The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in Math. The lowest is 72% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Underwood Elementary
Underwood Elementary is a small public school in Raleigh that serves kindergarten through fifth grade. The school sits on Glenwood Avenue in central Raleigh and enrolls roughly four hundred students across six grade levels, with enrollment fairly balanced across grades.
The school's student body is diverse. About three-fifths of students identify as white, with meaningful representation from Black and Hispanic students; a smaller number identify as Asian. A little more than a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students receiving special education services or English learner support were not available.
On state End-of-Grade assessments in the most recent year, Underwood's students in grades three through five achieved proficiency rates in the mid-to-high range across subjects. In math, three-quarters of tested students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, the rate was somewhat lower at around seven in ten students proficient. In science, which is tested at fewer grade levels at the elementary stage, about three in four students demonstrated proficiency. These results place Underwood in a solid position relative to other elementary schools, though state testing data at the school level do not permit precise ranking within Wake County's large network.
The Raleigh neighborhood housing market is substantial. Homes in the school's zip code are valued well above both state and national medians, and monthly rents are correspondingly high. The gap between mortgage costs and rent suggests that families are making significant financial commitments to either buy or lease in this area. For families considering this school, the surrounding housing market is a real constraint; this is not a neighborhood for lower-income households.
Raleigh itself is North Carolina's capital and is undergoing major growth. The city blends a walkable downtown core with office, retail, and civic anchors including the State Capitol, museums, and the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, alongside suburban neighborhoods spreading outward. The broader metro area is car-dependent, though downtown blocks score high on walkability. Major employers in the region span healthcare, technology, higher education, and professional services, including WakeMed Health and Hospitals, North Carolina State University, IBM, Cisco, Red Hat, and nearby Research Triangle Park. The Wake County school system as a whole is executing a long-term capital expansion funded by a bond approved in 2022; large-scale student reassignments continue to manage growth, and families choosing a neighborhood need to be aware that reassignment risk remains real.
At the classroom level, Wake County has recently overhauled K-5 reading instruction to the Science of Reading approach, with all elementary teachers completing state-mandated training. This is a meaningful pedagogy shift affecting how early literacy is taught. A new district-wide cellphone policy took effect in 2025-26, requiring elementary and middle school students to keep phones silenced and stored away all day. These are shifts parents with students at Underwood will directly experience.
Underwood serves its tested grades' proficiency benchmarks solidly and operates within Wake County's mainstream elementary program. The school's context is an affluent neighborhood in an expanding metro, not an alternative or specialized program. The neighborhood's housing costs and market dynamics are among the school's defining features for families.
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