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Piney Grove Elementary

Q: Is Piney Grove Elementary a good school?

Piney Grove Elementary ranks 169 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

169^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Piney Grove Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Kernersville, NC, serving 635 students in the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district, which overall holds just a 2-star state rating. The school itself is a notable bright spot: Piney Grove ranked 169th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools in 2025-2026, placing it in the 89th percentile with a 4-star rating, one year after ranking in the 93rd percentile. Over the past decade the school has trended upward, which is especially remarkable given that 99.5% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Put simply, this is a high-poverty school producing strong results.

Academically, Piney Grove beats state proficiency averages in every grade and subject. In 5th-grade reading, 76.7% of students were proficient versus 55.3% statewide; in 5th-grade science, 85.4% were proficient versus 67.7% statewide. Among nearby district schools with nearly identical poverty levels, Piney Grove is the clear leader: it ranks 169th statewide, while Sedge Garden Elementary ranks 257th, Cash Elementary ranks 518th, Caleb's Creek Elementary ranks 799th, Kernersville Elementary ranks 1,032nd, and Walkertown Elementary ranks 1,086th. Attendance stands out as a likely driver: just 9.8% of Piney Grove students are chronically absent, versus 33.6% across the district and 16.4% to 34.3% at those same nearby schools.

The school is especially effective with economically disadvantaged students, ranking in the 90th percentile statewide for that group, with similarly strong results for boys and girls. Science has been a steady strength for four consecutive years. Some subgroups bear watching — special education and gifted student results have swung noticeably year to year, and the most recent available data for African American students is limited. Overall, Piney Grove matches the attendance levels of far more affluent Guilford County schools like Oak Ridge Elementary and EP Pearce Elementary while clearly outpacing high-poverty peers such as Colfax Elementary, making it one of the stronger high-poverty elementary schools in North Carolina.

635

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

1500 Piney Grove Road
Kernersville, NC 27284-8267

(336) 703-4122

District: Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Students who attend Piney Grove Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.8%

Hispanic:

16.9%

African American:

7.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Piney Grove Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 81st percentile in 2016 → 89th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (77% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school77%

District avg58%

North Carolina avg61%

169^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 19% (2016) to top 11% (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	85.8	169 of 1492	88.7%	★★★★☆
2025	90.0	111 of 1490	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	87.5	147 of 1505	90.2%	★★★★★
2023	82.4	203 of 1502	86.5%	★★★★☆
2022	72.5	361 of 1514	76.2%	★★★★☆
2021	63.6	507 of 1489	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.7	236 of 1473	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	84.5	164 of 1434	88.6%	★★★★☆
2017	73.2	348 of 1429	75.6%	★★★★☆
2016	77.5	271 of 1425	81.0%	★★★★☆
2015	73.6	350 of 1440	75.7%	★★★★☆
2014	80.4	233 of 1390	83.2%	★★★★☆
2013	79.4	234 of 1403	83.3%	★★★★☆
2012	75.3	291 of 1388	79.0%	★★★★☆
2011	79.5	212 of 1381	84.6%	★★★★☆
2010	72.2	347 of 1363	74.5%	★★★★☆
2009	71.9	355 of 1354	73.8%	★★★★☆
2008	70.6	340 of 1324	74.3%	★★★★☆
2007	71.7	311 of 1293	75.9%	★★★★☆
2006	70.1	336 of 1276	73.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	19.4	839 of 933	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	62.9	142 of 634	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	44.9	299 of 646	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.6	386 of 878	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.4	101 of 897	88.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	51.4	203 of 533	61.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.5	177 of 1447	87.8%	★★★★☆
2025	87.0	130 of 1451	91.0%	★★★★★
2024	86.4	134 of 1455	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	81.2	196 of 1459	86.6%	★★★★☆
2022	68.2	407 of 1458	72.1%	★★★★☆
2021	58.1	563 of 1440	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.4	256 of 1424	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	83.3	164 of 1405	88.3%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	215 of 743	71.1%	★★★★☆
2025	40.6	591 of 710	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	66.0	189 of 669	71.7%	★★★★☆
2023	58.1	319 of 582	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.7	200 of 500	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.0	98 of 494	80.2%	★★★★☆
2019	64.1	239 of 612	60.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.2	300 of 981	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.6	260 of 961	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	58.5	338 of 951	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.1	439 of 915	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.9	581 of 893	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.9	653 of 843	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	61.6	287 of 865	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.0	291 of 851	65.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.9	146 of 1434	89.8%	★★★★☆
2025	85.3	91 of 1437	93.7%	★★★★★
2024	73.8	254 of 1450	82.5%	★★★★☆
2023	64.6	420 of 1437	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	54.1	582 of 1366	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.3	689 of 1329	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.9	678 of 1361	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.6	463 of 1332	65.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.5	172 of 1451	88.1%	★★★★☆
2025	89.2	103 of 1450	92.9%	★★★★★
2024	85.7	154 of 1464	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	81.1	210 of 1461	85.6%	★★★★☆
2022	74.4	317 of 1464	78.3%	★★★★☆
2021	66.7	443 of 1444	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.5	224 of 1430	84.3%	★★★★☆
2018	83.6	176 of 1413	87.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.6	248 of 815	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	28.4	642 of 821	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.4	305 of 801	61.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.9	214 of 1146	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	84.9	126 of 1172	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	82.6	157 of 1166	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	79.8	184 of 1183	84.4%	★★★★☆
2022	66.9	358 of 1194	70.0%	★★★★☆
2021	48.7	593 of 1172	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.7	351 of 1183	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	70.7	326 of 1178	72.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)90th percentile~ school

Male (2026)88th percentile~ school

Female (2026)88th percentile~ school

White (2026)81st percentile-7 vs school

Disabled (2022)78th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)71st percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2026)70th percentile-19 vs school

Hispanic (2026)69th percentile-19 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)62nd percentile-28 vs school

African American (2023)10th percentile-76 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science85%+18 vs state

Mathematics78%+15 vs state

Reading74%+18 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Wednesday, January 4, 2012

We moved to the area this past August and I chose Piney Grove because it has the best Schooldigger rating of all the schools in the area, plus it feeds into the better middle school in Kernersville. The staff at Piney Grove have been extremely kind to our family and helpful. My children love their teachers and I feel that they are really holding my children to a high standard, esp my 3rd grader. My 1st grade son's teacher has been great about giving him more challenging work to keep him interested and really maintains order in the class room. They really encourage a sense of "Panda" pride, and have a lot of fun little fund raiser and contests to encourage participation. There are also a lot of parent volunteers which is great for the teachers. I give Piney Grove a 5 because we love the school, the building is not very impressive, but it is sufficient for their needs and I would feel shallow downgrading the rating for something that is directly effected by the state of NC. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Piney Grove is a great school where the teachers really care about the kids and it shows! Close Quote

Schools Near Piney Grove 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/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 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
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	—	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
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	—	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
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
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	—	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
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	—	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
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	—	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
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	—	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	—	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
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
EP Pearce Elementary	Public	K-5	2006 Pleasant Ridge Road	Greensboro	27410	Guilford County	Guilford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 605-5480	653	41	15.7	27.3%	400 (61.3%)	82 (12.6%)	51 (7.8%)	69 (10.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (7.5%)	90.8	104^th of 1492 public elementary schools	93.0%		93.2	71^st of 1490 public elementary schools	95.2%	33	86.3	86.7	83.5	74.4	80.0	79.4	81.4	$8,417	$462	$7,954

Frequently Asked Questions about Piney Grove Elementary

What district is Piney Grove Elementary in?

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

What schools do graduates of Piney Grove Elementary attend?

Students who attend Piney Grove 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 Piney Grove Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 635 students attended Piney Grove Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Piney Grove Elementary?

Students at Piney Grove Elementary are 69% White, 17% Hispanic, 8% African American, 6% Two or more races.

Is Piney Grove Elementary a good school?

Piney Grove Elementary ranks 169^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Piney Grove 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.