Durham Public Schools, NC

Original Research by School Decision on Durham Public Schools

Durham Public Schools serves a diverse urban district centered in Durham and extending into surrounding towns like Bahama and Hillsborough. The district enrolls students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 across a footprint of schools ranging from neighborhood elementaries to career-focused academies and arts-focused programs.

The student body is majority students of color: about a third identify as Black, about a third as Hispanic, roughly a fifth as white, and smaller shares as Asian or multiracial. This demographic profile reflects Durham's character as a growing, diverse city anchored by Duke University and Research Triangle institutions. Enrollment is substantial, with a full pipeline from early childhood through high school.

Academic proficiency on state end-of-grade assessments sits below the state midpoint. In grades 3 through 8, just over half of students reach proficiency in math, about half in English language arts, and about half in science. These numbers position the district below average statewide, a reality that reflects the socioeconomic and language-learning profiles of the enrollment. Chronic absenteeism is notably elevated: the district sits in the bottom quartile among Durham County's districts for attendance, a challenge that affects learning continuity.

The district has undertaken substantial pedagogical change in elementary literacy. In recent years, DPS shifted its K-5 reading instruction to align with the Science of Reading, mandating structured, explicit phonics-based teaching with set daily minimums. This represents a coordinated, system-wide pivot in how children are taught to read and how reading gaps are diagnosed. Teachers across elementary schools participate in ongoing professional development on the approach. This kind of sustained, research-aligned curricular reorientation takes years to show results; parents considering early grades should understand that this pedagogical focus is now central to the district's elementary instruction.

The district offers breadth in high school options. Students can attend comprehensive high schools like Hillside, C.E. Jordan, Northern, or Riverside, or choose specialized pathways: Durham School of the Arts for students pursuing visual and performing arts, Durham School of Technology for career-technical training, the School for Creative Studies, J.D. Clement and Middle College for early college completion, and City of Medicine Academy for health-careers focus. Morehead Montessori and Lakewood Montessori serve families seeking alternative pedagogies from pre-K or middle grades onward. This range of pathways means families with specific academic or career interests can often find a housed option.

The district faces significant structural headwinds that parents should weigh carefully. A 2024 payroll crisis—in which the board revoked classified staff raises, triggering sickouts and school closures before approving emergency interim raises—exposed fragility in labor relations and staffing stability. The board and the Durham Association of Educators have since established regular "meet and confer" sessions, but the episode signaled real tension between budget constraints and retention needs. More acutely, DPS is now publicly discussing the closure of older elementary schools to manage a backlog of building maintenance costs. Club Boulevard, George Watts, and Y.E. Smith elementaries have been named for potential demolition and consolidation, with twelve others on a watch list. For families in attendance zones where closure is possible, this introduces uncertainty about their child's long-term school assignment and the stability of their neighborhood school. The district is exploring another bond referendum to fund consolidation, which would impose additional property-tax costs on homeowners.

A bond approved by voters in 2022 is funding renovation of existing schools and construction of two new campuses, including a relocated Durham School of the Arts and the new Murray-Massenburg Elementary in the Hope Valley area. This capital work is ongoing and comes with a property-tax increase tied to the bond debt service, a lasting cost for families in the district.

Housing in the district ranges widely. Median home values cluster around mid-range across Durham zip codes, with some neighborhoods in Chapel Hill-adjacent areas commanding higher prices. Rental costs are moderate to rising, and housing affordability relative to income sits above the national average cost burden, reflecting a market where families with moderate to upper-middle incomes find reasonable entry but where lower-income families face real strain.

The district's per-pupil spending sits in the upper range among Durham County's districts, a sign of investment, though per-pupil expenditure alone does not determine outcomes. What matters more to parents is where that money is allocated: classrooms, support staff, building condition, and labor stability. Recent history suggests those allocations remain contested.

A parent or family considering Durham Public Schools should weight the district's pedagogical work in reading, its breadth of specialized high school options, and its urban, racially integrated character against acknowledged challenges in overall proficiency, chronic absenteeism, and the material uncertainty around school consolidation in the coming years. The district is in active transition, with meaningful investments in place but also real questions about building sustainability and labor relations that will shape the lived experience of families for the next several years.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

31,339

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 35%

Black 37%

White 20%

Asian 2%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

27%

56%

Gr 4

39%

63%

Gr 5

35%

63%

Gr 6

35%

62%

Gr 7

35%

60%

Gr 8

38%

62%

Gr 38

35%

61%

Math

Gr 3

43%

68%

Gr 4

41%

65%

Gr 5

39%

65%

Gr 6

35%

63%

Gr 7

35%

64%

Gr 8

33%

60%

Gr 38

38%

64%

Science

Gr 5

42%

70%

Gr 8

38%

66%

Gr 38

40%

68%

Schools in this District

57 schools are officially reported under this district.

Brogden Middle

Burton Elementary

Club Boulevard Elementary

Hillside High

James E Shepard Middle

Lakewood Elementary

Fayetteville Street Elementary

Bethesda Elementary

C E Jordan High

The School for Creative Studies

Eno Valley Elementary

George L Carrington Middle

Glenn Elementary

Hillandale Elementary

Holt Elementary

Forest View Elementary

George Watts Elementary

Little River K-8 School

Lowe's Grove Middle

Mangum Elementary

Merrick-Moore Elementary

Pearsontown Elementary

Sherwood Githens Middle

Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi

Morehead Montessori

E K Powe Elementary

R N Harris Elementary

Rogers-Herr Middle

C C Spaulding Elementary

W G Pearson Elementary

Y E Smith Elementary

Durham School of the Arts

Hope Valley Elementary

Lakeview School

J D Clement Early College HS

Creekside Elementary

Middle College HS @ DTCC

Durham School of Technology

Durham's Performance Learning Center

City of Medicine Academy

Spring Valley Elementary

Holton Career and Resource Center

Sandy Ridge Elementary

Lakewood Montessori Middle

Lucas Middle

Ignite Online Academy

Lyons Farm Elementary

Murray-Massenburg Elementary School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

51%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

47%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

53%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$423,069

Year-over-year change-0.7%

Range across 15 ZIP codes$314K to $678K

vs. state typical1.25x

vs. national typical1.15x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (15 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
27703	Durham	$390K	-3.7%	17.0%
27704	Durham	$314K	-3.1%	14.6%
27503	Bahama	$492K	+4.4%	13.3%
27712	Durham	$430K	-1.0%	11.4%
27572	Rougemont	$373K	+3.8%	9.0%
27713	Durham	$427K	-3.3%	9.0%
27705	Durham	$475K	-0.3%	7.8%
27707	Durham	$418K	-1.4%	6.6%
27517	Chapel Hill	$678K	+0.9%	3.0%
27701	Durham	$430K	+0.3%	1.8%
27278	Hillsborough	$476K	-2.2%	1.5%
27613	Raleigh	$597K	-0.1%	1.5%
27560	Morrisville	$506K	-4.8%	1.3%
27583	Timberlake	$322K	+5.9%	0.2%
27617	Raleigh	$443K	-3.1%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,764/mo

Year-over-year change+0.5%

Range across 13 ZIP codes$1,370 to $1,955/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (13 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
27703	Durham	$1,886	+1.6%	17.0%
27704	Durham	$1,757	+1.6%	14.6%
27712	Durham	$1,955	—	11.4%
27713	Durham	$1,615	-1.1%	9.0%
27705	Durham	$1,787	+2.2%	7.8%
27707	Durham	$1,496	-1.9%	6.6%
27517	Chapel Hill	$1,692	-4.4%	3.0%
27709	Durham	$1,804	—	2.0%
27701	Durham	$1,760	+3.2%	1.8%
27278	Hillsborough	$1,501	-0.8%	1.5%
27613	Raleigh	$1,370	-2.5%	1.5%
27560	Morrisville	$1,687	-0.4%	1.3%
27617	Raleigh	$1,526	-0.9%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,135/mo

Home price / national median income5.0x

Annual rent / national median income25.3%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$371/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$337,273 (-0.2% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.