Root Elementary

Summary:

Root Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in Raleigh, North Carolina, serving students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade as part of the Wake County Schools district.

Academically, Root Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in North Carolina, with students outperforming state and district averages in standardized tests for mathematics, reading, and science. In the 2023-2024 school year, 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students scored 71.2%, 68.9%, and 76.5% proficient or better in mathematics, compared to state averages of 62.7%, 56.6%, and 58.1%. In reading, Root Elementary's students scored 61.6%, 64.9%, and 70.6% proficient or better, compared to state averages of 48.7%, 52.8%, and 50.3%. The school's 5th-grade students also outperformed the state in science, scoring 70.6% proficient or better versus the state average of 66.2%.

While Root Elementary has a diverse student population, it has a significantly higher percentage of white students (64.83%) compared to nearby schools like Olds Elementary (32.2%) and York Elementary (71.14%). Additionally, Root Elementary has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 15.33% to 34.11% over the past three years, compared to nearby schools with rates ranging from 25.51% to 64.04%. The school maintains a consistent and relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.7 to 13.1, similar to the nearby schools.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 3202 Northampton Street
       Raleigh, NC  27609-6926


(919) 881-4940

District: Wake County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
273rd of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,203 Help


Students who attend Root Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Oberlin Middle
High:    Needham Broughton High
    Wake Early College of Health and Science
    Wake STEM Early College High School
    Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  12.7 Help
Number of students:  472

Racial breakdown:

White:
64.8%
African American:
16.9%
Hispanic:
15.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  34.1% Help


 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

 Compare Root Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Root Elementary ranks better than 81.9% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 42nd among 115 ranked elementary schools in the Wake County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 78.45. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Root Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (64.8%), African American (16.9%), Hispanic (15.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 34.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Root Elementary is 12.7, which is the 39th best among 115 elementary schools in the Wake County Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Root Elementary employs 37 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Root Elementary is $10,203, which is the 49th highest among 115 elementary schools in the Wake County Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Root Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Root Elementary 273rd of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Root Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Wake County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Wake County Schools 59th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Root Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 76.22 228th 1276 82.1%
2007 73.98 280th 1293 78.3%
2008 74.43 281st 1324 78.8%
2009 65.47 497th 1354 63.3%
2010 48.26 798th 1363 41.5%
2011 42.01 894th 1381 35.3%
2012 63.99 530th 1388 61.8%
2013 69.67 366th 1403 73.9%
2014 76.12 299th 1390 78.5%
2015 86.91 136th 1440 90.6%
2016 80.06 227th 1425 84.1%
2017 76.98 286th 1429 80.0%
2018 73.36 342nd 1434 76.2%
2019 78.28 255th 1473 82.7%
2021 90.26 114th 1489 92.3%
2022 85.85 166th 1514 89.0%
2023 81.18 213th 1502 85.8%
2024 78.45 273rd 1505 81.9%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 44.85 384th 801 52.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.32 1189th 1332 10.7%
2019 5.61 1345th 1361 1.2%
2022 20.23 1215th 1366 11.1%
2023 18.22 1288th 1437 10.4%
2024 21.98 1267th 1450 12.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.52 335th 1405 76.2%
2019 79.59 217th 1424 84.8%
2021 86.82 136th 1440 90.6%
2022 76.48 278th 1458 80.9%
2023 69.29 398th 1459 72.7%
2024 67.73 402nd 1455 72.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.87 208th 897 76.8%
2019 51.36 347th 878 60.5%
2022 58.64 174th 634 72.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 57.65 331st 612 45.9%
2021 66.40 171st 494 65.4%
2022 62.44 202nd 500 59.6%
2023 65.37 184th 582 68.4%
2024 66.33 181st 669 72.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.47 365th 1413 74.2%
2019 75.17 285th 1430 80.1%
2021 90.68 98th 1444 93.2%
2022 85.78 157th 1464 89.3%
2023 83.49 177th 1461 87.9%
2024 81.22 208th 1464 85.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.45 830th 927 10.5%
2019 10.49 934th 949 1.6%
2021 18.25 837th 896 6.6%
2022 34.32 631st 927 31.9%
2023 30.12 689th 933 26.2%
2024 31.02 699th 924 24.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.65 483rd 851 43.2%
2024 32.72 694th 951 27.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Root Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.36 232nd 1178 80.3%
2019 83.78 128th 1183 89.2%
2021 87.52 99th 1172 91.6%
2022 86.20 101st 1194 91.5%
2023 90.71 41st 1183 96.5%
2024 90.11 57th 1166 95.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary 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.

Root Elementary 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: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Root Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 298 124 4 1 0 n/a n/a 0 427
1989 331 133 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 467
1990 359 115 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 475
1991 375 93 5 4 0 n/a n/a 0 477
1992 366 84 9 2 0 n/a n/a 0 461
1993 362 133 13 0 0 n/a n/a 0 508
1994 344 135 12 0 0 n/a n/a 0 491
1995 324 159 13 5 0 n/a n/a 0 501
1996 324 159 13 5 0 n/a n/a 0 501
1997 296 182 12 5 1 n/a n/a 0 496
1998 298 141 17 10 1 n/a n/a 0 467
1999 304 134 11 14 1 n/a n/a 0 464
2000 293 152 7 14 2 n/a n/a 0 468
2001 303 136 5 7 2 n/a n/a 0 453
2002 294 115 6 4 1 n/a n/a 0 420
2003 294 115 6 4 1 n/a n/a 0 420
2004 306 141 4 14 0 n/a n/a 0 465
2005 322 159 2 18 0 n/a n/a 0 501
2006 324 124 5 11 0 n/a n/a 0 464
2007 309 112 6 23 0 n/a n/a 11 461
2008 298 115 9 28 1 n/a n/a 18 469
2009 253 132 6 24 1 n/a n/a 0 416
2010 267 161 3 44 1 n/a n/a 0 476
2011 264 160 4 53 2 0 22 0 505
2012 284 128 4 33 2 0 13 0 464
2013 317 120 6 76 2 0 16 0 537
2014 343 101 3 51 1 0 16 0 515
2015 359 112 3 48 1 0 13 0 536
2016 369 109 5 45 2 0 12 0 542
2017 371 99 5 46 1 0 12 0 534
2018 384 84 6 42 0 0 10 0 526
2019 373 95 6 21 0 0 9 0 504
2020 357 83 5 24 0 0 9 0 478
2021 354 88 8 19 1 0 7 0 477
2022 291 72 11 16 2 0 6 0 398
2023 306 80 7 75 2 0 2 0 472

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 Root Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 427 20.0 21.3 18.7
1989 467 20.0 23.3 18.6
1990 475 20.0 23.7 17.9
1991 477 33.0 14.4 17.8
1992 461 33.0 13.9 11.5
1993 508 30.0 16.9 11.4
1994 491 31.0 15.8 19.1
1995 501 33.0 15.2 22.4
1996 501 33.0 15.2 22.4
1997 496 30.0 16.5 24.2
1998 467 31.0 15.1 33.6
1999 464 29.0 16.0 33.2
2000 468 29.0 16.1 33.3
2001 453 27.0 16.8 38.2
2002 420 28.0 15.0 20.7
2003 420 28.0 15.0 20.7
2004 465 28.0 16.6 29.2
2005 501 28.0 17.9 35.5
2006 464 34.0 13.6 24.1
2007 461 n/a n/a 26.4
2008 469 31.1 15.1 n/a
2009 416 29.3 14.2 n/a
2010 476 30.2 15.7 36.1
2011 505 35.6 14.1 37.8
2012 464 31.3 14.7 30.8
2013 537 37.0 14.4 31.7
2014 515 39.0 13.2 26.6
2015 536 38.0 14.1 28.7
2016 542 38.0 14.2 26.4
2017 534 37.0 14.4 24.9
2018 526 37.2 14.1 24.9
2019 504 34.9 14.4 21.4
2020 478 35.1 13.5 20.9
2021 477 36.1 13.1 17.6
2022 398 34.0 11.7 15.3
2023 472 37.0 12.7 34.1

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 Root Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 427 20.0 21.3 18.7
1989 467 20.0 23.3 18.6
1990 475 20.0 23.7 17.9
1991 477 33.0 14.4 17.8
1992 461 33.0 13.9 11.5
1993 508 30.0 16.9 11.4
1994 491 31.0 15.8 19.1
1995 501 33.0 15.2 22.4
1996 501 33.0 15.2 22.4
1997 496 30.0 16.5 24.2
1998 467 31.0 15.1 33.6
1999 464 29.0 16.0 33.2
2000 468 29.0 16.1 33.3
2001 453 27.0 16.8 38.2
2002 420 28.0 15.0 20.7
2003 420 28.0 15.0 20.7
2004 465 28.0 16.6 29.2
2005 501 28.0 17.9 35.5
2006 464 34.0 13.6 24.1
2007 461 n/a n/a 26.4
2008 469 31.1 15.1 n/a
2009 416 29.3 14.2 n/a
2010 476 30.2 15.7 36.1
2011 505 35.6 14.1 37.8
2012 464 31.3 14.7 30.8
2013 537 37.0 14.4 31.7
2014 515 39.0 13.2 26.6
2015 536 38.0 14.1 28.7
2016 542 38.0 14.2 26.4
2017 534 37.0 14.4 24.9
2018 526 37.2 14.1 24.9
2019 504 34.9 14.4 21.4
2020 478 35.1 13.5 20.9
2021 477 36.1 13.1 17.6
2022 398 34.0 11.7 15.3
2023 472 37.0 12.7 34.1

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 Root Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $586 (5.7%) $9,617 (94.3%) $10,203

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Root 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 255th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 213th of 1502 Elementary schools
 3.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Root Elementary)79.870.8
 9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)69.467.4
 2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Root Elementary)75.565.3
 10.2%
   3rd Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)6658.7
 7.3%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Root Elementary)79.172
 7.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)6565
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Root Elementary)77.668.3
 9.3%
   4th Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)63.265.7
 2.5%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Root Elementary)67.870.6
 2.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)6665.6
 0.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Root Elementary)63.264.7
 1.5%
   5th Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)60.659.1
 1.5%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Root Elementary)75.979.4
 3.5%
   5th Grade Science (Wake County Schools)71.370.6
 0.7%
   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 Students504472
 6.3%
African American9580
 15.8%
American Indian02
Asian67
 16.7%
Hispanic2175
 257.1%
Pacific Islander00
White373306
 18%
Two or More Races92
 77.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients21.4%34.1%
 12.7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Root Elementary

Root Elementary ranks 273rd of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 472 students attended Root Elementary.

Students at Root Elementary are 65% White, 17% African American, 16% Hispanic, 1% Asian.


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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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