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Highland Creek Elementary

Public Grades K-5
332nd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools
Better than 78% of North Carolina elementary schools
Summary

Highland Creek Elementary is a public elementary school in Charlotte, North Carolina, serving 472 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district, which is ranked 119 out of 242 districts in the state.

Highland Creek Elementary consistently ranks in the top 30% of North Carolina elementary schools, with strong academic performance across multiple subjects and grade levels. The school's proficiency rates in mathematics and science are particularly impressive, exceeding the district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, 74.2% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 66.7% for the district and 64.1% for the state. The school also excels in supporting diverse student populations, with its performance for female, African American, and Hispanic students often ranking in the top 20% or 30% of North Carolina elementary schools.

While Highland Creek Elementary outperforms many nearby schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district, such as David Cox Road Elementary and Stoney Creek Elementary, it lags behind the exceptional performance of North Academy of World Languages, a magnet school in the district that consistently ranks in the top 15% of North Carolina elementary schools. Additionally, the school's performance for special education and disabled students is an area of concern, ranking in the bottom 30% of North Carolina elementary schools in recent years.

477
Students ?
16.7
Student/teacher ratio ?
$9,491
Per pupil spending ?
42.1%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 7242 Highland Creek Pkwy
       Charlotte, NC  28269-0805

(980) 343-1065

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools


Students who attend Highland Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Ridge Road Middle
High:    Mallard Creek High School
Racial breakdown:

African American:
41.1%
White:
31.2%
Hispanic:
13.6%
more
 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

 Compare Highland Creek Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 81st percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the North Carolina average (67% vs 57% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 22% of North Carolina elementary schools
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school67%
District avg59%
North Carolina avg57%
332nd of 1,490
North Carolina public elementary schools ?
Top 22%▼ down 3 pts since 2015
From top 19% (2015) to top 22% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
35th of 109Elementary Schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
119th of 242Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools among North Carolina districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202574.1332 of 149077.7%★★★★☆
202467.7448 of 150570.2%★★★★☆
202373.9344 of 150277.1%★★★★☆
202266.8459 of 151469.7%★★★☆☆
202163.2515 of 148965.4%★★★☆☆
201970.6394 of 147373.3%★★★★☆
201877.2272 of 143481.0%★★★★☆
201777.7264 of 142981.5%★★★★☆
201678.2265 of 142581.4%★★★★☆
201577.9275 of 144080.9%★★★★☆
201481.3221 of 139084.1%★★★★☆
201387.7131 of 140390.7%★★★★★
201286.489 of 138893.6%★★★★★
201183.0151 of 138189.1%★★★★☆
201080.4188 of 136386.2%★★★★☆
200980.5192 of 135485.8%★★★★☆
200880.3179 of 132486.5%★★★★☆
200777.3217 of 129383.2%★★★★☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202575.2150 of 91883.7%★★★★☆
202479.4112 of 92487.9%★★★★☆
202377.7129 of 93386.2%★★★★☆
202273.0163 of 92782.4%★★★★☆
202151.5333 of 89662.8%★★★☆☆
201973.9160 of 94983.1%★★★★☆
201883.079 of 92791.5%★★★★★

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
201935.1601 of 87831.5%★★☆☆☆
201831.8658 of 89726.6%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202584.8153 of 145189.5%★★★★☆
202474.3293 of 145579.9%★★★★☆
202384.2164 of 145988.8%★★★★☆
202273.8317 of 145878.3%★★★★☆
202165.8418 of 144071.0%★★★★☆
201979.2225 of 142484.2%★★★★☆
201884.1148 of 140589.5%★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202570.6109 of 71084.6%★★★★☆
202466.4180 of 66973.1%★★★★☆
202367.3149 of 58274.4%★★★★☆
202268.7120 of 50076.0%★★★★☆
202135.4406 of 49417.8%★☆☆☆☆
201964.7226 of 61263.1%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202575.3143 of 96185.1%★★★★☆
202373.1166 of 91581.9%★★★★☆
202184.277 of 84390.9%★★★★★
201865.2234 of 85172.5%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202557.3531 of 143763.0%★★★☆☆
202459.2525 of 145063.8%★★★☆☆
202353.2643 of 143755.3%★★★☆☆
202240.7838 of 136638.7%★★☆☆☆
202120.41136 of 132914.5%★☆☆☆☆
201950.9657 of 136151.7%★★★☆☆
201860.3480 of 133264.0%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202558.4577 of 145060.2%★★★☆☆
202459.5579 of 146460.5%★★★☆☆
202360.4557 of 146161.9%★★★☆☆
202256.7617 of 146457.9%★★★☆☆
202158.1575 of 144460.2%★★★☆☆
201961.8505 of 143064.7%★★★☆☆
201868.2416 of 141370.6%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202541.8445 of 82145.8%★★☆☆☆
202441.0438 of 80145.3%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202576.8226 of 117280.7%★★★★☆
202461.5432 of 116663.0%★★★☆☆
202378.6200 of 118383.1%★★★★☆
202287.383 of 119493.0%★★★★★
202179.2205 of 117282.5%★★★★☆
201976.2234 of 118380.2%★★★★☆
201886.1105 of 117891.1%★★★★★
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)
Female (2025)89th percentile+12 vs school
Hispanic (2025)85th percentile+7 vs school
Gifted and Talented (2025)85th percentile+7 vs school
African American (2025)84th percentile+6 vs school
White (2025)81st percentile+3 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)63rd percentile-15 vs school
Male (2025)60th percentile-18 vs school
Special Education (2025)46th percentile-32 vs school
Disabled (2019)32nd percentile-42 vs school
By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?
Science74%+12 vs state
Mathematics69%+8 vs state
Reading63%+11 vs state

5.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
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What people are saying
by a parent
Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Open Quote Superior leadership from Principal Earnest Saxton Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Open Quote Great atmosphere for kids. The school was overwhelmed with twice (1200) the number of students during the 2014/2015 school year. The opening of Parkside Elementary in the fall of 2015 has provided much needed relief for Highland Creek Elementary (HCE.) Now HCE can really excel! Smaller student to teacher ratios, dedicated staff (both teachers and administration), and even a Dad's group that volunteers several hours a month to helping at the school make for a great place for kids to learn and thrive.

We love this school! Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Creek Elementary

Students who attend Highland Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ridge Road Middle
High : Mallard Creek High School

Highland Creek Elementary ranks 332nd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Highland Creek Elementary are 41% African American, 31% White, 14% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

In the 2024-25 school year, 477 students attended Highland Creek Elementary.


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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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