Schools in Zip Code 27012

Schools in ZIP code 27012, covering the Clemmons area of Forsyth County within the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district, serve 4,291 students across three elementary schools — Clemmons Elementary, Frank Morgan Elementary, and Southwest Elementary — and one high school, West Forsyth High, with no middle school in the ZIP. Notably, the three elementary schools enroll 2,146 students combined, almost exactly matching West Forsyth High's 2,145. The district itself earns just 2 stars (35th percentile statewide), yet every school in 27012 ranks above that level, making this ZIP a bright spot in an otherwise struggling district.

Among the elementary schools, Southwest Elementary leads the ZIP with a #168 state ranking (89th percentile, 4 stars) and the highest overall proficiency (~77.9%), including a remarkable 91.4% fifth-grade science pass rate. It also has the lowest poverty rate of the three (37.7% free/reduced lunch) and a low 15.6% chronic absenteeism rate. Clemmons Elementary ranks nearly as high (#193, 87th percentile) despite a 99.6% poverty rate, posting the strongest elementary math scores (~82.3% average) and the ZIP's lowest chronic absenteeism (11.9%). Frank Morgan Elementary shares that same poverty rate but trails its peers at #393 (74th percentile), with ~69.2% average proficiency. At the high school level, West Forsyth High sits at #260 of 662 and posts a 94.7% graduation rate, beating district and state averages on every end-of-course subject; however, its 33.8% chronic absenteeism is more than double Clemmons Elementary's 11.9%.

For parents, the takeaways are meaningful. Clemmons Elementary proves high poverty does not automatically mean low achievement — it outperforms Frank Morgan Elementary despite the same 99.6% poverty rate. West Forsyth High, meanwhile, demonstrates a disconnect: a near-95% graduation rate and strong EOC scores coexist with 33.8% chronic absenteeism. There is also a hidden concern at Clemmons Elementary: fifth-grade reading fell to 60.6% in 2025–2026 after upper-70s scores in third and fourth grades. Rankings are shifting as well — Clemmons Elementary slipped from 5-star #85 to 4-star #193, while Southwest Elementary became the ZIP's top-ranked school.