Summary:
Zip code 27310, which covers the Oak Ridge area of North Carolina, contains exactly one elementary school: Oak Ridge Elementary, a public school serving grades PK–5 with 712 students as part of Guilford County Schools. Because this is the only elementary school in the zip code, this analysis focuses on how Oak Ridge Elementary performs relative to its district and the state.
Oak Ridge Elementary is an outstanding school even though its district, Guilford County Schools, ranks only 150th out of 246 districts in North Carolina. The school has earned 5 stars for three consecutive years, recently ranking 24th out of 1,492 elementary schools statewide (98th percentile). Its test scores are exceptionally high across every grade and subject, typically running 25–40 percentage points above both district and state averages. For example, 5th grade math proficiency sits at 94.3% compared to 56.7% for the district and 62.9% for the state, while 5th grade science reaches 95.7% versus 62.0% district and 67.7% state. Even reading scores, the school's relative soft spot at 83–86.5% proficiency, far surpass the state averages in the mid-50s.
Oak Ridge Elementary also stands out for its attendance and student demographics. Only 15.73% of students receive free or reduced lunch, a comparatively low rate, and chronic absenteeism is just 11.3% versus 29.2% for the district and 24.2% for the state. This combination of strong attendance, low economic disadvantage, and elite academic results makes Oak Ridge Elementary a top-tier school in any context, even though it sits inside a district that overall ranks below average. Year-to-year fluctuations exist—4th grade math and reading dipped slightly in the latest year—but the school remains firmly among the top 1–3% of elementary schools in North Carolina.
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