The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Science. The lowest is 38% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Selma Elementary
Selma Elementary serves grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in a small railroad town that sits at the edge of Johnston County's rapid suburban growth. The school serves a student body that is overwhelmingly economically disadvantaged and highly diverse. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student population is majority Hispanic, with substantial representation of Black students and smaller Asian and multiracial communities. The enrollment is substantial for an elementary school of this grade span.
The school's state test results show mixed performance. In math, about half of students in grades three through five scored at proficiency or above on the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests. In English language arts, proficiency rates fall below that, with about three in eight students meeting the standard. Science performance is similar to math at roughly half. These results reflect the reality that many students are working below grade level in core subjects. A parent may want to look into further what instructional supports the school offers for students not yet meeting standards, and what pathways the school uses to accelerate learning. The data does not include information about special education enrollment or English learner services, so those details would be worth asking the school about directly.
Selma Elementary sits in Johnston County Public Schools, a district experiencing rapid growth tied to spillover from the Raleigh region. The county is one of the fastest-growing in North Carolina, a fact with real consequences for school capacity. Two recent bond referendums have passed with strong voter support, funding a new high school opening in fall 2026, a new elementary school, and capacity additions at other schools. The district has relied on mobile classrooms to manage overcrowding, and the new construction is intended to reduce that reliance. For families considering Selma, this infrastructure investment signals that the district is trying to keep pace with demand, though it also means that conditions may have been tight and may remain so during the construction period.
Selma itself has the feel of a small historic railroad town with a genuinely walkable downtown anchored by the Amtrak station, antique shops, and locally owned restaurants. Outside the compact downtown core, the town is car-dependent. The housing market reflects wider county trends: home values and rents are rising modestly year over year, and new subdivisions and apartment communities are under active development around the I-95 interchange and on the town's edges. The median home price in the zip code is below the state benchmark and well below the national average, making it relatively affordable for families seeking entry into the region. Monthly housing costs as a share of median income stay within typical ranges for both purchase and rental.
The elementary school is located on W Richardson Street, a traditional residential neighborhood setting rather than a downtown location. Selma shares upper grades and secondary schools with the neighboring town of Smithfield, so families will transition students to schools outside Selma proper as children advance.
This is a school serving a economically and ethnically diverse student population in a growing small town, with academic performance that lags state benchmarks in reading and math. The neighborhood and town offer a small-community feel with modest housing costs, though the rapid growth around Selma means the character and capacity of schools are in active transition.
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