Smith Elementary

Smith Elementary is one of the mid-tier elementary campuss in Raleigh, North Carolina, operated by Wake County Schools, with 596 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 28% bigger than the typical public school in North Carolina, which averages around 467 students.

Across the 198 schools in Wake County Schools (163,176 students total), Smith Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, Smith Elementary lists that 43% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder reads as 26% Black, 20% White, 6% Asian, 4% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 12% Hispanic, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Hispanic than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Smith Elementary records 46 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.9:1, putting Smith Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 99% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is noticeably above Wake County's rate of about 42%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Smith Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 39.7%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Wake County indicate median household earnings sit near $105,768, roughly 57% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. In all, Wake County runs 237 public schools (combined enrollment of about 184,790 students), of which Smith Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Garner High, roughly 1.0 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Smith Elementary comes 5th of 7 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 49.0%.

Smith Elementary operates from a commuter-belt location.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Smith Elementary has climbed 13%, going from 528 students in 2018 to 596 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment fell from 52% to 43% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 11.7:1 in 2018 to 13.0:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.