The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Science. The lowest is 52% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Elmhurst Elementary
Elmhurst Elementary is a small public school in Greenville serving kindergarten through fifth grade, located in a neighborhood on the west side of the city. The school has an enrollment that spans six grade levels, with the largest classes in kindergarten and the smallest in fifth grade. The student body is economically and racially diverse. A very substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is roughly evenly split between Black and white students, with smaller numbers of Hispanic students and multiracial students represented.
On state end-of-grade testing in the most recent school year, Elmhurst's results in grades three through five show moderate proficiency overall. In English language arts, just over half of tested students reached proficiency or above. Math proficiency was a bit higher, with better than half of students meeting the standard. Science results, offered only at certain grades, showed the strongest performance. One caveat: science testing changed this year, so direct year-to-year comparison is not safe.
A parent evaluating Elmhurst should understand that the school's test results fall below what many families regard as strong performance. At the same time, proficiency is not uniformly low; math and science show more students meeting grade-level standards than ELA does. Whether these results align with a family's expectations or priorities is a matter of individual judgment, but the school is not among the highest-performing schools in the county.
Greenville itself is a college town of moderate size, anchored by East Carolina University and ECU Health, the region's dominant employers. The city has a walkable arts and entertainment district centered on Uptown, with breweries, galleries, and street-level dining energy concentrated along Dickinson Avenue and around Five Points Plaza. Outside Uptown the city is car-dependent, built around major arterials. Housing values and rental rates in the area are well below state and national medians, and a mortgage payment or monthly rent would consume a smaller share of household income here than in most of the country.
Greenville is growing modestly, with new residential development concentrated in apartments near ECU and along outer suburban corridors. The city has been investing in riverfront parks and public spaces, including a large civic amphitheater and greenway network. Public transit is available via the GREAT bus system, which runs weekdays and Saturdays but not Sundays, and recently added an on-demand service.
Pitt County Schools, the district that operates Elmhurst, serves eight towns across the county. In June 2025 the district rescinded its Commitment to Diversity policy and removed references to diversity, equity, and inclusion from multiple policies. This was a deliberate policy shift families may want to understand as they weigh the district's approach. The district also unveiled a long-range facilities plan showing that a substantial portion of its buildings need renovation or replacement, at considerable cost. The plan includes relocation of students at other schools over the next several years and a possible county bond referendum in 2026 to finance improvements. Neither Elmhurst nor the schools where its students would transition appear directly affected by the proposed relocations, but the bond and construction timeline may shape the district's priorities and resources in coming years. The county also approved funding to raise pay for teachers and staff after a study found many workers were earning less than peers in other districts, a move intended to improve retention.
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