426 Shattalon Drive	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Forsyth Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(336) 922-1121	729	36	20.0	99.5%	48 (6.6%)	319 (43.8%)	303 (41.6%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	51 (7.0%)	13.5	1382^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	7.4%		18	1316^th of 1490 public elementary schools	11.7%	66	36.4	32.5	40.9	33.3	48.2	28.8	31.2	42.5	33.3	46.4	48.2	46.6	47.0	61.6
Gibson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2020 Walker Road	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4212	589	48	12.3	99.5%	38 (6.5%)	288 (48.9%)	220 (37.4%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.9%)	14.2	1373^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	8.0%		3.5	1481^st of 1490 public elementary schools	0.6%	108	50.0	33.3	44.1				53.8	28.0	22.6				29.0		$11,207	$1,880	$9,327
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4000 Jefferson School Lane	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-4215	560	41	13.7	99.5%	257 (45.9%)	145 (25.9%)	78 (13.9%)	26 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (9.6%)	83.4	201^st of 1492 public elementary schools	86.5%		88.6	128^th of 1490 public elementary schools	91.4%	73	77.4	72.4	81.3				71.7	71.4	71.9				83.3		$9,794	$605	$9,190
Speas Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2000 W Polo Road	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(336) 703-4135	793	52	15.3	99.6%	198 (25.0%)	258 (32.5%)	282 (35.6%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (6.2%)	45.3	818^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.2%		56.9	612^th of 1490 public elementary schools	58.9%	206	63.9	56.2	60.3				50.4	54.7	51.6				63.1		$9,845	$1,244	$8,601
Vienna Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1975 Chickasha Road	Pfafftown	27040	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-4178	755	49	15.3	30.9%	502 (66.5%)	68 (9.0%)	75 (9.9%)	64 (8.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.8%)	82.6	208^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.1%		90.1	110^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.6%	98	84.0	74.3	71.9				76.0	75.7	67.6				77.7		$8,250	$455	$7,795
Sherwood Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1055 Yorkshire Road	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 774-4646	670	44	15.2	19.0%	511 (76.3%)	42 (6.3%)	44 (6.6%)	27 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.9%)	94.6	49^th of 1492 public elementary schools	96.7%		96.5	32^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	97.9%	17	88.3	86.6	91.7				80.2	83.0	85.7				90.5		$10,301	$903	$9,398
Old Richmond Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6315 Tobaccoville Road	Tobaccoville	27050	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4287	408	29	14.2	99.3%	217 (53.2%)	91 (22.3%)	67 (16.4%)	5 (1.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.1%)	71	396^th of 1492 public elementary schools	73.5%		74.6	321^st of 1490 public elementary schools	78.5%	75	73.7	69.1	85.7				59.7	58.8	63.3				79.6		$9,989	$654	$9,335
Childrens Center	Public	PK, KG-5	2315 Coliseum Drive	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 727-2440	83	13	6.1	96.4%	22 (26.5%)	34 (41.0%)	23 (27.7%)	2 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.4%)								(n/a)															$38,700	$4,652	$34,048

Frequently Asked Questions about Old Town Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Old Town Elementary?

Students at Old Town Elementary are 55% Hispanic, 33% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% White, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is Old Town Elementary in?

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Is Old Town Elementary a good school?

Old Town Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.9% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Old Town Elementary attend?

Students who attend Old Town Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hanes Magnet School
High : Early College of Forsyth County
High : Middle College of Forsyth County
High : North Forsyth Magnet High

How many students attend Old Town Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 617 students attended Old Town Elementary.

Rate Old Town 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.