Southwest Elementary

2320 Cook Road

School District

Durham Public
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
Type

public

School Map for Durham Public 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 November 13, 2024

As a parent and former teacher, I've been incredibly impressed with Southwest Elementary School's administrative team. They've created a warm and inclusive environment. Mr. Rotosky and Mrs. Flores are always approachable, responsive, and genuinely care about each student's well-being. Their commitment to fostering a strong sense of community is evident in their interactions. I'm grateful for their dedication to providing an excellent education and creating a positive learning experience for all students.
Submitted by other on October 07, 2024

This school is family oriented. Many staff have children or grandchildren who attend the school. Southwest has a very active PTA which provides grants to enrich the classrooms. Family activities include Literacy Night and STEM night. Southwest has a Dual Language Spanish Immersion Program. I have three grandchildren at Southwest and they are enjoying their experience.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2024

We've been at Southwest for 3 years now. Each year our experience with teachers just get better and better. They've all been great communicators, really warm and friendly and meet my kids where they're at academically. My kids adore the community here and we feel so fortunate for that. I've even heard the substitutes say that of all their other schools, Southwest is the best. Admin is fantastic and really approachable as well. Love the diversity - it represents our full community well.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2024

We're so grateful for our little neighborhood school! Southwest is a perfect example of how dedicated staff can do so much, despite state legislators trying to suffocate public schools, SWE is the "Little Engine That Could." We've been blessed to have two children walk those halls, and are so humbled by the love and education they received there.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2024

We have been so incredibly pleased in our time at Southwest. Our child is in the Dual Language program and is thriving! She has adored all of her teachers, comes home excited about her day, and looks forward to going to school. We have found the administration to be supportive, responsive, and caring. I feel so fortunate to be a part of the Southwest Family!
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2024

I’ve been a teacher at Southwest for 26 years. My sons also went to Southwest from K-5. They loved it and still enjoy coming back to say hello to their former teachers and the current students. They were so well prepared academically and socially for Middle School. I could’ve sent them to the school in my county, which had a higher ‘grade’ from the state. However, I wanted them to go to a school that felt like a big, diverse, loving family, and Southwest is that!
Submitted by teacher on October 05, 2024

My children had a great experience with great teachers at Southwest. I am also a teacher at Southwest. I love my students, their families and my Southwest family.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2024

Southwest Elementary has been more than great to our family!
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2024

The community, communication and predictability of Southwest is perfect for my family. My favorite part of Southwest Elementary is the principal, Mr. Rotosky. His commitment and compassion for his students, staff and community is clear in every interaction. He is incredibly responsive to parent concerns. My interactions with other staff at Southwest has been similar. I believe it is his influence that makes this the case. I had concerns about the way my child who has an Autism and an ADHD diagnosis was being characterized in proactive communication with me and how he was being managed by his 1st grade teacher. I brought my concerns to Mr. Rotosky and he organized a talk with the teachers, relevant support staff and me to work through next steps. I believe everyone felt heard. Mr. Rotosky ensured me that his inbox was always open. He thanked me for trusting his team with my child. He assured me that the way I feel about my child being at Southwest was a big deal to him. I've also felt welcomed and supported by other staff. The main office, cafeteria, and support staff all demonstrate the culture and expectation that children must be handled with care and their parents may need support too. The EC staff show they know their stuff and care about your kid! They solicit for ideas from the parent and make thoughtful recommendations. At Southwest I feel included.I could also talk about the diversity of the staff, the inclusiveness in the morning talks, the warmth in the hallway at drop off, the support in the carpool line. I know it's all intentional. I love that it's predictable. It comforts me.I recommend Southwest to all parents that want their families to be seen as valuable to the community. I recommend Southwest to the families that value communication. I recommend Southwest to parents of children that are neurodiverse. I recommend Southwest Elementary to all families that can add to or benefit from a community with a culture rooted in academic advancement without forgetting to serve each other with kindness.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2024

Southwest Elementary is a phenomenal school! The principals are amazing, the staff is top-notch, and families in this community are vibrant and active! Best of all personally, my son loves going to school every morning and is excited to tell me about his school day every afternoon! I highly recommend Southwest Elementary!
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2024

My 3 kids love going to Southwest. All of them are in the dual language program and I am amazed at how much they are grasping, learning, and engaging with the Hispanic culture. I love how quickly teachers communicate through Class Dojo. I feel like I’m truly apart of my kids learning team. Each of my kids have different needs and the school meets the needs of each of my kids so well.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2024

Southwest Elementary is an amazing school. From the moment you walk in until you leave out, you feel welcomed. The teachers and staff at Southwest are kind, supportive, and encouraging. They not only help your child/ children grow academically, but socially and emotionally as well. It is wonderful to have educators who care about the whole child. In addition, they communicate and keep you in the loop on what's happening with your child and at school. If you're looking for a school with a loving, encouraging, and caring staff, who are actively engaged with the students and helps them to learn and grow, look no further than Southwest Elementary.
Submitted by principal on October 05, 2024

Southwest Elementary School is a strong, diverse public neightborhood school that does an excellent job. I highly recommend coming and taking a tour.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2024

It’s sad to see what this school has become in a few short years. It used to be a place where black and brown children were nurtured by teachers and staff who cared and who engaged with families. Racial and socioeconomic demographics have shifted, and unfortunately the leadership hasn’t made equity a priority. You’ll see rave reviews, but they’re telling less than half of the story. This isn’t a school that I would recommend for parents of black children, specifically. Luckily there are better options available, but it’s unfortunate that the neighborhood school isn’t the best one.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2024

We've had a tremendously positive experience at Southwest. As point of reference, we are an upper middle class family who considered many of the area private schools and ultimately decided the benefits of being just minutes from our child's school and attending school with neighbors was most important to us. I now laugh thinking about how we truly believed we had to commute 30 minutes to get "the best" educational fit for our child. Strong family engagement, great community feel, excellent specials offerings, and truly caring, attentive teachers and staff are what you will find at Southwest. Our child also receives gifted services through the AIG program that have been perfect for meeting him where he's at. It's a minor complaint, but I do wish they had significantly more clubs and extracurricular offerings available for all grade levels (some DPS schools have Friday clubs, or after-school offerings like chess, science Olympiad, dance, etc.). We also have not been terribly impressed with the quality of the on-site after school program, but it's not fair to hold that against Southwest as they don't directly run the program (And there are other after school programs that pick up from the school so families aren't limited). To sum up though, don't overlook this wonderful neighborhood school as you consider your options. Southwest is truly a gem.
Submitted by other on June 07, 2023

I am a proud Southwest parent! My daughter recently finished her second year in the Spanish dual language program. Her classroom teachers, teacher assistants, and specials teachers have been warm, engaging, and dedicated to student success. There is a strong emphasis on social-emotional learning and excellent integration of social studies, science, and project-based learning in the curriculum. Students are supportive and kind to one another, and families are engaged with the school as well. The student body and staff is diverse and inclusive. Students with special needs are treated equally from what I've observed. The school supports LGBTQ children and families through the Rainbow Club. PTA helped to create a food bank for Southwest families who may be struggling with food insecurity. Southwest Elementary is a true community, and I am grateful to all the teachers, administrators, staff, families, and students.
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2023

We left SWE earlier this year because our student was having difficulty reading English. After an evaluation by a (private, expensive) learning specialist, it was determined our student was learning to read Spanish at grade level rather than English. Learning to read Spanish involved more fun activities in the classroom and our kiddo loved the coloring, drawing, etc and was very confused over English words. As parents, we started our kiddo with learning to read English materials at home and we're happy with the results. Yes, there was some initial confusion and frustration but its worth it to see our student able to read menus, road signs, books and write short letters to her grandparents. We don't believe a Spanish immersion curriculum is best for all students, especially at the K-2 grade levels when students are just learning to read.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2022

Don’t be fooled by the positive reviews. If you’re white, you and your kids will love it here. If open racism appeals to you, then Southwest is the school for you.
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2021

Instead of making a decision based on school ratings, make the point to visit the school and communicate with the staff. You will not be disappointed with Southwest. The principal is caring and constantly available to address any concern. My son will be in second grade next year in the dual language program and so far we have had nothing but stellar teachers and Instruction Assistants. I am a very active parent and have attended as many events at school as possible and can tell you these teachers are incredibly talented and caring. I have worked for six years at a private school in Durham and can tell you the sense of community is the most important base to supporting all our children academically and emotionally. If you are someone who believes in the value of public school, join us in making the school even better. As funding for public schools in general is continually cut every year, the force of parents is what will carry everyone through. Southwest has a strong group of parents who advocate for services our students need, and we work with the school to make sure all our little Seahawks will fly high in life. Read about our sustainer program on the school's PTA website to learn more. Southwest is a great community for children and parents. In just two years (even during the pandemic) my son has made wonderful friends and so did I.
Submitted by other on May 13, 2021

We have just started our journey into elementary school and have been so pleased with this amazing school community. Every interaction we've had has been compassionate, thoughtful, and thorough. We are a part of the dual language program and have been impressed with not only the teachers but also the amount of Spanish our 1st grader is learning.