Top Rankings
Orange County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 7 public preschools serving 3,117 students in Orange County Schools School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Orange County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 49% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 45% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 53% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public preschool average of 59% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
14 Schools
994 Schools
# Students
7,249 Students
464,055 Students
# Teachers
505 Teachers
33,275 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Orange County Schools School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 91% has increased from 89% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#181 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
49%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
46%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
61%
63%
Graduation Rate
91%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.67
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
2%
4%
% Hispanic
27%
23%
% Black
15%
25%
% White
48%
41%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
8%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $13,882 is higher than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $15,475 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$101 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$112 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,882
$11,187
Spending / Student
$15,475
$11,612
Best Orange County Schools School District Public Preschools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Hillsborough Elementary School
(Math: 73% | Reading: 75%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
402 North Nash Street
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-6137
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-6137
Grades: PK-5
| 434 students
Rank: #22.
River Park Elementary School
(Math: 61% | Reading: 55%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
240 St. Mary's Road
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-9326
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-9326
Grades: PK-5
| 555 students
Rank: #33.
Pathways Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
431 Strouds Creek Road
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-9136
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-9136
Grades: PK-5
| 352 students
Rank: #44.
New Hope Elementary School
(Math: 41% | Reading: 37%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
1900 New Hope Church Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(919) 942-9696
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(919) 942-9696
Grades: PK-5
| 538 students
Rank: #55.
Central Elementary School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
154 Hayes St
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-3622
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-3622
Grades: PK-5
| 287 students
Rank: #66.
Grady Brown Elementary School
(Math: 34% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
1100 New Grady Brown Rd
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-6138
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732-6138
Grades: PK-5
| 401 students
Rank: #77.
Efland Cheeks Elementary School
(Math: 39% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
4401 Fuller Rd
Efland, NC 27243
(919) 563-5112
Efland, NC 27243
(919) 563-5112
Grades: PK-5
| 550 students
Recent Articles
Texas Schools: The Voucher/School Choice Debate
The issue of school choice and a voucher system is currently being revisited in Houston and across the state of Texas, with strong opinions on both sides of the debate.
Fuel Up to Play 60 Focuses on Integrating Fitness and Wellness into the School Day
What if NFL players came to your school? With the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, sponsored by the National Dairy Council and the NFL, nutrition and exercise are promoted during the school day. NFL players participate in the program by coming to schools and talking to students about fitness. Learn more about the program and some of the schools that are implementing it.
What Parents Need to Know About Lunch Shaming
Students all over the nation go hungry every day not because their schools don’t offer lunch, but because they refuse them to children with outstanding debts. Read on to learn about the horror that is lunch shaming and what can be done about it.
