Riverside High

Summary:

Riverside High is a public high school in Durham, North Carolina, serving 1,812 students in grades 9-12. The school's diverse student body is 26.1% White, 28.86% African American, 38.3% Hispanic, and 6.74% other races. However, Riverside High faces several academic challenges compared to state and district averages.

Riverside High's academic performance, as measured by state test scores, is generally lower than the state and district averages. For example, the school's proficiency rates in subjects like Biology (42.8%), English II (49.2%), Math I (19.9%), and Math III (39.7%) all fall below state and district levels. The school's statewide ranking has also declined in recent years, from 288 out of 469 North Carolina high schools in 2017-2018 to 484 out of 640 in 2023-2024, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Performance varies significantly across student subgroups, with White and multi-racial students performing relatively well, but Hispanic, African American, and low-income students performing much worse.

Riverside High's challenges may be linked to its growing population of students from low-income families, with the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch increasing from 34.91% in 2020-2021 to 50.99% in 2022-2023. The school's student-teacher ratio has also increased from 15.7 to 18.1 during this time. While Riverside High outperforms some nearby traditional public high schools, it lags behind high-performing magnet schools like Durham School of the Arts and J.D. Clement Early College High School. The school's diverse population and the presence of successful nearby schools, however, suggest potential opportunities for improvement through targeted interventions and collaboration.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 3218 Rose of Sharon Road
       Durham, NC  27712-3130


(919) 560-3965

District: Durham Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
484th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,389 Help


Feeder schools for Riverside High:

Elementary:    E K Powe Elementary
    Hillandale Elementary
    Holt Elementary
Middle:    Brogden Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  18.1 Help
Number of students:  1,812

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
38.3%
African American:
28.9%
White:
26.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  51% Help


 See top rated North Carolina high schools

 Compare Riverside High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Riverside High ranks worse than 75.6% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 7th among 12 ranked high schools in the Durham Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.04. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Student population at Riverside High is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (38.3%), African American (28.9%), White (26.1%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 51% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Riverside High is 18.1. 11 high schools in the Durham Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Riverside High employs 99.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Riverside High is $10,389. 7 high schools in the Durham Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Riverside High:

SchoolDigger ranks Riverside High 484th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Riverside High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Durham Public Schools:

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

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Riverside High.

What do you think?

Your rating for Riverside High?

Rank History for Riverside High

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 47.51 251st 431 41.8%
2007 48.09 243rd 453 46.4%
2008 45.09 287th 477 39.8%
2009 35.43 367th 490 25.1%
2010 38.29 362nd 499 27.5%
2011 36.98 380th 506 24.9%
2012 35.08 343rd 502 31.7%
2013 28.94 317th 505 37.2%
2014 25.82 310th 451 31.3%
2015 26.38 358th 531 32.6%
2016 25.65 344th 507 32.1%
2017 25.38 338th 476 29.0%
2018 36.52 288th 469 38.6%
2019 31.01 339th 514 34.0%
2021 27.03 425th 594 28.5%
2022 31.57 424th 621 31.7%
2023 31.07 427th 626 31.8%
2024 25.04 484th 640 24.4%
See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.60 46th 185 75.1%
2019 80.35 28th 195 85.6%
2021 71.75 44th 199 77.9%
2022 42.42 119th 226 47.3%
2023 41.54 146th 249 41.4%
2024 52.31 118th 261 54.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.62 99th 147 32.7%
2019 35.59 112th 173 35.3%
2022 19.23 154th 156 1.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 38.35 191st 349 45.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.73 307th 424 27.6%
2019 20.45 366th 446 17.9%
2021 16.46 397th 432 8.1%
2022 19.28 476th 544 12.5%
2023 17.27 529th 597 11.4%
2024 15.42 555th 613 9.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 25.49 37th 45 17.8%
2024 29.53 37th 47 21.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.77 334th 449 25.6%
2019 22.53 373rd 475 21.5%
2021 22.21 358th 475 24.6%
2022 26.63 442nd 594 25.6%
2023 28.36 428th 588 27.2%
2024 19.16 498th 602 17.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.78 172nd 349 50.7%
2019 56.71 105th 364 71.2%
2021 29.22 246th 334 26.3%
2022 53.65 104th 330 68.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.97 27th 100 73.0%
2019 48.33 198th 325 39.1%
2021 28.93 270th 337 19.9%
2022 60.81 184th 398 53.8%
2023 60.22 180th 403 55.3%
2024 44.18 292nd 403 27.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 42.53 248th 463 46.4%
2019 35.19 295th 488 39.5%
2021 30.21 300th 481 37.6%
2022 34.06 381st 585 34.9%
2023 32.63 402nd 602 33.2%
2024 28.36 445th 607 26.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.78 33rd 77 57.1%
2019 65.03 33rd 89 62.9%
2021 42.19 56th 83 32.5%
2022 63.21 36th 91 60.4%
2023 53.75 52nd 98 46.9%
2024 22.33 81st 101 19.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.87 243rd 359 32.3%
2019 28.44 274th 369 25.7%
2021 29.07 242nd 364 33.5%
2022 26.67 330th 430 23.3%
2023 26.15 330th 434 24.0%
2024 24.34 350th 437 19.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.01 250th 340 26.5%
2019 19.45 310th 354 12.4%
2021 12.74 358th 370 3.2%
2022 14.45 408th 436 6.4%
2023 12.68 431st 449 4.0%
2024 9.99 443rd 454 2.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Riverside High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.41 57th 427 86.7%
2019 79.19 50th 444 88.7%
2021 77.92 47th 439 89.3%
2022 83.67 90th 534 83.1%
2023 84.34 90th 537 83.2%
2024 77.29 130th 553 76.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White 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.

Riverside High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
0%

100%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Sunday, April 17, 2022

Open Quote Top reasons to choose Riverside: top ranked PLTW Engineering program, Air Force ROTC, a multitude of sports options, many AP level course options, 40 plus clubs, smart lunch, dedicated library staff, current technology, teachers that hold students accountable, etc. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Riverside High

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1992 604 295 32 10 1 n/a n/a 0 942
1993 782 384 46 15 0 n/a n/a 0 1227
1994 795 410 43 14 0 n/a n/a 0 1262
1995 826 583 44 20 1 n/a n/a 0 1474
1996 826 583 44 20 1 n/a n/a 0 1474
1997 833 588 49 15 6 n/a n/a 0 1491
1998 852 602 47 23 11 n/a n/a 0 1535
1999 849 608 59 27 11 n/a n/a 0 1554
2000 823 617 41 31 4 n/a n/a 0 1516
2001 809 653 34 42 3 n/a n/a 0 1541
2002 797 688 41 140 4 n/a n/a 0 1670
2003 797 688 41 140 4 n/a n/a 0 1670
2004 781 758 41 165 5 n/a n/a 0 1750
2005 810 781 37 186 6 n/a n/a 0 1820
2006 849 831 40 206 9 n/a n/a 0 1935
2007 834 796 41 220 5 n/a n/a 61 1957
2008 787 781 42 231 3 n/a n/a 71 1915
2009 761 910 32 261 2 n/a n/a 0 1966
2010 705 903 32 269 1 n/a n/a 0 1910
2011 702 811 24 314 3 1 26 0 1881
2012 612 805 26 326 3 1 36 0 1809
2013 533 792 28 359 2 0 42 0 1756
2014 467 786 41 422 16 0 64 0 1796
2015 438 768 37 493 11 1 63 0 1811
2016 441 767 39 544 7 1 52 0 1851
2017 416 747 41 567 5 2 49 0 1827
2018 412 723 45 589 3 2 52 0 1826
2019 423 640 48 570 5 1 47 0 1734
2020 407 560 40 632 5 5 60 0 1709
2021 431 495 40 623 2 4 58 0 1653
2022 444 506 40 671 1 2 67 0 1731
2023 473 523 35 694 3 2 82 0 1812

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 Riverside High

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 942 71.0 13.2 n/a
1993 1227 80.0 15.3 5.9
1994 1262 88.0 14.3 7.8
1995 1474 105.0 14.0 19.5
1996 1474 105.0 14.0 19.5
1997 1491 105.0 14.2 11.1
1998 1535 113.0 13.6 11.1
1999 1554 113.0 13.8 11.2
2000 1516 113.0 13.4 9.3
2001 1541 113.0 13.6 10.4
2002 1670 113.0 14.8 0
2003 1670 113.0 14.8 0
2004 1750 113.0 15.5 20.9
2005 1820 113.0 16.1 24.1
2006 1935 113.0 17.1 25.2
2007 1957 111.9 17.5 28
2008 1915 118.9 16.1 34.9
2009 1966 121.7 16.2 27.5
2010 1910 112.4 16.9 39.1
2011 1881 110.7 16.9 43.9
2012 1809 109.5 16.5 47
2013 1756 108.3 16.2 52.7
2014 1796 109.3 16.4 52.6
2015 1811 107.0 16.9 52.8
2016 1851 110.0 16.8 52.6
2017 1827 107.7 16.9 54.1
2018 1826 105.7 17.2 51.3
2019 1734 107.3 16.1 52.7
2020 1709 103.6 16.4 45.5
2021 1653 105.0 15.7 34.9
2022 1731 104.6 16.5 36.7
2023 1812 99.8 18.1 51

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 Riverside High

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 942 71.0 13.2 n/a
1993 1227 80.0 15.3 5.9
1994 1262 88.0 14.3 7.8
1995 1474 105.0 14.0 19.5
1996 1474 105.0 14.0 19.5
1997 1491 105.0 14.2 11.1
1998 1535 113.0 13.6 11.1
1999 1554 113.0 13.8 11.2
2000 1516 113.0 13.4 9.3
2001 1541 113.0 13.6 10.4
2002 1670 113.0 14.8 0
2003 1670 113.0 14.8 0
2004 1750 113.0 15.5 20.9
2005 1820 113.0 16.1 24.1
2006 1935 113.0 17.1 25.2
2007 1957 111.9 17.5 28
2008 1915 118.9 16.1 34.9
2009 1966 121.7 16.2 27.5
2010 1910 112.4 16.9 39.1
2011 1881 110.7 16.9 43.9
2012 1809 109.5 16.5 47
2013 1756 108.3 16.2 52.7
2014 1796 109.3 16.4 52.6
2015 1811 107.0 16.9 52.8
2016 1851 110.0 16.8 52.6
2017 1827 107.7 16.9 54.1
2018 1826 105.7 17.2 51.3
2019 1734 107.3 16.1 52.7
2020 1709 103.6 16.4 45.5
2021 1653 105.0 15.7 34.9
2022 1731 104.6 16.5 36.7
2023 1812 99.8 18.1 51

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 Riverside High

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $739 (7.1%) $9,651 (92.9%) $10,389

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Riverside High

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 339th of 514 High schoolsRanks 427th of 626 High schools
 2.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Riverside High)44.753.5
 8.8%
   End of Course Biology (Durham Public Schools)52.347.5
 4.8%
   End of Course Biology (North Carolina)59.654.1
 5.5%
End of Course English II (Riverside High)51.646.5
 5.1%
   End of Course English II (Durham Public Schools)51.849.5
 2.3%
   End of Course English II (North Carolina)59.758.5
 1.2%
End of Course Math I (Riverside High)2920.3
 8.7%
   End of Course Math I (Durham Public Schools)30.928.6
 2.3%
   End of Course Math I (North Carolina)41.235.9
 5.3%
End of Course Math III (Riverside High)39.150.2
 11.1%
   End of Course Math III (Durham Public Schools)37.748.7
 11%
   End of Course Math III (North Carolina)46.858.3
 11.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students17341812
 4.5%
African American640523
 18.3%
American Indian53
 40%
Asian4835
 27.1%
Hispanic570694
 21.8%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White423473
 11.8%
Two or More Races4782
 74.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients52.7%51%
 1.7%


Schools Near Riverside High









Frequently Asked Questions about Riverside High

Riverside High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : E K Powe Elementary
Elementary : Hillandale Elementary
Elementary : Holt Elementary
Middle : Brogden Middle

Students at Riverside High are 38% Hispanic, 29% African American, 26% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Riverside High ranks in the bottom 24.4% of North Carolina high schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,812 students attended Riverside High.


Rate Riverside High!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Riverside High!




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.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 27 milliseconds.