The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Science. The lowest is 52% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elementary
Jefferson Elementary sits in Greensboro's New Garden area and serves an enrollment of roughly 700 students across pre-K through fifth grade. Nearly all of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and about half the enrollment is Black, a quarter is White, and a sixth is Hispanic. The school's student body reflects both the economic pressures and racial composition of its immediate neighborhood.
On state assessments given to grades 3 through 5, Jefferson's performance is mixed. Math proficiency stands at a respectable level, while English language arts proficiency is lower, falling below the math result. Science proficiency, measured only in a subset of grades, is solid. The data does not show whether performance has changed from prior years, so it is unclear whether these results represent stability, improvement, or decline. The school appears to participate fully in state testing, though state testing data was available.
The school receives Title I funding status through Guilford County Schools, which means it qualifies for federal resources tied to student poverty. This is consistent with the near-universal free-and-reduced-lunch enrollment. The district, like many large urban-suburban systems, adopted new instructional materials in mathematics across its middle schools starting in 2021 and has made curriculum adjustments tied to state policy on instruction in the lower grades, including restrictions on gender and sexuality content in K-4. For an elementary school, this means parents will see a district-wide math curriculum shaped by those adoption decisions. The school itself does not report specialized programs, magnet designation, or charter status; it is a regular public elementary school.
Greensboro overall is growing. The city ranked highly nationally in projected 2025 housing-market growth, and a substantial housing-development pipeline is underway, including large-scale residential projects and new multifamily construction. Home values in the school's zip code are stable and have appreciated slightly year-over-year. Rental housing is also available and relatively affordable compared to national benchmarks. The broader economy rests on manufacturing, health care, higher education, and logistics, with notable employers including Cone Health, VF Corporation, Honda Aircraft, and incoming battery-plant investment. The city has downtown cultural anchors and park systems, though it remains car-dependent outside a few walkable in-town neighborhoods.
The Guilford County Schools district passed a historic bond in May 2022 to rebuild and renovate buildings across the system, addressing a backlog of facility needs. This means the school's building itself may be on a renovation or rebuild timeline, a factor families considering the area should confirm directly with the district, since facility improvement projects reshape where students will be housed in coming years.
A parent considering Jefferson Elementary should ask the school directly about its current facility status under the bond, whether proficiency results represent recent change, and what the specific math curriculum looks like in the classroom. The near-universal poverty enrollment signals both strong community need and robust Title I resourcing; the mixed proficiency results suggest the school is making progress in some areas and may benefit from closer examination in others, particularly in reading.
See more original research from School Decision →