Burton Elementary

As an intimate elementary-level community in Durham, North Carolina, Burton Elementary hosts 293 students from grades pre-K through 5, part of Durham Public Schools. That puts it 37% leaner than the typical public school in North Carolina, which averages around 467 students.

Burton Elementary is one of 55 schools operated by Durham Public Schools, a district that instructs 31,797 students overall.

On the student-mix side, Burton Elementary lists that the largest single group is Black at 46%, but no single group is in the majority; the rest consists of 38% Hispanic, 9% White, 5% multiracial. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 32%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school lists 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.9:1, putting Burton Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 99% of students at Burton Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Burton Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 48.6%; this one delivers 63.4%.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Durham County put median household income runs about $82,316, 55% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. Across Durham County's 74 public schools (combined enrollment of about 46,109 students), Burton Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Middle College HS @ DTCC, roughly 0.5 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Burton Elementary comes 2nd of 6 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 45.9%.

The school occupies an inner-city site.

Five-year trend. Burton Elementary's enrollment has edged down 23% since 2018, when it stood at 380 (now 293). Hispanic enrollment moved from 57% to 38% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 10.8:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.