Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

This page covers 44 elementary schools in Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

44
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 44
1
rank
Whitaker Elementary
Grades PK–05545 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
15.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
27%
Low economic need
2
rank
Childrens Center
Grades PK–0559 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (4.5:1)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
4.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
95%
High economic need
3
rank
The Downtown School
Grades PK–08409 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.7:1)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
11.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
26%
Low economic need
4
rank
The Special Children's School
Grades PK–0550 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (4.1:1)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
4.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
94%
High economic need
5
rank
Cash Elementary
Grades PK–05538 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (13.3:1)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
13.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
59%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Piney Grove Elementary
Grades PK–05605 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
51
/100
Student:Teacher
14.9:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
41%
Near nat'l 52.2%
7
rank
Sedge Garden Elementary
Grades PK–05734 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
14.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
58%
Near nat'l 52.2%
8
rank
Sherwood Forest Elementary
Grades PK–05650 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
14.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
21%
Low economic need
9
rank
Southwest Elementary
Grades PK–05523 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
14.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
39%
Near nat'l 52.2%
10
rank
Vienna Elementary
Grades PK–05768 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
16.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,195
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
29%
Low economic need
34 more elementary schools in Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
44
Elementary Schools
81
Total Schools
53
#1 Score
46
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
1
Whitaker Elementary
Score: 53/100
Other School Levels
Compare Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.