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Excellent

#14 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 1% in state

Hortons Creek Elementary

Elementary School · Wake County Schools · Cary, NC

A Wake County Schools elementary school where students score 14 points above what's typical for similar communities.

7615 O'Kelly Chapel Rd, Cary, NC 27519

  • Math 88% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 87% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 15.1:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.8Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data7
Annual Change+2.66 pts/yr
Data Period2017–2025
TrendImproving
Academics9.4Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency88.2% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency87.4% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+24.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+40.8 pts
Overall Proficiency88% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)74% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+14.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile91th
Resources & Environment8.5Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15.1:1
District spending per student$11,691
Chronic Absenteeism11.2%

Students at Hortons Creek Elementary score 88% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 74%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency88%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency87%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 9-year record (2017–2025), then recovered 16 points since 2020, reaching 87% in 2025.

Show all 7 years
2017
Math
78%
ELA
69%
2018
Math
63%
ELA
66%
2019
Math
63%
ELA
66%
2020*
Math
74%
ELA
68%
2021*
Math
74%
ELA
68%
2022
Math
87%
ELA
80%
2025
Math
88%
ELA
87%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 79% (multi-year average, 2017-2025) · reading/ELA 77% (multi-year average, 2017-2025)

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

Based on 20 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

11.2%

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 Hortons Creek 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 14Car-Dependent
  • Transit 0Minimal Transit
  • Bike 30Somewhat Bikeable
  • 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

$159,414

Median home value

$614,100

Median rent

$1,854/mo

College educated

78.2%

Homeownership

69.1%

Poverty rate

4.3%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27519; 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
Alston Ridge ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.7PK–51.3 mi1,111Compare →
Mills Park ElementaryEnrollment path unverified9.1PK–52.2 mi645Compare →
Lyons Farm ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.6PK–52.4 mi523Compare →
Parkside ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.8PK–52.5 mi865Compare →

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
#1 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

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

About Hortons Creek Elementary

Hortons Creek Elementary is a public elementary school in Cary, NC, part of Wake County Schools, serving approximately 694 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 15.1:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 9.4 out of 10 and ranks #14 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 79% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2017-2025) and 77% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2017-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Hortons Creek Elementary

What grades does Hortons Creek Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Hortons Creek Elementary?

Hortons Creek Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 694 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Hortons Creek Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Hortons Creek Elementary is 15.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Hortons Creek Elementary rank in NC?

Hortons Creek Elementary ranks #14 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Hortons Creek Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Hortons Creek Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 9.4 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 Hortons Creek Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Hortons Creek Elementary has 79% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2017-2025) and 77% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2017-2025).

Is Hortons Creek Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Hortons Creek Elementary a Title I school?

No, Hortons Creek Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

11.2% of students at Hortons Creek 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
694
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
46
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize City
County
Wake County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
11.2%
Area population (ZIP 27519)
67,976
Area average commute
22.3 min
Area median age
38.3
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 27519; 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, 2017-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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