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Very Good

#944 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 36% in state

Cary Elementary

Elementary School · Wake County Schools · Cary, NC

A Wake County Schools elementary school where students score 3 points above what's typical for similar communities.

400 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary, NC 27511

  • Math 69% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 67% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.7Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.68 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics8.0Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency69.3% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency67.2% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+5.5 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+20.6 pts
Overall Proficiency68% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)65% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+3.2 pts
Adjusted Percentile70th
Resources & Environment9.2Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13.3:1
District spending per student$11,691
Chronic Absenteeism14.8%

Students at Cary Elementary score 68% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 65%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency69%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency67%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 14 points since 2020, reaching 68% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
92%
ELA
80%
2010
Math
92%
ELA
86%
2011
Math
94%
ELA
85%
2012
Math
66%
ELA
60%
2013
Math
68%
ELA
58%
2014
Math
69%
ELA
58%
2015
Math
69%
ELA
62%
2016
Math
68%
ELA
58%
2017
Math
66%
ELA
56%
2018
Math
49%
ELA
55%
2019
Math
49%
ELA
55%
2020*
Math
51%
ELA
57%
2021*
Math
51%
ELA
57%
2022
Math
64%
ELA
64%
2025
Math
69%
ELA
67%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 68% (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

38.9%

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 Cary 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 73Very Walkable
  • Transit 45Some Transit
  • Bike 52Bikeable
  • 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
Kingswood ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.0PK–50.8 mi434Compare →
Briarcliff ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.2PK–50.9 mi456Compare →
Triangle Montessori AcademyPrivate · tuition7.6privatePK–40.9 mi79Compare →
Northwoods ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.8PK–51.0 mi618Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

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

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
#104 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

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

About Cary Elementary

Cary Elementary is a public elementary school in Cary, NC, part of Wake County Schools, serving approximately 440 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 7.1 out of 10 and ranks #944 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 68% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 64% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Cary Elementary

What grades does Cary Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Cary Elementary?

Cary Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 440 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cary Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Cary Elementary is 13.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cary Elementary rank in NC?

Cary Elementary ranks #944 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Cary Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Cary Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.1 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 Cary Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cary Elementary has 68% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 64% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Cary Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Cary Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

38.9% of students at Cary 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
440
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
33
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize City
County
Wake County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
14.8%
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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