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#1973 of 2,648 schools in NC

Adams Elementary

Elementary School · Wake County Schools · Cary, NC

A Wake County Schools elementary school where students score 4 points below what's typical for similar communities.

805 Cary Towne Blvd, Cary, NC 27511

  • Math 62% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 50% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress2.6Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-2.52 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics6.4Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency61.7% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency50% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg-2.1 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+3.4 pts
Overall Proficiency56% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)60% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-3.7 pts
Adjusted Percentile48th
Resources & Environment9.4Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio12.1:1
District spending per student$11,691
Chronic Absenteeism19%

Students at Adams Elementary score 56% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 60%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency62%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency50%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 7 points since 2020, reaching 56% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
94%
ELA
85%
2010
Math
92%
ELA
83%
2011
Math
93%
ELA
86%
2012
Math
72%
ELA
60%
2013
Math
72%
ELA
61%
2014
Math
66%
ELA
60%
2015
Math
69%
ELA
55%
2016
Math
61%
ELA
52%
2017
Math
53%
ELA
49%
2018
Math
48%
ELA
49%
2019
Math
48%
ELA
49%
2020*
Math
46%
ELA
52%
2021*
Math
46%
ELA
52%
2022
Math
60%
ELA
54%
2025
Math
62%
ELA
50%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 65% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 36 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

56.8%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Adams Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Raleigh map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 66Somewhat Walkable
  • Transit 31Some Transit
  • Bike 54Bikeable
  • City Safety: Elevated1,393/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Cary), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$104,072

Median home value

$416,600

Median rent

$1,436/mo

College educated

57.8%

Homeownership

67.4%

Poverty rate

8.1%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27511; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Triangle Montessori AcademyPrivate · tuition7.6privatePK–41.0 mi79Compare →
Cary ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.1PK–51.1 mi440Compare →
Renaissance Montessori School of CaryPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–K1.2 mi15Compare →
Kingswood ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.0PK–51.4 mi434Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Wake County Schools

Schools in district
197
Rank in district
#163 of 194
District spending per student
$11,691NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.5%Census SAIPE · 2024

Adams Elementary is listed in Wake County Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Adams Elementary

Adams Elementary is a public elementary school in Cary, NC, part of Wake County Schools, serving approximately 616 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 5.1 out of 10 and ranks #1,973 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 65% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Adams Elementary

What grades does Adams Elementary serve?

Adams Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Adams Elementary?

Adams Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 616 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Adams Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Adams Elementary is 12.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Adams Elementary rank in NC?

Adams Elementary ranks #1,973 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Adams Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Adams Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.1 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Adams Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Adams Elementary has 65% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Adams Elementary a charter school?

No, Adams Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Adams Elementary a Title I school?

No, Adams Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Adams Elementary?

56.8% of students at Adams Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
616
Student-Teacher Ratio
12.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
51
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize City
County
Wake County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
19.0%
Area population (ZIP 27511)
33,279
Area average commute
22.9 min
Area median age
41.5
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 27511; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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