Sunset Hills

Portfolio
Hea 603-01
Fall 2013

Table of Contents
Neighborhood Boundaries/Map

Sociodemographic Summary

Interview Summary
6
Revised Windshield Tour
8
Health Profile
16
School Profile
20
References

27

Neighborhood Boundaries

The boundaries of Sunset Hills are South Elam, West Friendly Avenue, West
Market Street, and South Aycock Street.
A google map version is available here.

Sociodemographic Profile Summary

Race
The majority of Sunset Hills is Caucasian/white. There is little diversityin the
neighborhood.
Compared to Guilford County, Sunset Hills is very different in terms of race.
They have a much higher percentage of Caucasian/white, and a very low
percentage of other races.
Age
Guilford County boasts a very different array of age groups. There are equal
amounts of middle-aged individuals over 65 years old. There are also a large
amount of children, which shows that there is a large amount of families that
reside in the neighborhood.
Education
The majority of Guilford County residents have attained a high school degree
(or equivalent), some college, or a bachelors degree.
Employment
In Guilford County, 60% of residents aged 16-64 have worked for over 50
weeks. We think this this shows a high employment rating for the work force
compared to some other counties.
Income
The bulk of Guilford County makes between $15,000 and $99,999 annually.
The percentages for each income bracket are pretty even across the board.
Compared to Sunset Hills, the Guilford County income spread is lower. Their

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census tract shows a higher percentage of individuals making $50,000 or
more.
The median income for Guilford county households is $46,288, for Sunset
Hills the median income is $72,500.
Housing
In Guilford County there are 37.1% renters, while in Sunset Hills there are
only 2% renters. This shows that there are very few occupied rental units in
the neighborhood, which is consistent with out interview findings.
Also, in Guilford County 11.1% of homes are vacant, while in Sunset Hills
4.5% homes that are vacant.
It is also worth noting that 52.8% of Sunset Hills homes were built between
1960 and 1969. And the majority of homes are worth between $150,000 and
$300,000.

Interview Findings
During all individual interviews with members of Sunset Hills we found the
following major points and themes:

Sunset Hills does not boast a lot of diversity, and this was expressed

multiple times by multiple interviewees.

Some major reasons people enjoy living in the neighborhood is the

sense of unity, safety, and the close proximity to major resources.

Many schools serve the residents of Sunset Hills. This includes a mix of

public, private, and magnet schools.

There is little crime in the community. The only mischief reported by

interviewees was small acts of vandalism to Christmas decorations.

Many residents are business owners, professionals, or university

employees.
There are a lot of residents that have lived in the neighborhood for an

extended amount of time.

It was reported that there are more homosexual households than non-

white households.
The neighborhood association is very helpful to many of the residents.
Dues are $10 a year and this enables residents to attend all
community events and utilize the community list serve, complete with
moderators. The list serve lets residents communicate important
events to each other, as well as safety concerns. When something
hazardous happens within the neighborhood, community members are

alerted through the list serve.

A quarterly newsletter is distributed to every single household in
Sunset Hills by the newsletter team. The newsletter usually reports on

past and upcoming events that are sponsored by the neighborhood.

The newsletter also lets community members know any updates on
community issues, such as the new development of the old Hams
property into the Mad Hatter Restaurant.

Abandoned homes in Sunset Hills are a sensitive issue to many

members of the neighborhood board. They fear these homes will drive
down property values and are planning on working with the city of
Greensboro to encourage and drive homeowners into either selling or

renting their property.

Neighbors and the board are concerned that property being bought on
South Walker are being zoned for high capacity residential areas, which
could impact the look and feel of the neighborhood.

Revised Windshield Tour

Team Members:
Sarah Frantz
Shu-Shu Karki
Andrea Graziano
Alesha Cooke
Pierre-Olivier Cote
Days/Times observations were completed:
Wednesday, September 18th 6-8pm (all group members)
Sunday, September 22nd 10-11am (weekend morning, Sarah Frantz)
Monday, September 23rd 9-10pm (evening, Sarah Frantz, Pierre-Olivier Cote, Andrea Graziano)
Tuesday, September 24th 10-11am (morning, Shu-Shu Karki, Alesha Cooke)
General Information:
Sunset Hills, Greensboro
12th congressional district
Represented by Melvin Watt [D]
Census Tract: 125.09
Located in Greensboro, zip code 27403
Boundaries:
North: West Friendly Avenue
South: West Market Street
East: South Aycock Street
West: North Elam Street
Sidewalks
There are sidewalks on approximately 50-60% of Sunset Hills. They are mostly on one
side of the two way road and on both sides of West Market street. Most people running, biking,
or walking do so on the sidewalks, but we did not observe a large amount (under 20 people)
doing such activities. In the early evening observation, approximately 10 people were observed

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running and or walking in a two hour period. Only a few people were observed walking on a
Sunday morning and most people seem to drive to church instead of walking. Sidewalks seem to
be maintained frequently and are not overgrown with weeds, and they are not cracked. In some
places however, overgrown trees and bushes can make it difficult to walk on some parts of the
sidewalks, and could make it especially difficult for handicapped individuals to get around. Most
of the sidewalks are slanted down for wheelchair/scooter access and have tactile sidewalk strips
with raised crossing dots for the visually impaired. In larger intersections, there are cross boxes
with lights for hearing impaired, but there are no sounds to assist vision impaired individuals
who need to cross the road.
Bike trails or routes
There are no marked bike trails inside Sunset Hills, but observed community members
were seen biking in the roads or on sidewalks.
The closest established greenway (a multi-use trail established and maintained by the city
of Greensboros Department of Parks and Recreation) is located less than 5 miles away at Lake
Daniel Park. The trail is open to running, walking, and biking and has parking for over 25
people.
ADA accessibility
Most sidewalks (all the newly renovated parts) have tactile strips with raised crossing
dots, and are slanted for ease of access. None of the sidewalks are heavily sloped. All public
buildings (all of the churches in the neighborhood in this case) have wheelchair ramps.
Neighborhood Parks
Inside Sunset Hills, there are two well maintained playgrounds. We observed a family
playing in one of the parks while we were there. One park was bigger than the other,
approximately double the size. The bigger park consisted of more equipment in the playground
such as swings and a sitting area which consisted of park benches and tables. They also had
multiple trashcans and had a water foundation as well. While the park next to the tennis courts
appeared to be smaller, even the playground was much simpler (did not have swings). Each
playground seemed to be for elementary to middle school aged kids. The larger park had both

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baby swings in additional to regular swings. The park next to the tennis court seemed mainly for
elementary and younger aged children. The playground has some toys and play equipment for
neighborhood use. The toys consisted of numerous trucks and cars of medium size that appeared
to be used often by the kids. Both parks had wooded turf to provide safety. There is also a tennis
court located next to the smaller playground. Very large trees surround the area. We observed
kids riding their bicycles inside the tennis court and another time we saw a resident playing catch
with his dog. It appeared that the tennis court served as multipurpose space. The neighborhood
parks provide a space for the community to come together. There was very limited parking (only
choice available for parking was side of the street), and it seemed that most residents walked to
the park.
The Greensboro Arboretum is located only 2.5 miles from Sunset Hills.
- Walking/skating/biking trails and adjacent softball fields. There are lots of benches, restroom
facilities, and water fountains for both dogs and humans.
Schools
There are two schools located near the Sunset Hills Community, Our Lady of Grace
Catholic School and Lindley Elementary School. Our Lady of Grace Catholic School is located
near the intersection of W Market Street and Chapman Street in the Sunset Hills community. Our
Lady of Grace operates as a private school accepting students in pre-k through eighth grade.
There is an application process for admission.
Lindley Elementary School is located on Camden Road which runs parallel to W Market
Street in Sunset Hills. Lindley enrolls students in pre-k through fifth grade. Lindley Elementary
is a Guilford County Public School and accepts students from surrounding communities and
neighborhoods. It is important to note that neither of the two schools located in the Sunset Hills
community serve high school students. The closest high school is Grimsley High School off of
Westover Terrace.
Churches
There are several churches located in Sunset Hills: Centenary United Methodist Church,
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, St Andrews Episcopal Church, Peace United Church of

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Christ, First Moravian Church and Ebenezer Lutheran Church. The churches are of various
denominations catering to most spiritual needs. During a neighborhood visit on a Sunday
morning to Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church we observed a various amount and diversity of
people attending. There were individuals and families from various backgrounds and of varying
ages gathered together to attend service. Parking was hard to find as the parking lot was filled to
capacity and cars were parked down several blocks in every direction.
Places where people like to linger or hang out

Parks within the neighborhood that have playgrounds

Walking around the neighborhood

Front porches/front yards/driveways

Community organizations, associations, and health and social service agencies

Sunset Hills Neighborhood Association - Very organized neighborhood association with
board of directors and very professional-looking website. Website is frequently updated with the
latest news and neighborhood activities. Semiyearly neighborhood newsletter can also be found
on website. Pictures and updates on neighborhood activities are posted on the site, as well as
board minutes and neighborhood concerns. Contact information for the Sunset Hills board is also
located on the site, along with maps of the community. A historical index of houses can also be
found on the site.
http://www.sunsethillsneighborhood.org/index.html
There are no established social service or health organizations within or around Sunset Hills that
cater straight to this community.
Health care providers:
Wesley Long Hospital and related Womens Hospital are located adjacent to Sunset Hills.
It is located at 501 North Elam Avenue, Greensboro NC. Wesley Long is a part of Cone Health
System and provides a wide range of services such as; emergency services, surgical, outpatient
care, and womens health center. Alliance Urology is also located close by at 509 North Elam
Avenue. They provide services for adults with urologic disorders, kidney stones, interstitial

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cystitis, kidney, bladder, testicular and prostate cancers, enlarged prostate, adult urinary and fecal
incontinence, erectile dysfunction, male infertility and male osteoporosis.
With health care providers that offer specialist services close by, it becomes convenient
for resident of Sunset Hills to use those services. Greensboro Pediatricians is also close by at 510
North Elam Avenue. This provides a place where families can take their kids for routine
checkups and when they are sick rather than to the hospital. Beltone Hearing Care is also in close
proximity of Sunset Hills. They provide services for people who need hearing aids and is located
at 1614 W Friendly Ave, Greensboro, NC 27403. There is also a Lenscrafters located in the
friendly shopping center at 642 Friendly Center Rd where residents can get vision help close by.
Sunset Hills has a large amount of health care providers that offer a wide range of services,
making the community a central location to live.
Block by block description of types of housing:
Single family homes, the majority with yards and driveways. There is off-street parking
available. Homes surrounding the park in the middle of the neighborhood tend to be larger than
the ones on the outskirts of the neighborhood. Towards the east end of Madison Avenue, houses
tend to be smaller, ranch-style single-family homes. Most abandoned houses are found at the east
end of the neighborhood, and the only commercial buildings of the neighborhood can be found
where Aycock Street meets West Friendly Avenue and West Market Street. Some of these
commercial buildings are also currently vacant. Moving west from there on Madison Avenue,
houses tend to get larger, and are mainly older, two-story homes closer to the neighborhood park
between East and West Greenway Drive. The oldest, and largest homes in the neighborhood
seem to surround the park area which was part of the neighborhoods original planned
development. A similar phenomenon seems to occur moving west from the park. Houses near
and west of North Elam Avenue tend to be smaller, single-story homes that looked like they have
been constructed in the 1960s. There is a townhome complex on North Lindell Road which is
parallel to Wendover Avenue, the west boundary of the neighborhood. Most of the churches in
the neighborhood are on West Market Street, the south boundary of the neighborhood. Houses
near those churches on West Market, and on perpendicular roads that lead to the neighborhood,
also tend to be larger and older homes with some of the largest lots in the neighborhood. Coming
in from the neighborhoods main entrance off of West Friendly Avenue and going west on

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Rolling Road, homes tend to be smaller on the right side of the street (north). These homes
between Rolling Road and West Friendly Avenue tend to be bungalow-style and much smaller.
These are very similar in style to the ones west of North Elam Avenue.
Food Stores
Harris Teeter, Friendly Shopping Center

Supermarket with pharmacy

High availability of fruits and vegetables

High availability of alcohol

Categorized as Moderately Expensive ($$) on Yelp - more expensive than other

supermarkets (ex: Wal-Mart)

Referred to as the Taj MaTeeter, due to size and vast food selection.

Best Way Grocery

Walker Avenue, near Elam Avenue

Medium availability of fruits and vegetables

High availability of alcohol - Wall OBeer

Categorized as Inexpensive ($) on Yelp

Known for being accessible to UNCG students and local community members

Whole Foods Market

High availability of fresh produce, including organic food

High availability of vitamins and supplements

High availability of ready to take home food

High availability of foods for specific diet concerns, including gluten-free and vegan

High availability of alcohol

Categorized as Pricey ($$$) on Yelp - more expensive than other supermarkets (ex:
Harris Teeter, Wal-Mart)

Farmers markets
Every Saturday from 8am-12pm there is a small farmers market set up on the corner of
Walker Ave and Elm Avenue, in the parking lot of Sticks and Stones pizza. This is less than
mile from Sunset Hills and can be easily accessed by foot by utilizing sidewalks. There is

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parking available for the farmers market on side streets and in neighboring parking lots across
the street. The farmers market offers a large selection of seasonal and local fruits, vegetables,
nuts, seeds, meat products, and even some more processed or packaged foods made by the
farmers. Many of the products sold at the farmers market are certified organic. Some farmers
also sell homemade gifts and crafts. This market has only been open since March of 2013.
Commercial Enterprises
Sunset Hills is located within minutes to shopping, dining and recreation. The nearby
Friendly Shopping Center boasts several restaurants ranging from fine dining, deli,
Mediterranean, coffee shops and Asian cuisine. There are many options for retail shopping.
Shopping options include a bookstore, retail, outdoor, and specialty shops. Outside of the
Friendly Shopping Center there are numerous other resources that serve very different purposes
such as the local US Post Office, banks, and business offices. Located within the neighborhood
and currently under construction is the Mad Hatter, a craft-beer bar and restaurant. The property
is owned by Kotis Properties and the construction began in March and is due to finish within the
next couple of months.
The site for Mad Hatter was purchased in hopes of turning the corner of Smyres Place
and Madison Avenue into a small bar and dining area similar to that located on the corners of S
Elam and Walker Avenue in Greensboro.
Historical sites
Sunset Hills itself is a historical community, recognized by Greensboro and the US
Department of the Interior. The Sunset Hills Historic District has been placed on the National
Register of Historic Places and most of the 800+ buildings were constructed between 1926 and
1965. This makes it the first time in Greensboros history that post-WWII residential architecture
is given historic district recognition. The neighborhood includes examples of Colonial Revival,
Tudor Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, and Ranch-style homes. Sunset Hills is one of the earliest
examples of suburban development in Greensboro and was developed by A.K. Moore. In 2012,
the American Institute of Architects sponsored a tour of some of the historic homes present in
Sunset Hills. This is a link of this tour that occurred on May 19th and 20th, 2012:
http://blandwood.org/documents/2012TOHH_TourGuide.pdf#2012Magazine

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Safety
Street lighting is scarce, especially on the streets surrounding the park area and in the
park itself. This makes the neighborhood very dark at night which could effect safety and makes
it difficult for walking and biking. There is little (minimal) motor vehicle traffic in the
neighborhood throughout the day, and most drivers seem to respect the speed limit of 25 mph
within the core of the neighborhood. No large trucks (such as 18-wheelers) were seen in the
neighborhood. There are also very little vehicles (less than 5 were observed) parked on the street.
Many are in driveways, covered outdoor areas, or garages. This promotes street visibility so we
see it as a positive safety feature of this neighborhood. Two police cars were seen patrolling the
streets during the evening observation hours, but were not responding to a call.
Abandoned houses could be a potential safety concern. Most of these abandoned homes are
towards the outer edge of the neighborhood, but these could create breeding grounds for
pests/rodents since yards and houses are not maintained. Many of the abandoned houses have no
lights on in the evening hours, no cars parked outside, have overgrown grass/weeds/bushes
(vegetation) and are dilapidated. These houses look different from the rest in all of the above
mentioned areas, but also in the maintenance of the house itself. Many have peeling paint and
cracked walkways. There is no appearance of yard tools, toys, or any equipment to suggest
someone is working on the house.

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Health Profile
Located in Guilford County, North Carolina in the census tract 125.09, the community of
Sunset Hills differs significantly from the rest of the county and state on many levels. Many of
these differences can be seen in the communitys socio-demographic profile. This health profile
will reflect the overall health of the community and highlight how the neighborhood differs in
terms of health issues and health outcomes.
Mortality
The leading causes of mortality for a geographical area are an excellent health indicator
that highlight the areas main health-related issues. Note that due to the unavailability of more
recent data, mortality rates for census tract 125.09 are between the years 2002 and 2006. The
data at the state and county level are between the years 2006 and 2010. All mortality rates are
expressed as age adjusted rates per 100,000 population. For census tract 125.09, the leading
cause of death is heart disease with a rate of 213. This is considerably higher than at the state and
county level where heart disease is responsible for 184.9 and 159.5 of deaths per 100,000,
respectively. For Guilford County, cancer is the leading cause of mortality with a rate of 169.5.
Cancer is only the second cause of mortality in census tract 125.09, yet it has a mortality rate of
206, which is greater than at the county level. Amongst the different types of cancer, breast and
prostate cancer are the most common in census tract 125.09. Breast cancer is responsible for a
mortality rate of 161 in the census tract compared to only 23.4 and 22.8 in North Carolina and
Guilford County respectively. The story is similar with prostate cancer which is responsible for
58 deaths per 100,000 in the census tract, compared to only 25.5 and 24.9 at the state and county
level respectively. Prostate cancer is therefore responsible for over two times more death in the
census tract than at the state level, and breast cancer is responsible for over six times more death
in census tract 125.09.
Although heart disease and cancer, especially breast and prostate cancer, are responsible
for a greater death rate in census tract 125.09 than at the state and county level, the area has
lower rates of suicide, homicide, poisoning deaths, drowning, and fire-related deaths. In fact,
between 2002 and 2006, there were no deaths linked to the aforementioned issues in the census
tract 125.09. This shows that Sunset Hills is a pretty safe place to live. The high death rates from
heart disease, and cancer however, show important health concerns in the area. These health

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issues are often times hidden by the neighborhoods peaceful facade, but are important
determinants of health for this community.
Birth Statistics
Birth statistics can be viewed as an essential health indicator. Information related to birth
are used to assess maternal and child health. Federally data and statistics related to births are
required to be maintained and published and state laws mandate the completion of a birth
certificate at the time of birth. These birth certificates are often used for statistical purposes and
to make the information readily available to the public. This section will compare rates from
Guilford County, Forsyth County and the US on low birth weight, very low birth weight and
preterm birth.
Low birth weight is measured by the number of babies born with a weight of 2500 grams
or less. Based on information from the Guilford County Health Report 2012 Guilford County
(9.3%) ranked higher than the national average (6.0%) and slightly higher than the state of North
Carolina (9.1%) on low birth weight. Guilford County also had a higher percentage of low birth
weight births than nearby Forsyth County with an average of 8.6%.
Very low birth weight is identified as any baby born weighing less than 1500 grams. In
the US the percentage of very low birth for 2011 was 1.44%. This was a minor decrease from
1.49% in 2006. Guilford County was slightly higher than the national average with a percentage
of 2.4% and slightly similar to neighboring Forsyth Countys percentage of 2.3%. Guilford
Countys average is higher than North Carolina with an average of 1.7%.
Full term birth is considered birth after 37-40 weeks of growth. Thus, birth prior to week
37 is considered preterm. In 2011 the national average of preterm births and Guilford County
were equal with a percentage of 11%. The percentage of preterm births in 2011 for North
Carolina was 13% higher than that of Guilford County and the US.
Communicable Disease
Guilford Countys rates of Syphilis have decreased over the past twenty years. In
1992 Guilford County had a rate of 26.4 per 100,000. As of 2011 the rate was 11.7 per 100,000.
There are racial differences for Syphilis rates in 2011. African Americans had a rate of 26.7 per
100,000 and Whites had a rate 4.1 per 100,000. In 2011 Guilford Countys HIV infection rate
was 26.2 per 100,000. This is slightly higher than 2010 with a rate 24.2 per 100, 000. For 2011

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Guilford Countys rate is higher than North Carolinas rate of 16.4 per 100,000. African
Americans were 11 times more likely Whites to be infected with HIV. In 2011 Gonorrhea rates
for census tract 125.09 were 3.7 per 100,000. Guilford County had a rate of 413.4 per 100, 000
which is higher than the national rate of 104.2 per 100,000 and nearby Forsyth County with a
rate of 243.5 per 100,000. In North Carolina the rates per 100,000 for gonorrhea was 183.00
smaller than the rate for Guilford County.
Behavioral Issues
When looking at the health profile of Sunset Hills, it is important to consider adolescents
health behaviors. Among adolescents, the use of substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other
various drugs has led to behavior problems. Adolescent years are the prime ages in which high
school students tend to make radical decisions regarding substance abuse. Commonly used
substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana act as health indicators for adolescents in
Sunset Hills.
The YRBS question, Smoked cigarette on one or more days in the past 30 days shows
that Guilford County has the smallest percentage (11.4%) of high school students who smoke
one or more days in a month (Figure 1b). The neighboring county, Forsyth County, has 18.3%
(Figure 1a). Unlike Guilford County, Forsyth County rates are higher than both the state (17.7%)
and the nation (18.1%) (Figure 1a).
Guilford County has the lowest rate of youth alcohol consumption. The data for the
question, at least one drink of alcohol on at least one of the past 30 days show that Guildford
County has only 26.4% of its adolescents exhibiting this behavior (Figure 2). The states rate of
34.3% and Forsyth Countys rate (36.3%) both exceed the rate in Guilford County. The national
rate of 38.7% is higher than the rest (Figure 1a). Marijuana is also a common problem that peaks
during teen years. When they looked at, used marijuana one or more time in the past 30 days,
marijuana use ranked the lowest (18.7%) in Guilford County (Figure 3). Forsyth County has the
highest rate in comparison to Guilford County, NC (24.2%), and United States (23.1%) (Figure
1). The final behavioral issue we explored was the percentage of high school students who had
been offered, sold, or given illegal drugs on school property. This category showed the greatest
percentage at the state level with 29.8% (Figure 1). The second highest was Forsyth County

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(27.6%) and the nation came in third with 25.6% (Figure 1). Guilford County came in with the
lowest rate with 22.9% (Figure 4).
With the four behavioral issues we explored, Guilford County came in with the lowest
average percentage when compared to Forsyth County, North Carolina and the national average.
This indicates that Guilford County is doing fairly well in these health indicators amongst
adolescents. Since Guilford County has the lowest rates for substance abuse, it is fairly likely
that adolescents in Sunset Hills would have similar, low rates of substance abuse.

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School Profile
The following provides a comprehensive profile of the schools that serve the community
of Sunset Hills in Guilford County. Jones Elementary School, Grimsley High School, Kiser
Middle School, and Brooks Global Studies School are the 4 public and magnet schools that serve
the community. The information presented was found through www.ncreportcard.org/src/. It is
worth noting that during our community member interviews, several interviewees that were
asked about prevalent schools reported that Jones Elementary School, Brooks Elementary
School, and Grimsley High School were where most students in their community attended
school.
David D Jones Elementary, a magnet elementary school, is located at 502 South Street in
Greensboro. This school is located approximately 3.2 miles, or 8 minutes away from the
neighborhood. Jones Elementary serves students in grades pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. Jones
Elementary has a higher than average amount of students, this is because it is a Spanishimmersion magnet school that is well received by the community. Average class size is 21-24
students, which is the same as the school district and North Carolina. Jones Elementary is listed
as a school in progress, which is right in the middle of classifications of school. They have
expected growth and 60-80% of their students are currently at their grade level. There are 51
teachers at Jones Elementary; 98% of them are licensed, and 28% have advanced degrees. The
majority of their teachers (58%) have ten or more years of experience, which is slightly higher
than the North Carolinas average years of experience. Their turnover rate is also slightly higher
at 15%, whereas NC and the school districts average is 11-12%.
Grimsley High School is where most of the high-school aged residents of Sunset Hills
attend school. It is located at 801 Westover Terrace and is approximately 5 minutes away from
Sunset Hills. They have an average of 1700 students, which is double the district and state
average. They have a slightly higher than average course/class size than the district or state.
There are a high number of students (16%) in Advanced Placement or IB classes, but have a
lower percentage (6%) of students in community college or career classes. The district and state
has 15% of students taking community college or career classes, so this is a large difference.
Student performance is good at Grimsley. On average, they have a higher SAT score than the
district or state average. Grimsley is labeled a school of distinction, and 80-90% of its

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students are at grade level. They have 96 teachers, which is more than double the state average.
Of those teachers 98% are fully licensed, 26% have advanced degrees, and 61% have ten or more
years of experience. All of these percentages are above the district and state average. During the
interviews with sunset hills residents, they reported that Grimsley was the high school of choice
for many students because of its high ratings.
Kiser Middle School also serves the residents of Sunset Hills. It is located at 716
Benjamin Parkway is approximately 7 minutes from the community. Kiser Middle currently has
947 students, which is higher than the district and state average of 775. Average class size is also
slightly higher than the district average. This school is listed as a school of no recognition by
the North Carolina Educational board. This means that 60-100% of their students are at grade
level. The amount of teachers is average at 55, which is the same as the district and state average.
Of those teachers, 93% are fully licensed. Compared to the district and state, that is lower than
the standard 98%. At Kiser, 30% of teachers have advanced degrees, 34% have between 4-10
years of experience, and 39% of teachers have 10 or more years of experience. There is a 22%
turnover rate at Kiser Elementary, which is higher than the other schools that serve Sunset Hills.
Brooks Global Studies School is another magnet school that serves the community of
Sunset Hills. It is located at 1215 Westover Terrace, approximately 5 minutes from Sunset Hills.
Brooks serves students from kindergarten to fifth grade. It has a lower than average amount of
students at only 409, but class size is average and in line with the district and state average. They
are classified as an Honor School of Excellence, which is the highest rating possible for North
Carolina schools. This means that 90% of their students are at grade level and all annual
measurable objectives (AMOs) have been met by the school. They have a slightly lower average
of teachers, and 100% are fully licensed. Of these teachers, 27% have advanced degrees, and
70% have 10 or more years of experience. They also have a lower turnover rate of 7%. It is
important to note that Brooks Global Studies School is the highest rated school with the best
teacher comparisons compared to the other schools that serve Sunset Hills.
There is also a private school that serves some community members of sunset hills, but
not an overwhelming majority. Greensboro Day School is located at 5401 Lawndale Drive and is
approximately 15 minutes away from Sunset Hills. It serves grades K-12 and follows the normal
academic calendar. We do not have substantial, respectable information on Greensboro Day
School through the NC school report card because private schools are not evaluated. Since we do

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not have that information, it would be unfair to compare the school to the ones listed above
without using the same type of information.

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References (Health Profile)

Forsyth County. 2011 YRBS WSFC High School Students. Retrieved from: http://www.forsyth.cc/

Guilford Education Alliance. (n.d.). 2011-2012 Guilford County Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results.
Retrieved from: http://www.co.guilford.nc.us/publichealth/divisions

Martin, J., Hamilton, B., Ventura, S., Osterman, M., & Matthews, T. (2013, June).
Births:Final Data for 2011. National Vital Statistics Reports , 62 (2), pp. 1-170.
Mrosla, L., & Smith, M. (2007). The State of Guilford County's Health Report 2012.
Retrieved November 2013, from Guilford County Department of Public Health:
http://www.guilfordhealth.org/

Mortality rates and communicable diseases per census tract in Guilford County, shared by Dr.
Mark Smith