The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on C. P. Smith School
C. P. Smith School sits on Ethan Allen Parkway in Burlington, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as one of the elementary schools in the Burlington School District. The enrollment is moderate for an elementary building in this area, with a fairly even spread across the grades and a prekindergarten classroom that gives families an early entry point. The student body is predominantly white, with Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students making up the remainder. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is below the level typical of many urban elementary schools and places this building in a relatively moderate range for Burlington. The data does not include counts for students with individualized education programs or English learners, so those portions of the student profile are not visible here.
On Vermont's state assessments, C. P. Smith shows a consistent pattern: English language arts results run noticeably ahead of mathematics. Across the tested elementary grades, a majority of students reach proficiency in ELA, with rates holding steady from third grade through fifth. Science proficiency in fifth grade lands at about the same level as ELA. Mathematics is the softer area. Third grade proficiency is moderate, fourth grade dips lower, and fifth grade recovers somewhat. The school's ELA performance is a clear relative strength, while the math results suggest a area where a parent may want to look into the school's approach to math instruction and support.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from these records whether proficiency is improving or declining over time. Participation rates for the state assessments were not reported either. Because this is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and the building does not sit in a category where one would apply.
The Burlington School District has been active on several fronts that families with younger children will eventually encounter as their students move up. Voters approved a bond to build a new high school and technical center, and that project is on track to open in fall 2026. The district also renovated a hangar at Burlington International Airport into a new aviation and career-technical education center, which opened for students in fall 2025. A renovation of the Integrated Arts Academy added kindergarten classrooms and modernized systems. The district has also adopted a Restorative Code of Conduct aimed at reducing suspensions and addressing racial disparities in discipline, and has reported progress on that front. None of these district-level changes directly alter the day-to-day experience at C. P. Smith, but they shape the pathway students will follow once they leave fifth grade.
Burlington itself is Vermont's largest city and a regional college town, home to the University of Vermont and Champlain College. Publicly reported sources describe a downtown that ranks among the most walkable in the country, anchored by the Church Street Marketplace pedestrian mall and a waterfront park connecting the city to Lake Champlain. The economy runs on education, health services, and trade, with major employers including the UVM Medical Center and the university itself. Corporate names associated with the city include Burton Snowboards, Lake Champlain Chocolates, and Seventh Generation. The city has pursued renewable energy and net-zero goals, and has invested in bikeways and building restoration. For families, this means a setting with a lively civic core, a strong farmers' market, arts activity in the South End, and the cultural resources of a university community.
The housing market around C. P. Smith is expensive relative to both the state and national benchmarks. Home values in the school's zip code sit well above the Vermont median and the national median, and rents are correspondingly high. A modest year-over-year decline in home values was recorded, but prices remain in a range that will be a barrier for many families without strong incomes. Mortgage costs at current rates exceed typical rents in the area, which may push some families toward renting.
The comparison set for this school, relative to districts in Chittenden County, did not yield usable proficiency or attendance comparisons because of small cohort size and missing values. This means C. P. Smith's position against its neighbors cannot be stated from the available data. What the records do show is an elementary school with solid reading and science results, weaker math performance, a moderate economic-needs profile, and a location inside one of Vermont's most resourced and active communities.
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