Smith Magnet Elementary, 1101 Maxwell Drive: grades Pre-K-5, 574 students in 2024-25, a D (44) state grade.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website; the Wake County Public School System’s enrollment and calendar pages, base school lookup and draft 2027-28 enrollment plan; Wake County property records; the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2024-25 report card data and 2025-26 school assessment workbook; the federal NCES school directory.

Smith Magnet Elementary is a Wake County Public School System elementary school at 1101 Maxwell Drive, Raleigh. The campus has a Raleigh mailing address but sits outside any city’s limits, in Garner’s planning area, according to Wake County property records. In our Oct. 12 check of 1,010 homes spread across Raleigh city limits, drawn from Wake County property records and run through the district’s base school lookup, 9 were assigned to Smith Magnet Elementary, mostly in ZIP code 27603. Its homepage lists the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, a global studies program with Spanish or Mandarin, and Spanish dual language immersion.

Who to call
Address 1101 Maxwell Drive, Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone 919-662-2458
Grades Pre-K to 5
District Wake County Public School System
Calendar Traditional
State school code 920560

Principal

Principal Beverly Smith, according to the school’s website.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 574 students in the 2024-25 school year, up from 508 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 521 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 47 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 11 students per teacher.

State report card

North Carolina grades every public school A to F. The grade is based 80% on student achievement and 20% on academic growth, according to the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report. For this school, achievement is measured mainly by the state’s end-of-grade reading, math and science tests.

School year Grade and score Growth
2024-25 D (44) Not met
2023-24 C (56) Met

The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data. The state released 2025-26 test results in September 2026; from its 2025-26 school assessment workbook:

  • At grade level or above, all state tests: 49.4% (statewide: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 25.7%
  • Growth: met expected growth
  • Reading, grades 3 to 8: 46% at grade level or above; math: 53.5%

The full report card, with class sizes, teacher data and school safety figures, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.

Attendance zone

WCPSS assigns every address a base elementary, middle and high school. Enter an address in the district’s base school lookup to see all three, or browse the base attendance area map. Zones do not follow city limits or mailing addresses. We did not find a published feeder list on the district’s enrollment pages, so we do not name feeder schools here; Student Assignment, 919-431-7333, can confirm an address.

The list of proposed base area changes in the district’s draft 2027-28 enrollment plan, which the Board of Education is scheduled to vote on Nov. 17, does not name Smith Magnet Elementary. Check an address with the proposal lookup.

Calendar and bell times

Smith Magnet Elementary follows the district’s traditional calendar. Coming dates on the 2026-27 traditional calendar (PDF):

  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: teacher workday, no school for students
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day holiday
  • Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break

Bell times: 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., according to the bell schedule posted on the school’s website.

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Frequently asked questions

What grades does Smith Magnet Elementary serve?

Smith Magnet Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

What is Smith Magnet Elementary’s school grade?

Smith Magnet Elementary earned a D, with a score of 44, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 49.4% of its state tests were at grade level or above and it met its growth target.

What time does Smith Magnet Elementary start?

The school day runs 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., according to the school’s website.

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

Enter the address in the Wake County Public School System’s base school lookup, or call Student Assignment at 919-431-7333. Zones do not follow city limits.