Summary:
Zip code 27509 is served by exactly one school: Butner-Stem Elementary, a PK–5 elementary school in Granville County Schools that enrolls 476 students and operates in a high-poverty area, with 99.37% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Because this is the only school in the zip code, all attention falls on Butner-Stem Elementary. The school has shown highly uneven performance by grade level and year. In 2024–25, it beat the district in every 4th and 5th grade subject and even surpassed state averages in 5th grade math, 4th grade reading, 5th grade reading, and 5th grade science. Yet in 2025–26, the school dropped from the 45th percentile statewide to the 24th percentile, falling from a 2-star to a 1-star rating. The main cause appears to be a sharp decline in 5th grade scores, including a 14.8-point drop in math, a 15.6-point drop in reading, and a 12.8-point drop in science. Meanwhile, 3rd grade remains a consistent weak spot, with only about one in four students proficient in reading or math in recent years. By contrast, 4th grade math jumped to 65.7% proficiency in 2025–26, outperforming both the district and state, which shows the school is capable of strong results when instructional alignment and cohorts are favorable.
A cohort-based look reveals dramatic swings: the students who struggled as 3rd graders in 2024–25 improved dramatically as 4th graders in 2025–26, while the previously strong 4th grade cohort declined when it moved to 5th grade. This suggests the school’s overall rating is highly sensitive to which class is being tested. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism at Butner-Stem is 25.1%, essentially matching the state average of 24.2% and far better than the Granville County district average of 40.9%. There are no middle or high schools in this zip code, so families will transition to schools outside 27509 after 5th grade. Parents should watch whether the 2025–26 scoring drop is a one-year cohort fluctuation or the start of a longer trend.
Thank you for your feedback!