Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27712

ZIP code 27712 encompasses 5 schools within Durham Public Schools, serving grades PK through 12 with a total enrollment of 3,927 students across one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools. The lineup includes Riverside High, George L Carrington Middle, Easley Elementary, Eno Valley Elementary, and Little River Elementary. All five schools serve overwhelmingly economically disadvantaged populations, with free/reduced-price lunch eligibility at or above 99%, yet their academic outcomes vary dramatically.

Easley Elementary is the clear academic leader, ranking in the 78th percentile statewide with 4 stars and exceeding state averages in six of seven elementary tests—including an impressive 90% proficiency in 5th grade science. Eno Valley Elementary has shown the most improvement, climbing from the 14th to the 35th percentile in two years, though it still trails state averages with a 46.3% chronic absenteeism rate. Little River Elementary sits at the 50th percentile with solid attendance and strong 4th grade reading scores. The secondary schools present the biggest concerns: Riverside High ranks in the 27th percentile with a 77.1% graduation rate, and George L Carrington Middle ranks in the 18th percentile, with 8th grade proficiency roughly 20 points below state averages in math, reading, and science.

The most telling metric across this ZIP is chronic absenteeism. Easley Elementary's rate is 16.9%—below the state average—while the three lowest-performing schools all exceed 45%. A math pipeline problem also emerges: George L Carrington Middle's 8th grade math proficiency is just 33.6%, and Riverside High's Math I proficiency drops to 22.2%. Riverside also carries the highest student-to-teacher ratio in the ZIP at 20.3. For parents, the pattern is clear: attendance is the strongest factor separating successful schools from struggling ones here, and Easley Elementary proves that high achievement is possible even while serving a 99% free/reduced-price lunch population.