The top reported proficiency rate is 91% in Science. The lowest is 78% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Southwest Elementary
Southwest Elementary is a mid-sized K-5 school serving the High Point area of Guilford County. With an enrollment spread evenly across its six grade levels, the school draws from a diverse student body: roughly a quarter of students identify as Asian, a fifth as Black, over a third as white, with smaller shares identifying as Hispanic or multiracial. About four in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which puts the school in a mixed economic profile typical of a city school in the Piedmont region.
Academic performance at Southwest is solid in math and science. On the most recent state End-of-Grade assessments, students in grades three through five posted proficiency rates well above what a parent would normally expect to hear about—math proficiency was notably strong, and science proficiency was even higher. English language arts proficiency, while respectably above half the students tested, ran a few percentage points lower than math, which is a common pattern but worth noting if reading support matters to your family.
The enrollment of about that size for an elementary school is stable across grades, suggesting consistent staffing and classroom arrangements. The school sits at 4372 Southwest School Road in High Point's 27265 zip code, placing it in an area where median home values are moderate and rents remain accessible relative to regional benchmarks—housing costs in this zip are roughly in line with the state average, and the area's affordability leans somewhat favorable compared to national norms. High Point itself is one of North Carolina's fastest-growing cities, with recent investment in downtown mixed-use development and residential construction, though residential approvals slowed in 2024. Families moving into the area will encounter a manufacturing and business hub with an expanding downtown social district, plus established residential neighborhoods ranging from historic homes to newer subdivisions.
The Guilford County Schools district, which operates Southwest, has been navigating a major building investment cycle. Voters approved a historic bond in 2022 to rebuild or fully renovate many schools across the district over several years—a process that will affect which buildings students attend. A sales tax meant to help finance that bond was rejected, leaving more of the burden on property taxes. The district has also adopted new instructional materials in its middle schools and implemented state-aligned curriculum policies around parental involvement and notification, changes that shape everyday school operations. The earliest grades at Southwest do not sit in that K-4 restriction on gender and sexuality content, but the broader policy environment around parental notice and consent has shifted.
No data were available on chronic absenteeism, discipline, class size, or staffing at the school level. English learner enrollment counts were not reported in the available data, a gap that matters if multilingual support is a consideration for your family. The school is a regular public school, not a magnet or charter, so it operates under standard Guilford County attendance and curriculum policies. State testing data come from grades three and up, so the school's kindergarten and first- and second-grade instruction sits outside public proficiency reporting.
For a family choosing where to live in High Point, Southwest sits in a growing, mixed residential area with moderate housing costs and reasonable access to the city's downtown parks and transit. The academic picture, at least in the grades that are tested, is one of decent math and science grounding. The broader growth and policy context of the district and the city is one of active change, so parents may want to stay attuned to how the bond-driven renovation schedule affects school facilities and which schools see enrollment shifts as a result.
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