W G Pearson Elementary

Summary:

W G Pearson Elementary is a public magnet elementary school in Durham, North Carolina, serving 333 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Durham Public Schools district, which is ranked 163 out of 242 districts in the state.

W G Pearson Elementary faces significant challenges, including a student population that is predominantly African American (59.46%) and Hispanic (31.83%), consistently low academic performance on state assessments, and an extremely high percentage (over 99%) of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio and high per-student spending, the school's performance has steadily declined over the past decade, ranking in the bottom 3% of North Carolina elementary schools. In contrast, nearby magnet schools like R.N. Harris Elementary and Pearsontown Elementary significantly outperform W G Pearson Elementary, suggesting that the magnet program model may be more effective in supporting student achievement.

The unique racial composition and high concentration of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds at W G Pearson Elementary suggest that factors beyond just funding and resources may be contributing to the academic struggles. Addressing the specific needs of the school's student population, strengthening instructional practices, and learning from the successes of nearby magnet schools may be crucial in improving student outcomes at W G Pearson Elementary.


Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-5

 3501 Fayettville Street
       Durham, NC  27707


(919) 560-3988

District: Durham Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
846th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,391 Help


Students who attend W G Pearson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Rogers-Herr Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  12.0 Help
Number of students:  333

Racial breakdown:

African American:
59.5%
Hispanic:
31.8%
Two or more races:
5.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.1% Help


 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

 Compare W G Pearson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details W G Pearson Elementary ranks worse than 56.2% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 12th among 30 ranked elementary schools in the Durham Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.54. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (59.5%), Hispanic (31.8%), two or more races (5.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at W G Pearson Elementary is 12. 15 elementary schools in the Durham Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare W G Pearson Elementary employs 27.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at W G Pearson Elementary is $14,391, which is the 5th highest among 30 elementary schools in the Durham Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

W G Pearson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks W G Pearson Elementary 846th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See W G Pearson Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


Durham Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Durham Public Schools 163rd of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for W G Pearson Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at W G Pearson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 11.12 1209th 1276 5.3%
2007 29.00 1038th 1293 19.7%
2008 18.92 1147th 1324 13.4%
2009 22.91 1123rd 1354 17.1%
2010 6.25 1320th 1363 3.2%
2011 13.14 1279th 1381 7.4%
2012 3.78 1368th 1388 1.4%
2013 7.23 1360th 1403 3.1%
2014 4.35 1364th 1390 1.9%
2015 3.78 1419th 1440 1.5%
2016 3.06 1407th 1425 1.3%
2017 2.57 1407th 1429 1.5%
2018 15.93 1264th 1434 11.9%
2019 18.17 1288th 1473 12.6%
2021 6.03 1457th 1489 2.1%
2022 16.56 1340th 1514 11.5%
2023 28.07 1123rd 1502 25.2%
2024 44.54 846th 1505 43.8%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at W G Pearson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.52 258th 421 38.7%
2019 56.03 156th 497 68.6%
2021 23.85 333rd 385 13.5%
2022 62.25 106th 485 78.1%
2023 83.18 44th 514 91.4%
2024 89.80 31st 533 94.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at W G Pearson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.72 1105th 1332 17.0%
2019 23.95 1147th 1361 15.7%
2021 16.07 1222nd 1329 8.1%
2022 27.98 1078th 1366 21.1%
2023 41.88 876th 1437 39.0%
2024 51.72 658th 1450 54.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at W G Pearson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.22 1226th 1405 12.7%
2019 23.51 1182nd 1424 17.0%
2021 7.33 1405th 1440 2.4%
2022 15.43 1330th 1458 8.8%
2023 17.38 1293rd 1459 11.4%
2024 44.69 807th 1455 44.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at W G Pearson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.11 1251st 1413 11.5%
2019 16.52 1272nd 1430 11.0%
2021 6.22 1415th 1444 2.0%
2022 20.25 1226th 1464 16.3%
2023 38.67 942nd 1461 35.5%
2024 45.24 822nd 1464 43.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at W G Pearson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.69 575th 927 38.0%
2019 35.06 666th 949 29.8%
2021 16.19 860th 896 4.0%
2022 31.39 678th 927 26.9%
2023 42.12 531st 933 43.1%
2024 58.40 319th 924 65.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at W G Pearson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.98 613th 851 28.0%
2019 45.71 480th 865 44.5%
2021 13.40 819th 843 2.8%
2022 49.44 412th 893 53.9%
2023 59.43 307th 915 66.4%
2024 66.87 239th 951 74.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

W G Pearson Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for W G Pearson Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1993 2 454 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 456
1994 4 468 0 5 0 n/a n/a 15 492
1995 13 460 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 474
1996 13 460 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 474
1997 1 373 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 374
1998 2 330 0 5 0 n/a n/a 1 338
1999 3 386 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 390
2000 2 376 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 381
2001 1 363 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 367
2002 5 337 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 346
2003 5 337 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 346
2004 2 194 1 11 0 n/a n/a 0 208
2005 1 175 1 22 1 n/a n/a 0 200
2006 2 171 0 28 0 n/a n/a 0 201
2007 35 431 4 42 0 n/a n/a 27 539
2008 50 527 5 64 1 n/a n/a 28 675
2009 47 518 7 79 1 n/a n/a 0 652
2010 37 482 12 89 1 n/a n/a 0 621
2011 32 424 10 126 0 0 25 0 617
2012 21 388 6 137 1 0 17 0 570
2013 9 371 4 160 4 0 9 0 557
2014 13 354 3 168 7 0 12 0 557
2015 20 335 4 187 5 0 12 0 563
2016 15 338 8 173 3 0 9 0 546
2017 9 314 5 159 3 1 9 0 500
2018 10 314 5 165 2 0 9 0 505
2019 11 276 5 156 2 0 10 0 460
2020 14 272 6 165 0 0 8 0 465
2021 6 267 6 157 0 0 11 0 447
2022 9 224 5 113 0 0 9 0 360
2023 10 198 1 106 0 0 18 0 333

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at W G Pearson Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 456 28.0 16.3 91.4
1994 492 32.0 15.4 87.2
1995 474 36.0 13.2 86.3
1996 474 36.0 13.2 86.3
1997 374 29.0 12.9 92.2
1998 338 31.0 10.9 92.6
1999 390 32.0 12.2 83.3
2000 381 32.0 11.9 99.2
2001 367 32.0 11.5 95.9
2002 346 32.0 10.8 0
2003 346 32.0 10.8 0
2004 208 32.0 6.5 98.1
2005 200 32.0 6.3 90
2006 201 32.0 6.3 98.5
2007 539 n/a n/a 52.3
2008 675 42.6 15.8 70.6
2009 652 48.5 13.4 58
2010 621 42.0 14.7 68.4
2011 617 40.0 15.4 74.7
2012 570 37.4 15.2 79.6
2013 557 37.8 14.7 85.5
2014 557 34.3 16.2 91.4
2015 563 38.0 14.8 87.6
2016 546 34.0 16.0 88.3
2017 500 35.4 14.1 99.4
2018 505 38.3 13.1 96.4
2019 460 36.2 12.6 99.3
2020 465 33.1 14.0 99.4
2021 447 33.1 13.4 99.3
2022 360 25.3 14.2 99.2
2023 333 27.5 12.0 99.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio W G Pearson Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 456 28.0 16.3 91.4
1994 492 32.0 15.4 87.2
1995 474 36.0 13.2 86.3
1996 474 36.0 13.2 86.3
1997 374 29.0 12.9 92.2
1998 338 31.0 10.9 92.6
1999 390 32.0 12.2 83.3
2000 381 32.0 11.9 99.2
2001 367 32.0 11.5 95.9
2002 346 32.0 10.8 0
2003 346 32.0 10.8 0
2004 208 32.0 6.5 98.1
2005 200 32.0 6.3 90
2006 201 32.0 6.3 98.5
2007 539 n/a n/a 52.3
2008 675 42.6 15.8 70.6
2009 652 48.5 13.4 58
2010 621 42.0 14.7 68.4
2011 617 40.0 15.4 74.7
2012 570 37.4 15.2 79.6
2013 557 37.8 14.7 85.5
2014 557 34.3 16.2 91.4
2015 563 38.0 14.8 87.6
2016 546 34.0 16.0 88.3
2017 500 35.4 14.1 99.4
2018 505 38.3 13.1 96.4
2019 460 36.2 12.6 99.3
2020 465 33.1 14.0 99.4
2021 447 33.1 13.4 99.3
2022 360 25.3 14.2 99.2
2023 333 27.5 12.0 99.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for W G Pearson Elementary

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $3,740 (26.0%) $10,650 (74.0%) $14,391

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on W G Pearson Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1288th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 1123rd of 1502 Elementary schools
 12.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (W G Pearson Elementary)59.453.3
 6.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Durham Public Schools)5256.5
 4.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (W G Pearson Elementary)39.118
 21.1%
   3rd Grade Reading (Durham Public Schools)44.739.3
 5.4%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (W G Pearson Elementary)37.341.2
 3.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Durham Public Schools)47.151.1
 4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (W G Pearson Elementary)36.843.1
 6.3%
   4th Grade Reading (Durham Public Schools)48.549.9
 1.4%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (W G Pearson Elementary)26.642.9
 16.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Durham Public Schools)46.651.5
 4.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (W G Pearson Elementary)34.635.7
 1.1%
   5th Grade Reading (Durham Public Schools)44.643.1
 1.5%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (W G Pearson Elementary)61.362.5
 1.2%
   5th Grade Science (Durham Public Schools)68.865.9
 2.9%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students460333
 27.6%
African American276198
 28.3%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian51
 80%
Hispanic156106
 32.1%
Pacific Islander00
White1110
 9.1%
Two or More Races1018
 80%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.3%99.1%
 0.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about W G Pearson Elementary

Students at W G Pearson Elementary are 59% African American, 32% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% White.

W G Pearson Elementary ranks 846th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 333 students attended W G Pearson Elementary.

Students who attend W G Pearson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Rogers-Herr Middle


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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