Southwest Elementary, 2320 Cook Road: pre-K to grade 5, 638 students in 2024-25 and a C (68) state grade.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, Durham Public Schools’ Growing Together school site, 2026-27 zone and region map, calendars and bell schedule, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 assessment data and report card data and the federal NCES school directory.

Southwest Elementary is a Durham Public Schools elementary school for pre-K to grade 5 at 2320 Cook Road. It is the zoned elementary school for its own attendance area in the district’s Southwest region. It also has a Dual Language Immersion program, which the district says teaches in Spanish at least half the time, and the district lists it as the Dual Language Immersion choice for families in the Southwest region, according to the district’s 2026-27 zone and region map.

Who to call
Address 2320 Cook Road, Durham, NC 27713
Phone 919-560-3972
Grades Pre-K to 5
Run by Durham Public Schools
DPS region Southwest
Program Dual Language Immersion
Calendar Traditional
State school code 320372

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 638 students in the 2024-25 school year, down from 661 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 669 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 52 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 13 students per teacher.

State report card

North Carolina gives every public school an A to F School Performance Grade, based 80% on achievement on state tests and other measures and 20% on academic growth, according to the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report.

School year Grade (score) Growth
2024-25 C (68) Met
2023-24 C (68) Exceeded

The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data.

From the state’s 2025-26 school assessment data:

  • At grade level or above, all state tests: 69.8% (state: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 50.9% (state: 37.5%)
  • Reading, grades 3 to 8, at grade level: 62.9% (state: 55.7%)
  • Math, grades 3 to 8, at grade level: 71.7% (state: 59.6%)
  • Growth: met expected growth

The full report card, with attendance, teacher and course data, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.

Attendance zone and feeder schools

Every Durham Public Schools address is assigned a base elementary, middle and high school, and the zones do not follow the city limits. Check an address in the district’s school locator or the city-county Durham Public School Locator; the zones themselves are on the district’s 2026-27 map service.

Southwest Elementary feeds Sherwood Githens Middle and then C.E. Jordan High, according to the district’s Growing Together page for the school.

Families outside the zone can apply for the school’s choice program through the district’s magnet lottery. For 2026-27 the window ran Jan. 5 to 5 p.m. Jan. 30; the lottery page explains the process, and the district’s school choices page lists the programs.

We found no approved rezoning for this school: the district’s 2027-28 zone map, last updated in September, matches the 2026-27 zones.

DPS holds its Showcase of Schools, with every school represented, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Northern High School, 4622 N. Roxboro Road, according to the district.

Calendar and bell times

Southwest Elementary follows the district’s traditional calendar. Coming dates from the 2026-27 district calendars:

  • Monday, Nov. 2, and Tuesday, Nov. 3: teacher workdays, no school for students
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day holiday
  • Nov. 23-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break
  • Monday, Jan. 18, and Tuesday, Jan. 19: MLK Day holiday, then a teacher workday
  • March 22-26: spring break
  • Wednesday, June 9: last day of school, an early release day

Bell times: 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., according to the district’s bell schedule.

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Frequently asked questions

What grades does Southwest Elementary serve?

Southwest Elementary serves pre-K to grade 5, according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

What is Southwest Elementary’s school grade?

Southwest Elementary earned a C, with a score of 68, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 69.8% of its state tests were at grade level or above.

Which high school does Southwest Elementary feed into?

Southwest Elementary feeds Sherwood Githens Middle and then C.E. Jordan High, according to the district’s Growing Together school site.

How do I know if my address is zoned for Southwest Elementary?

Enter the address in the district’s school locator on its Growing Together site, or call the DPS Office of Student Assignment at 919-560-2059.

What time does Southwest Elementary start?

The school day runs 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., according to the district’s bell schedule.