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Excellent

#261 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 10% in state

Ballentine Elementary

Elementary School · Wake County Schools · Fuquay-varina, NC

A Wake County Schools elementary school where students score 6 points above what's typical for similar communities.

1651 North McLaurin Lane, Fuquay-varina, NC 27526

  • Math 77% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 71% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 13.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress8.1Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-0.93 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics8.5Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency76.7% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency71.5% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+12.9 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+24.9 pts
Overall Proficiency74% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)68% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+5.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile77th
Resources & Environment8.8Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13.4:1
District spending per student$11,691
Chronic Absenteeism18.8%

Students at Ballentine Elementary score 74% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 68%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency77%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency71%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 15 points since 2020, reaching 74% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
85%
ELA
76%
2010
Math
84%
ELA
80%
2011
Math
88%
ELA
79%
2012
Math
64%
ELA
59%
2013
Math
59%
ELA
53%
2014
Math
62%
ELA
56%
2015
Math
68%
ELA
57%
2016
Math
62%
ELA
56%
2017
Math
61%
ELA
57%
2018
Math
46%
ELA
52%
2019
Math
46%
ELA
52%
2020*
Math
56%
ELA
63%
2021*
Math
56%
ELA
63%
2022
Math
69%
ELA
64%
2025
Math
77%
ELA
71%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 67% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 64% (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

28.1%

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 Ballentine 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 5Car-Dependent
  • Bike 29Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: Average651/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Fuquay-varina), 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

$105,055

Median home value

$372,300

Median rent

$1,591/mo

College educated

45.9%

Homeownership

80.7%

Poverty rate

6.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27526; 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
Fuquay-varina ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.0PK–51.1 mi722Compare →
Herbert Akins Rd ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.9PK–51.9 mi979Compare →
Lincoln Heights ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.1PK–52.7 mi645Compare →
South Lakes ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.4PK–52.7 mi782Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Wake County Schools

Schools in district
197
Rank in district
#40 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

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

About Ballentine Elementary

Ballentine Elementary is a public elementary school in Fuquay-varina, NC, part of Wake County Schools, serving approximately 711 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 13.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.4 out of 10 and ranks #261 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 67% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 64% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Ballentine Elementary

What grades does Ballentine Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Ballentine Elementary?

Ballentine Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 711 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ballentine Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Ballentine Elementary is 13.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Ballentine Elementary rank in NC?

Ballentine Elementary ranks #261 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Ballentine Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Ballentine Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.4 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 Ballentine Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Ballentine Elementary has 67% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 64% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Ballentine Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Ballentine Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

28.1% of students at Ballentine 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
711
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
53
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Wake County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
18.8%
Area population (ZIP 27526)
59,306
Area average commute
33.1 min
Area median age
39
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 27526; 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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