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Torchlight Academy

NOTE: this school is no longer listed as a functioning school by the National Center for Education Statistics. We continue to list this school on SchoolDigger for historical purposes.

It is possible that this school is still operating under a different district or under a different name. If you believe this to be the case, please search for this school by using the search box above.

Public, Charter
Grades
630
Students ?
104.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
7.3%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 3211 Bramer Drive
       Raleigh, NC  27604

(919) 850-9960

District: Torchlight Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:
59.0%
Hispanic:
37.8%
Two or more races:
2.5%
more
 See top rated North Carolina public schools

At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 46th percentile in 2017 → 15th in 2022
Worth a look
!Test scores below the North Carolina average (32% vs 52% meeting standards)
!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2017
!Mathematics scores 24 pts below the North Carolina average
Students meeting standards (2021-2022) ?
This school32%
North Carolina avg52%
Not ranked this year
Torchlight Academy did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202218.11313 of 151413.3%★☆☆☆☆
202117.51256 of 148915.6%★☆☆☆☆
201938.3956 of 147335.1%★★☆☆☆
201841.0911 of 143436.5%★★☆☆☆
201748.5768 of 142946.3%★★☆☆☆
201628.61094 of 142523.2%★☆☆☆☆
20156.31388 of 14403.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201424.31098 of 139021.0%★☆☆☆☆
201325.51106 of 140321.2%★☆☆☆☆
201237.7980 of 138829.4%★☆☆☆☆
201134.6995 of 138128.0%★☆☆☆☆
201047.2821 of 136339.8%★★☆☆☆
200924.71094 of 135419.2%★☆☆☆☆
20086.61277 of 13243.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20074.11276 of 12931.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20064.71263 of 12761.0%☆☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202244.3492 of 92746.9%★★☆☆☆
202143.6451 of 89649.7%★★☆☆☆
201975.1145 of 94984.7%★★★★☆
201876.2121 of 92786.9%★★★★☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202241.1272 of 48543.9%★★☆☆☆
202159.592 of 38576.1%★★★★☆
201972.674 of 49785.1%★★★★☆
201860.6118 of 42172.0%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202220.01254 of 145814.0%★☆☆☆☆
202120.31185 of 144017.7%★☆☆☆☆
201941.0888 of 142437.6%★★☆☆☆
201838.0961 of 140531.6%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202228.5724 of 89318.9%★☆☆☆☆
202127.8669 of 84320.6%★☆☆☆☆
201941.5526 of 86539.2%★★☆☆☆
201848.3445 of 85147.7%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202234.6938 of 136631.3%★★☆☆☆
201952.2634 of 136153.4%★★★☆☆
201855.8568 of 133257.4%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202217.71275 of 146412.9%★☆☆☆☆
202117.21232 of 144414.7%★☆☆☆☆
201938.3955 of 143033.2%★★☆☆☆
201845.1843 of 141340.3%★★☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202218.7666 of 78615.3%★☆☆☆☆
202118.8618 of 74116.6%★☆☆☆☆
201942.5448 of 73739.2%★★☆☆☆
201841.6433 of 69137.3%★★☆☆☆
201740.1436 of 69437.2%★★☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202245.3260 of 55052.7%★★★☆☆
202149.7213 of 53360.0%★★★☆☆
201972.287 of 51983.2%★★★★☆
201862.0142 of 49471.3%★★★★☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202270.040 of 31287.2%★★★★☆
202152.166 of 23672.0%★★★★☆
201989.010 of 21195.3%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202211.0686 of 7336.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202122.3565 of 70620.0%★☆☆☆☆
201937.9460 of 68432.7%★★☆☆☆
201833.3474 of 65627.7%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202220.5477 of 54111.8%★☆☆☆☆
202122.7447 of 52214.4%★☆☆☆☆
201940.9317 of 49335.7%★★☆☆☆
201866.5111 of 47276.5%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202237.5436 of 68936.7%★★☆☆☆
201957.7232 of 63963.7%★★★☆☆
201868.4138 of 60477.2%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202225.8567 of 74824.2%★☆☆☆☆
202117.4613 of 71113.8%★☆☆☆☆
201944.6407 of 69741.6%★★☆☆☆
201846.8378 of 66543.2%★★☆☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Elementary school
African American (2022)47th percentile+34 vs school
English Language Learner (2022)44th percentile+31 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2022)31st percentile+18 vs school
Hispanic (2022)19th percentile+6 vs school
Female (2022)14th percentile~ school
Male (2022)13th percentile~ school
Middle school
English Language Learner (2022)87th percentile+72 vs school
African American (2022)53rd percentile+37 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2022)37th percentile+21 vs school
Male (2022)24th percentile+9 vs school
Hispanic (2022)12th percentile-3 vs school
Female (2022)6th percentile-9 vs school
By subject vs North Carolina (2021-2022) ?
Science59%-9 vs state
Reading29%-19 vs state
Mathematics26%-24 vs state

4.9
27 ratings · 26 written reviews
525
41
31
20
10
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What people are saying
by a parent
Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Open Quote I want to add on to what I was saying that when my kids were going to public school, they were labeled as behavior problem. Now, as they come to Torchlight Academy, I hope that they are surrounded by people who love and care about their education instead of just labeling them and trying to help them. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Open Quote My son is going to be kindergartener here at Torchlight. So far, so good. I love it here, I love the atmosphere, all the teachers. I met Mr. Rogers, one of the 1st grade teachers and a couple of transportation. I think he is going to be a good fit for here. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, January 27, 2022

Open Quote Torchlight is number one! Thank you. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Open Quote Torchlight is the number one Academy. Noah Alan will be here. Thank you, guys. Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, January 24, 2022

Open Quote I'm a Torchlight parent. The teachers are all really nice and Doctor Blue is awesome! Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Open Quote This will be my daughter’s second year going to Torchlight this Saturday. She will be in the 4th grade, and we love it here at Torchlight Academy. Thanks. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Open Quote My name is Brianna and my son just loves Torchlight light Academy. Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, January 10, 2022

Open Quote Torchlight is a wonderful school. They're helping the kids grow and learn about the community by helping each other. All sorts of ethnicities, plus, they're having a lot of fun. We have a young daughter about to come here soon too. We really enjoy the hospitality of the people here. It's great! Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, October 2, 2020

Open Quote I love Torchlight academy! This is the first charter school that my daughter went to and graduated from as far as a charter school. Mr. and Mrs. McQueen are two of the best people I have ever met. I love them I love them I love them. Anyone who don't know about Torchlight academy need to get to know about it because it's one of the best schools you can send your children to and now my granddaughter is a proud student of Torchlight academy getting ready to be her first year graduation as a kindergarten student. Keep up the good work Torchlight! What school do you go to? Torchlight! Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, September 11, 2020

Open Quote We love torchlight. My Daughter has been coming here since kindergarten. We love the fact that they learn about their heritage all year long. We appreciate the free transportation, the free meals, the after-school programs. Dr. McQueen has always been a blessing. We love the teachers, the staff, everything has been awesome. We recommend the school to anyone. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, June 25, 2020

Open Quote My two sons just graduated from Torchlight Academy. They have been at Torchlight since Kindergarten. When I was looking for a good school for one when he turned 5 years old, I was very worried about where to place him, until I ran into a lady who referred me to Torchlight Academy and have never had any regrets since they started Kindergarten. I just wish there were more schools like this from k-12, with so much passion to educate children and push them to excellence. We just want to thank their teachers from Kindergarten to 8th grade. I recently looked at one of my son's Math workbook. I was so amazed to see how one of the teachers engages the children in Math. She is a great asset to the School. The teachers at Torchlight are all great teachers that helped to educate and mold them to the boys that they are today. We also want to thank all the other staffs, Principals, and most importantly, the great leaders and founders of this school, the wonderful Mr. Don McQueen and the amazing Dr. Cynthia McQueen. You all have contributed to the academic and psychological growth of our children, not to forget the discipline you instilled in them. This quarantine period has taught us (parents) how important a teacher’s jobs are. We can’t do your job. You have one of the hardest jobs. Thank you for all you did throughout this pandemic period. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, June 25, 2020

Open Quote My daughter is a 6th grader here at Torchlight. She’s in an all girls class. She has been a student at Torchlight Academy since kindergarten. I love, love the school. Would not consider putting her anywhere else. I do have two grandchildren and one will be 5 soon, and he will be at Torchlight as well. I love the versatility of Torchlight. I love the different languages that she’s learned and I absolutely love the drills because it has taught her a lot as well. The teaching has been great. It’s a great experience, a great environment, and a positive school. Come to Torchlight! You’ll love it! Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, May 29, 2020

Open Quote My twin boys are here. They are 13 years old in the 8th grade. They’ve been going to Torchlight ever since Kindergarten. And Torchlight has been very good for the boys and my family. It teaches them respect for others. They know that they have a duty to do well in the community. It’s also giving them a great foundation as far as discipline. Also cultural, they have a lot of respect for their history and their culture. And for that, I’m grateful. Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, May 29, 2020

Open Quote I have a daughter that goes to torchlight. This is a wonderful school. This is their first year being here. My child has learned a lot by being here. She has learned so many different languages. She also has improved in her reading, spelling, and things like that. And I’m a proud parent to have my child here at Torchlight. Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, April 19, 2020

Open Quote I have two sons here. They’ve been here for three years. They love it! They have learned Spanish and Arabic. They’ve had a wonderful time here with their friends. My son’s in the 8th grade, so he is going to high school. My other son is going to the 7th grade but He really truly loved Torchlight. I thank Dr. McQueen, Thank You. Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, April 19, 2020

Open Quote My son has been attending Torchlight for about 2 years now and we love it. I feel like he’s grown to be a great young man and I’m very proud of him. Close Quote


by a student
Thursday, April 2, 2020

Open Quote Torchlight Academy is a great school! Teachers and staff are dedicated to the success of students. There are a great deal of extracurricular activities such as Foreign Language, Martial Arts, and field trips! I was there from 1st grade through 5th grade, but since then they have expanded to have a Middle School. Wonderful School! Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, January 28, 2019

Open Quote My son has been attending Torchlight Academy for four months now, he has shown a great improvement! Thank you, Torchlight! Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Open Quote Torchlight Academy staff are awesome!!! I just loved the Cultural Diversity Extravaganza was truly amazing. They really go all out for the children. Go Torchlight!!! Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, January 7, 2019

Open Quote My children love Torchlight Academy! Since my children have been attending Torchlight, their grade levels have improved so much! Thank you, Torchlight Academy!! Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, January 6, 2019

Open Quote I am very happy with Torchlight Academy Charter. My children a very happy here and they grades have improved so much, thank you Torchlight Academy for all that you do. F. M. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Open Quote I am so proud of my son, since he has been attending Torchlight Academy, his grades,attitude and disposition has changed for the better. Thank You Torchlight Academy, I could not have done it without you. Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, February 5, 2016

Open Quote I like Torchlight Academy because not only are my children learning, but because the Principal and teachers care a great deal. You can talk with both the Principal and teachers even without making an appointment. They are fair and reasonable. I also love the drilling the children do and the free tutoring Torchlight provides. Close Quote


by a citizen
Friday, January 29, 2016

Open Quote It takes great students, great staff and a great environment to make a perfect school and that's Torchlight Academy! When I first walked into torchlight, I felt so comfortable. Staffs welcome parents with positive attitudes and the children are always learning. One thing I love about Torchlight Academy is the uniforms. I feel uniforms bring kids to the same level and that's what I enjoy seeing. When my little brother first went to Torchlight, he could barely read. Now, he can pronounce large words and know the meaning of it! Also, there are two or more teachers in a classroom now and that shows each kid is getting the attention they need. I love the principals, Dr. McQueen and Mr. McQueen because they're greatest!! They work with parents dealing with gas, they provide uniforms for kids that can't afford it and give many chances to kids that really need it. Lastly, the school is free! So there's no reason why no one shouldn't enroll their kid because it's the best school you can ever want your child to be in.

Daja Viera Close Quote


by a citizen
Thursday, June 11, 2015

Open Quote Since Torchlight is publicly funded and free to all, many students are receiving the benefits of private education, without the financial strain related to cost. This is a blessing to many parents!!!

T. Simmons Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, June 27, 2014

Open Quote I love Torchlight Academy. My children were going to a public school and one of my sons have ADHD and all the public school wanted to do was call me daily to pick my son up. But Torchlight's team worked with me & my family to help us with my son. After only 6months his behavior, focus, and grades all changed for the better. Now my son is on the honor roll. Close Quote





Schools Near Torchlight Academy









Frequently Asked Questions about Torchlight Academy

In the 2021-22 school year, 630 students attended Torchlight Academy.

Students at Torchlight Academy are 59% African American, 38% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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