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Needs Improvement

#2513 of 2,648 schools in NC

Wildwood Forest Elementary

Elementary School · Wake County Schools · Raleigh, NC

A Wake County Schools elementary school where students score 15 points below what's typical for similar communities.

8401 Wildwood Forest Drive, Raleigh, NC 27616

  • Math 37% vs NC 59% (2025)
  • Reading 38% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 12.5:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress1.4Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-3.52 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics3.6Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency36.6% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency38.2% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg-27.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-8.4 pts
Overall Proficiency37% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)52% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-15.0 pts
Adjusted Percentile17th
Resources & Environment8.2Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio12.5:1
District spending per student$11,691
Chronic Absenteeism29.2%

Students at Wildwood Forest Elementary score 37% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 52%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency37%(2025 NC)
School
State
59%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency38%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 16 points since 2020, reaching 38% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
86%
ELA
76%
2010
Math
90%
ELA
79%
2011
Math
88%
ELA
73%
2012
Math
56%
ELA
49%
2013
Math
50%
ELA
43%
2014
Math
51%
ELA
47%
2015
Math
49%
ELA
43%
2016
Math
38%
ELA
36%
2017
Math
40%
ELA
40%
2018
Math
25%
ELA
30%
2019
Math
25%
ELA
30%
2020*
Math
15%
ELA
28%
2021*
Math
15%
ELA
28%
2022
Math
34%
ELA
37%
2025
Math
37%
ELA
38%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 45% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 44% (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

79.9%

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 Wildwood Forest 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 11Car-Dependent
  • Transit 23Minimal Transit
  • Bike 32Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,315/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Raleigh), 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

$81,534

Median home value

$314,800

Median rent

$1,514/mo

College educated

43.4%

Homeownership

55.7%

Poverty rate

8.9%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27616; 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
North Raleigh Christian AcademyPrivate · tuition4.1privatePK–121.0 mi1,512Compare →
Fox Road ElementaryEnrollment path unverified5.7K–51.4 mi438Compare →
Abbotts Creek ElementaryEnrollment path unverified9.3PK–51.6 mi805Compare →
Christian Life AcademyPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–111.7 mi28Compare →

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
#193 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

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

About Wildwood Forest Elementary

Wildwood Forest Elementary is a public elementary school in Raleigh, NC, part of Wake County Schools, serving approximately 551 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 12.5:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.4 out of 10 and ranks #2,513 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 45% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 44% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Wildwood Forest Elementary

What grades does Wildwood Forest Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Wildwood Forest Elementary?

Wildwood Forest Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 551 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Wildwood Forest Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Wildwood Forest Elementary is 12.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Wildwood Forest Elementary rank in NC?

Wildwood Forest Elementary ranks #2,513 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Wildwood Forest Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Wildwood Forest Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.4 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 Wildwood Forest Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Wildwood Forest Elementary has 45% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 44% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Wildwood Forest Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Wildwood Forest Elementary a Title I school?

No, Wildwood Forest Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

79.9% of students at Wildwood Forest 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
551
Student-Teacher Ratio
12.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
44
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Wake County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
29.2%
Area population (ZIP 27616)
61,161
Area average commute
27.1 min
Area median age
34.9
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 27616; 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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