Julius I Foust Elementary

Julius I Foust Elementary is a PK–5 school in Greensboro, NC, part of Guilford County Schools, that enrolls 661 students and serves a community where more than 99% of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school’s state academic ranking has stayed consistently low over the past decade—currently sitting in the 13th percentile with a 1-star rating—although that is up slightly from the previous year.

The most instructive comparison is to David D Jones Elementary, just 1.67 miles away and with nearly identical enrollment size and poverty rates. Despite those similarities, Jones outperforms Foust in every reading category and in most math tests; for example, 5th grade reading proficiency is 53.1% at Jones versus 32.7% at Foust. Foust also has the highest student-teacher ratio (15.6) among nearby elementary schools, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 30.2%, while improving sharply from 38.3% last year, remains higher than Jones’s 21.4%.

Not all the news is discouraging. Foust’s 3rd grade math results are close to the district average, English learner outcomes rank in the 60th percentile statewide, and the school outperforms several nearby schools like Gillespie Park and Clara J Peck on many tests. The biggest and most consistent weakness is reading, especially 5th grade reading, where proficiency is roughly 20 points behind the state. Given that math scores are comparatively stronger, making literacy the top priority—along with continued work on attendance—would be the clearest path forward, and the success of David D Jones with a nearly identical student population shows that improvement is possible.