The brief
A Johnston County Public Schools elementary school where students score 17 points above what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 548 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 12 of 48 in Johnston County Public Schools.
Polenta Elementary is listed in Johnston County Public Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.
- 202666%
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026
Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.
Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 59% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 56% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).
- 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 · 2026 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 · 2026 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)
- State assessments · 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 27529; 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, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.Open the Raleigh school map to see school quality against home prices across the metro.
The area
- Median income
- $86,426
- Median home value
- $325,600
- Median rent
- $1,379/mo
- College educated
- 40.6%
- Homeownership
- 72.8%
- Poverty rate
- 8.2%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27529; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 5
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 27
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 3,530/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Garner. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Garner), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Programs
- Gifted and talented
- Available
- A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Who goes here
- Free or reduced lunch
- 99.7%
- Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).
Compare nearby
Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Polenta Elementary serve?
Polenta Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.
How many students attend Polenta Elementary?
Polenta Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 993 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polenta Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Polenta Elementary is 15:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Polenta Elementary rank in NC?
Polenta Elementary ranks #548 of 2,660 schools in NC.
What is Polenta Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?
Polenta Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.5 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 Polenta Elementary?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Polenta Elementary has 59% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 56% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).
Is Polenta Elementary a charter school?
No, Polenta Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Polenta Elementary a Title I school?
No, Polenta Elementary is not currently a Title I school.
What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Polenta Elementary?
99.7% of students at Polenta 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 facts
- Grades
- Pre-K – 5th
- Enrollment
- 993
- Student-teacher ratio
- 15:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 66
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Large Suburb
- County
- Johnston County
- Phone
- (919) 989-6039
- Rank in district
- #12 of 48
- Schools in district
- 48
- District spending per student
- $11,352
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 12.5%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 27529)
- 55,201
- Area average commute
- 29.2 min
- Area median age
- 39
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.