The reported proficiency rate for Science is 11%.
Original Research by School Decision on Dps Hospital School
DPS Hospital School is a small, specialized school operated by Durham Public Schools and located within Duke University Medical Center. It serves students in pre-kindergarten through grade twelve, though the school operates quite differently from a conventional building-based school. The facility is embedded in a hospital setting, making it a highly specialized educational environment designed for students facing significant medical or health challenges that prevent regular school attendance.
The enrollment data reflects the school's specialized function. The most recent available enrollment shows no students registered at the school in its standard count, which is typical for hospital schools that operate as a service delivery model rather than a traditional enrolled population. Students are placed here through individualized education plans when their medical circumstances require instruction within a clinical environment. Testing data from the school is similarly sparse: state assessment results from 2013 to 2015 show very small numbers of students (under a dozen tested in any year across subjects), with proficiency rates on end-of-grade tests in math and reading at very low levels, and science proficiency at a modest share. These numbers reflect both the small sample size and the complex medical and developmental profiles of the students served. A parent investigating this school should understand that assessment data from a hospital school is not directly comparable to conventional school results, given the population's distinctive needs.
The school's purpose is to provide continuity of education during medical treatment or recovery. Students accessing DPS Hospital School typically arrive through a doctor's referral or recommendation when a prolonged hospitalization or outpatient treatment regimen makes attendance at a traditional school building unsafe or logistically impossible. The setting allows students to maintain their academic progress while receiving concurrent medical and clinical support.
Durham Public Schools, the parent district, is a mid-sized district serving Durham and Bahama with about 57 schools across all grade levels. The district has been in transition on several fronts. In 2022, voters approved a substantial bond to renovate existing schools and build two new facilities, including a new Durham School of the Arts and an elementary school in south Durham. That bond comes with a modest property tax increase for families in the district. More recently, the district has adopted the Science of Reading framework for K-5 literacy instruction, moving toward structured phonics with specific daily time requirements. The district also confronted a significant payroll crisis in 2024 that led to temporary school closures and a renegotiation of staff compensation, resolved with new salary schedules and county budget additions. In early 2026, district administrators began exploring consolidation and closure of several older elementary schools to address building maintenance costs and declining enrollment, a shift that signals longer-term structural changes for the district.
Durham itself is a growing mixed-use city anchored by Duke University and Duke Health, with a vibrant downtown core of adaptive-reuse historic buildings, walkable neighborhoods near downtown and Duke, and suburban family communities farther out. Major employers include Duke University and Duke Health systems, Durham Public Schools itself, and a regional biotech presence connected to Research Triangle Park. Housing development is active, with significant apartment construction underway and recent zoning changes allowing denser infill. The city's population is projected to expand substantially over the coming decades.
For a family considering DPS Hospital School, the key question is whether a student requires medical-based educational services. This is not an enrollment choice in the conventional sense. Rather, it is a service that DPS provides when a student's medical condition necessitates schooling within a hospital or clinical setting. Parents should speak directly with their student's medical team and DPS about whether this placement fits their child's current needs and what academic and support services the school offers during their stay.
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