Northside Elementary School

350 Caldwell Street

School District

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:6
Type

public

School Map for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on June 16, 2023

Four words for parents of children with special needs. Advocate For Your Child because no one will. At the same time, the school is vibrant and historically meaningful. We felt the school was decent, and not all teachers were concerned. Never my experience as a parent is of my thoughts. Every child must thrive in a supportive environment with teachers who understand the importance of engaging parents in the child's learning. Not just at the IEP meeting, where a parent is informed of the child's progress. Whatever happens to weekly progress reports? I am disappointed because I didn't see passion as the leading force but mediocrity in my child's classroom. If the parent (I) was not taken seriously, I don't think my child's experience was.
Submitted by parent on June 22, 2022

Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools are the top schools in the state for a reason. Northside is an example of why. When they built this school just a few years ago, the staff from other schools had to apply to be placed at Northside. As a result, everyone who is there WANTS to be there and cares about the education and well-being of the kids. Great experience across the board.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2021

This is a excellent school. The teachers care the students. My daughter has very good experience in this school. It is an esl (English as second language) school so a lot of foreign students learn English there. This may be the reason for its low rating.
Submitted by parent on September 04, 2019

while welcoming, my child is not receiving an adequate education here. It is extremely disappointing and I now see why people move across town to get out of this district.
Submitted by parent on August 13, 2019

We moved here halfway through my son’s first grade year and found it welcoming. He’s made great progress in second and third both academically and socially. We are looking forward to another year and having our youngest enter kindergarten!
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2018

Our experience has been very good. Our son has some learning delays, and the support has been attentive, consistent and appropriate. The diversity of the school is fantastic, and we are grateful our white son has the chance to be led by teachers of various ethnicities.
Submitted by parent on December 26, 2017

Our two children (1st & 3rd) attend Northside, and we have been very happy with the school. The school fosters a strong sense of community in a diverse environment, and differentiated opportunities are available for gifted children. The librarian and the specials teachers are also outstanding.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2017

My child had a very bad experience at this school and prior to departure ended the year feeling very worthless and unconfident. My child is now in a private school and having a much better experience. The leadership at the school seems to be mostly focused on afterschool programs for children who lack a place to go at the end of the day and other special programs for children who are disadvantaged or fall into a category that indicates they need extra support. Frequent testing and practices for testing occur. The curriculum is not very differentiated and children who test above average read a book while other children test, since the teacher is occupied with the testing. Behavior management is a major issue and takes up a significant portion of the day.
Submitted by parent on April 11, 2017

I'm a little in shock that this school received a 5! Should be much higher. The only thing I can figure out is that the "improvement" score is low since the school is so new. My daughters started there last year in Pre-K and 1st grade, after transferring from Rashkis, and are finishing out the second year there. I have nothing but glowing things to say. The principal is optimistic, engaged and accessible. The school is clean, modern and spacious. The staff is helpful and courteous. And the teachers? Oh boy, those teachers just blow me away. Our first year, I just thought it was luck, but after 2 years (4 teachers), plus phenomenal experiences with the specials teachers, I can only say wow. Deeply engaged with my children, highly responsive when I contact them, and just generally devoted, intellegent people. No school is perfect, but this is the best experience I've had over 3 elementary schools and 3 day cares.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2016

Our two children are completing their first year in Northside and they and we love this school. It has only been open for three years, so it is very modern with large classrooms, updated technology, excellent playgrounds, and a wonderful library. Speaking of libraries, the librarian is amazing. She gets to know all of the students and goes the extra mile to make sure parents know about all the great reading opportunities and outlets available to the students.The principal, Ms. Sharpless, also does a terrific job of communicating with parents. She sends out a weekly call to all families to update them on all the activities of that week and to let us know about what's coming up. She attends the PTA meetings and always seeks out parental feedback and suggestions and when you see her in person, she is so friendly and approachable.Our kids both love their teachers and teaching assistants. They all seem to have a great sense of humor and know how to engage the students without being too formal or disciplinarian. There is real school spirit at Northside - it can be seen in their assemblies, dances, and even little activities held throughout the year. We came from a school that did not do half the things that Northside does, so having that as a comparison has really made us appreciate how much this school does to make it feel like a second home for our children.No school is ever perfect but we feel really lucky to be a part of Northside - they do a lot right and they work hard to keep getting better.
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2015

My daughter has been a student at Northside for two years. Given that it was a "brand new" school we wondered if there might be some growing pains. However, the school has exceeded our expectations in every way! The principal is a competent and effective leader and the teachers are top-notch. It has been fun to see the school grow and develop its own identity and traditions.