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Grady Brown Elementary

Q: Is Grady Brown Elementary a good school?

Grady Brown Elementary ranks 610 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

610^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 59% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Grady Brown Elementary is a K-5 school in Hillsborough, NC, serving 406 students within Orange County Schools. The school is on a clear upward path: after sitting at the 27th percentile in North Carolina elementary rankings in 2023-24, it jumped to the 59th percentile by 2025-26 and earned 3 stars. The gains are unusually broad, with every EOG math, reading, and science score in grades 3–5 climbing significantly over two years, lifting average proficiency from roughly 45.5% to about 63%. Chronic absenteeism has also improved, falling below both the district and state averages in 2024-25.

By 2025-26, all three grade-level math scores met or exceeded the state average, and 4th-grade reading outpaced both the district and the state. The school is especially strong with gifted and talented students, who rank at the 75th percentile. Still, 5th-grade reading (52.9% proficient) and 5th-grade science (67.1%) remain clear soft spots, trailing the district average. Subgroup results show improvement almost everywhere, but English learners and Hispanic students have a ways to go: their proficiency ranks sit at the 26th and 31st percentiles, respectively.

Within the local school cluster, the school now ranks in the middle: ahead of New Hope Elementary and Central Elementary, but behind Hillsborough Elementary, Pathways Elementary, and River Park Elementary. Efland Cheeks Elementary offers a useful comparison—it serves a much higher share of low-income students yet still posts stronger proficiency in several subjects, which shows that the recent upward trend could continue. In short, this is a school on the rise, but closing the remaining gap with the highest-performing nearby schools will likely require stronger upper-grade literacy and science outcomes, plus continued attention to equity for English learners and lower-income students.

406

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

59.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1100 New Grady Brown Rd
Hillsborough, NC 27278-9200

(919) 732-6138

District: Orange County Schools

Students who attend Grady Brown Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	A L Stanback Middle
High:	Cedar Ridge High

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.9%

Hispanic:

36.0%

African American:

11.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Grady Brown Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 57th percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg61%

610^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 41%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

69^th of 246Orange 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	58.3	610 of 1492	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.3	757 of 1490	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.2	1094 of 1505	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.7	942 of 1502	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.0	1111 of 1514	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.6	1015 of 1489	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.7	751 of 1473	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.8	538 of 1434	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.1	574 of 1429	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.2	619 of 1425	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	59.6	580 of 1440	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	68.9	411 of 1390	70.4%	★★★★☆
2013	77.9	254 of 1403	81.9%	★★★★☆
2012	67.7	444 of 1388	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.1	608 of 1381	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	68.3	430 of 1363	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	72.4	349 of 1354	74.2%	★★★★☆
2008	64.5	461 of 1324	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	58.9	566 of 1293	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	67.7	376 of 1276	70.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.7	413 of 918	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.0	576 of 924	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.6	289 of 927	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.0	296 of 949	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.4	138 of 927	85.1%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	37.6	570 of 897	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.8	383 of 519	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.0	507 of 563	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.3	431 of 533	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.9	460 of 514	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.4	431 of 485	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.6	306 of 497	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.8	185 of 421	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.2	649 of 1447	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.0	834 of 1451	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.5	1048 of 1455	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.2	800 of 1459	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	1023 of 1458	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.2	875 of 1440	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.1	722 of 1424	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.4	498 of 1405	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.7	187 of 743	74.8%	★★★★☆
2025	70.7	97 of 710	86.3%	★★★★☆
2024	62.3	269 of 669	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.0	278 of 582	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.9	368 of 500	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.2	479 of 494	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	37.3	557 of 612	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.4	676 of 981	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.6	759 of 961	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	838 of 951	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.2	748 of 915	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.6	864 of 893	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	30.2	635 of 843	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.8	714 of 865	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	626 of 851	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.8	838 of 1434	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.0	992 of 1437	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.5	1231 of 1450	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.1	1083 of 1437	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.4	1094 of 1366	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	1029 of 1329	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.5	839 of 1361	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.8	674 of 1332	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.8	582 of 1451	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.4	696 of 1450	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	28.4	1113 of 1464	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.4	1009 of 1461	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.3	1126 of 1464	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.7	1111 of 1444	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.9	745 of 1430	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.2	543 of 1413	61.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.4	330 of 821	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.9	583 of 801	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.2	344 of 1146	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	64.3	396 of 1172	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.6	854 of 1166	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.6	690 of 1183	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.9	761 of 1194	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.4	898 of 1172	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.5	430 of 1183	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.0	335 of 1178	71.6%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)75th percentile+16 vs school

White (2026)70th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2026)60th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)60th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2026)55th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2025)55th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)42nd percentile-18 vs school

Disabled (2018)36th percentile-26 vs school

Hispanic (2026)31st percentile-28 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)26th percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science67%~ state avg

Mathematics67%+3 vs state

Reading57%~ state avg

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, October 12, 2021

My children had a great experience living the CHAMP life at GAB. Close Quote

by a student
Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Hi! I was a student at Grady Brown Elementary school, and I have the honour of saying that I am still suffering. They claim to be the best school in America, not even close. I experienced bad teaching practices and extreme bullying first hand. Close Quote

Schools Near Grady Brown 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 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
Grady Brown Elementary	Public	K-5	1100 New Grady Brown Rd	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 732-6138	406	31	13.2	59.6%	170 (41.9%)	46 (11.3%)	146 (36.0%)	12 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.6%)	58.3	610^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.1%		49.3	757^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.2%	147	66.7	67.7	65.7				55.6	64.5	52.9				67.1		$12,441	$1,012	$11,429
The Expedition School	Public, Charter	K-8	437 Dimmocks Mill Rd Ste 33	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	The Expedition School	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 245-8432	380	29	13.1	—	282 (74.2%)	14 (3.7%)	37 (9.7%)	17 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (7.4%)	94.5	52^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	96.5%		95.1	52^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	96.5%		78.0	97.7	81.4	90.7	97.6	97.4	90.2	90.9	86.0	90.7	97.6	94.7	90.7	100.0
Central Elementary	Public	K-5	154 Hayes St	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 732-3622	261	23	11.1	—	105 (40.2%)	72 (27.6%)	63 (24.1%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.5%)	33.4	1038^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.4%		34.1	1017^th of 1490 public elementary schools	31.7%	21	48.6	58.7	47.5				43.2	43.5	52.5				65.0		$14,465	$1,168	$13,297
Hillsborough Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	402 North Nash Street	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-6137	435	30	14.6	17.5%	337 (77.5%)	28 (6.4%)	30 (6.9%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.7%)	90.8	103^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	93.1%		90.8	98^th of 1490 public elementary schools	93.4%	5	87.5	82.6	86.5				76.7	75.4	81.1				82.4		$11,531	$386	$11,145
River Park Elementary	Public	K-5	240 St. Mary's Road	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-9326	523	36	14.4	37.5%	309 (59.1%)	27 (5.2%)	131 (25.0%)	10 (1.9%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	76.5	296^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.2%		81	234^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.3%	62	66.3	75.0	80.9				66.3	70.0	67.0				76.6		$10,994	$454	$10,540
New Hope Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 New Hope Church Rd	Chapel Hill	27514	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 942-9696	528	46	11.5	—	142 (26.9%)	62 (11.7%)	273 (51.7%)	10 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	48.6	756^th of 1492 public elementary schools	49.3%		47.4	791^st of 1490 public elementary schools	46.9%	35	68.6	70.2	65.3				43.0	46.8	50.7				66.7		$13,203	$1,160	$12,043
Efland Cheeks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 Fuller Rd	Efland	27243	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 245-4042	532	36	14.7	—	175 (32.9%)	129 (24.2%)	154 (28.9%)	26 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.8%)	63.4	529^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.5%		61.9	533^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	64.2%	4	67.4	82.4	65.6				51.7	75.3	54.2				68.0		$11,292	$882	$10,410
Pathways Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	431 Strouds Creek Road	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-9136	371	27	13.7	54.4%	204 (55.0%)	66 (17.8%)	57 (15.4%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (10.0%)	83.5	198^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.7%		80.8	238^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.0%	40	80.4	82.5	75.5				67.4	65.0	71.4				89.8		$14,700	$1,138	$13,561
Morris Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	215 Eubanks Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 918-4800	383	32	12.1	22.5%	211 (55.1%)	30 (7.8%)	54 (14.1%)	56 (14.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.8%)	91.2	97^th of 1492 public elementary schools	93.5%		93.5	67^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.5%	30	81.4	85.9	83.3				77.1	79.7	83.3				86.4		$12,863	$298	$12,565
Carolina Achieve	Public, Charter	K-2	6920 West Ten Rd	Mebane	27302	Alamance County	Carolina Achieve	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(919) 964-2158	0			—															(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Grady Brown Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Grady Brown Elementary?

Students at Grady Brown Elementary are 42% White, 36% Hispanic, 11% African American, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Grady Brown Elementary attend?

Students who attend Grady Brown Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : A L Stanback Middle
High : Cedar Ridge High

What district is Grady Brown Elementary in?

Orange County Schools

Is Grady Brown Elementary a good school?

Grady Brown Elementary ranks 610^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Grady Brown Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 406 students attended Grady Brown Elementary.

Rate Grady Brown 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.