The top reported proficiency rate is 85% in Science. The lowest is 72% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elementary
Jefferson Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Winston-Salem, a mid-sized North Carolina city that has reversed decades of population decline and now blends historic downtown neighborhoods with a growing medical and research presence. The school sits in the 27106 zip code, a residential area with median home values slightly below the North Carolina state average and rents rising in line with regional demand.
The enrollment is small by elementary standards, with substantial representation across all early grades. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community where economic hardship is widespread. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse: just under half white, roughly a quarter Black, and smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, two-or-more-races, and American Indian students. The school does not report data on students with individualized education programs or English learners, a gap common in schools serving younger grades where identification and services are still developing.
In state testing, Jefferson's academic results are mixed across subjects. In math, about four of five students tested scored at or above the proficiency threshold; in English language arts, the proportion was lower, closer to three in five. Science proficiency was the strongest area, with more than four in five students meeting the standard. These results reflect students in grades three through five, the tested grades in North Carolina. State test comparisons are not available because the school is the only elementary in its county comparison set, limiting peer context.
The school is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation, meaning it operates under standard district governance and curriculum. It is part of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools district, which spans one of the state's larger metropolitan areas. The district has navigated significant facility constraints in recent years. In 2022, the board postponed three major construction projects—a new middle school and additions to two elementary schools—due to a rough doubling of construction costs. The district later secured additional county funding to preserve renovations at other schools including nearby Brunson Elementary. The district also recently shifted to a modified academic calendar with August starts earlier than state law typically permits, a schedule change that affects childcare and summer-program planning for families.
Winston-Salem itself is in transition. The city's downtown and Innovation Quarter—an adaptive-reuse district built on former tobacco-company land—are walkable and dense, with mixed-use neighborhoods, restaurants, and civic anchors. Outside the core, however, pedestrian infrastructure is limited, and the city is working through a pedestrian master plan adopted in 2021. Major employers include healthcare systems, Wake Forest University and Wake Forest School of Medicine, the school district itself, and manufacturing. Housing has been affordable relative to national benchmarks, though rents have risen modestly in the past year. The broader region has added residential and mixed-use development, with new projects underway in the Innovation Quarter and elsewhere, signaling ongoing neighborhood change.
For families considering Jefferson Elementary, the school offers a small, economically diverse environment within a district that is managing capital constraints while maintaining service. Proficiency in math and science is solid; English language arts results suggest an area where families may want to ask about instructional focus and supports. The absence of data on special-education and English-learner populations means parents should ask the school directly about services for students with identified needs. The neighborhood context is one of economic transition, with city-level investment in downtown and green space but uneven walkability outside the core.
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