The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in Science. The lowest is 35% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on R Homer Andrews Elementary
R Homer Andrews Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Burlington, North Carolina, as part of the Alamance-Burlington Schools district. The school sits on Buckingham Road in a city that has been growing steadily as a Piedmont employment and residential center, with recent investment in downtown revival, hospital-area apartment development, and mill conversion projects. Burlington's major employers include the Labcorp headquarters, Glen Raven manufacturing, and Cone Health's regional medical center, and the city opened its first public transit service in the past few years.
The student body at R Homer Andrews is very small in affluent terms and very large in need. Almost the entire enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's racial and ethnic composition is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of Black students and a much smaller share of White students. The enrollment spans from pre-K through fifth grade and is stable in size. English learner and special education enrollment counts were not reported in the available data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and any related supports.
State proficiency data from the most recent school year show that across grades three through five, roughly one-third of students tested met or exceeded proficiency in math, English language arts, and science. These results sit well below what a parent would typically see in higher-performing schools. The school tested a meaningful number of students in math and ELA, and a smaller group in science. The math and ELA assessments appear consistent with prior years, though the science assessment changed form and cut score this year, which can make year-to-year comparisons difficult. Data for prior years was not available in the payload, so trends cannot be assessed.
Burlington's housing market shows properties at a level substantially below state and national benchmarks, with median home values and rental rates roughly a third of the state's. This affordability has contributed to the city's recent ranking as a strong performer on wage growth, broadband, and housing accessibility. The area has seen active residential development with dozens of new subdivisions in various price ranges.
The broader Alamance-Burlington district completed a major bond-funded improvement cycle in 2022-2024 that delivered HVAC upgrades, new security systems, key-card entry, and security vestibules across all schools, including at elementary schools like R Homer Andrews. The district also opened Southeast Alamance High School in 2023, its first new high school in over fifty years, to address overcrowding at the other high schools. For the current school year, the district implemented classroom cell phone restrictions across all high schools in line with new state law. These are durable changes to building infrastructure and pedagogy that shape the environment families encounter.
A parent choosing R Homer Andrews would be selecting a neighborhood elementary school with a predominantly Hispanic student population and very high rates of economic need. The proficiency results indicate this school faces academic challenges that a parent will want to understand more deeply. Conversations with school leadership about intervention strategies, tutoring, family supports, and how the school is addressing gaps in reading and math fluency would be valuable. The school exists in a growing community with real estate affordability and is part of a district that has recently invested in facilities and security.
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