The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Kirkman Park Elementary
Kirkman Park Elementary is a small public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in High Point, with an enrollment of about a quarter thousand students. The school's student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Asian and multiracial students. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community facing significant economic challenge.
On North Carolina's End-of-Grade tests for the school year 2024-25, Kirkman Park's proficiency rates were below the midpoint. In English language arts, just over half of tested students in grades three through five scored at proficient level or above. In math, the proficiency rate was lower, with less than half meeting the standard. In science, where only a subset of students were tested, proficiency fell further. These figures indicate that the school faces a notable academic gap in foundational skills, particularly in mathematics and science. A parent evaluating Kirkman Park may want to look into the school's instructional approaches in those subjects, what support systems exist for students working below grade level, and what interventions or enrichment the school offers.
The school sits in High Point, a mid-sized Piedmont Triad city and a manufacturing and trade hub historically anchored in furniture, textiles, and bus building. The city has experienced rapid growth in recent years, driven in part by downtown investment centered around a stadium district and mixed-use development. Downtown High Point has become more walkable, with a growing restaurant and retail scene, though most residents rely on cars outside the downtown core. City Lake Park, with its outdoor swimming pool and historic carousel, and the public library anchor civic life. High Point University's campus sits to the north, and public school campuses occupy large tracts. The housing market in the zip code is moderately valued and renting is more affordable than buying, with affordability ratios leaning toward rental.
The school is part of Guilford County Schools, the district that covers High Point and surrounding areas. The district passed a historic bond in May 2022 to rebuild and renovate schools across the system, addressing a backlog of facility needs. This construction pipeline will reshape which buildings students attend over the coming years and is a significant consideration for families evaluating schools in the district. The district also adopted a new math curriculum, Open Up Resources, across all middle schools with multi-year implementation support, and revised several policies in 2023 to align with state law regarding instruction in gender and sexuality, parental notification about student names and pronouns, and parental consent for certain student activities.
The comparison data needed to position Kirkman Park against other schools in Guilford County was not available, so a reader cannot see how its proficiency rates rank among peers in the county. Enrollment data was available by grade, showing a relatively balanced distribution across the primary grades. The school's special population counts for students with IEPs and English learners were not provided.
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