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Cape Fear Center for Inquiry

Q: Is Cape Fear Center for Inquiry a good school?

Cape Fear Center for Inquiry ranks 447 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

447^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 70% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Cape Fear Center for Inquiry is a K-8 charter school in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving roughly 395 students as its own single-school district. It holds 4 of 5 stars and ranks in the 70th percentile statewide — solid, but down from the 90th percentile in 2020-21. Its district-level ranking is stronger, sitting in the 88th percentile, well above New Hanover County Schools (66th) and the Wilmington School of the Arts district (67th). Within a few miles, outcomes vary enormously, from Dr John Codington Elementary (97th percentile) to several nearby schools in the single digits. CFCI sits between these extremes, performing more like the higher-resourced, lower-poverty schools nearby.

A clear strength is attendance. CFCI's chronic absenteeism rate was just 7.8% in 2024-25, versus 24.2% statewide and far lower than nearby Forest Hills Global Elementary (39.3%) or Sunset Park Elementary (29.6%). Middle school results are particularly strong — 8th grade science proficiency reached 91.5%, against 68.6% statewide, and 8th grade reading and math outpaced the state by 16 and 15 points. The International School at Gregory, the closest comparable K-8 school, posted a strong 79.3% in 8th grade science, still 12 points behind. The school also supports academically vulnerable students well: special education students rank in the 80th percentile statewide, and low-income students rank in the 64th. Its 13.1 student-to-teacher ratio is competitive with Holly Tree Elementary (13.5) and lower than Pine Valley Elementary (15.8).

The area to watch is early elementary. Third grade math proficiency fell from 81.8% in 2024-25 to 58.1% in 2025-26 — below the state average — and 3rd grade reading dropped from 70.5% to 55.8%. Another unusual result: gifted and talented students ranked in only the 20th percentile statewide in 2025-26, far below the school's overall performance and its special education and low-income subgroup rankings. This may reflect small cohorts or gifted identification within an inquiry model, but it is worth asking about. Overall, CFCI remains a stable, above-average K-8 choice in Wilmington with genuine strengths in science, attendance, and middle grades, though recent rankings suggest it is not at its best-year level.

395

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

92.5%

Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 7.5% (any vaccine)

2525 Wonder Way
Wilmington, NC 28401

(910) 362-0000

District: Cape Fear Center for Inquiry

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.0%

African American:

7.3%

Hispanic:

6.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Cape Fear Center for Inquiry to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 93rd percentile in 2016 → 70th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (69% vs 59% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (70th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

447^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From top 7% (2016) to top 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

158^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 20%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From top 6% (2016) to top 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

30^th of 246Cape Fear Center for Inquiry 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	447 of 1492	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	75.8	309 of 1490	79.3%	★★★★☆
2024	74.4	332 of 1505	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	76.1	298 of 1502	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	80.7	238 of 1514	84.3%	★★★★☆
2021	88.5	144 of 1489	90.3%	★★★★★
2019	81.8	209 of 1473	85.8%	★★★★☆
2018	76.8	279 of 1434	80.5%	★★★★☆
2017	76.6	291 of 1429	79.6%	★★★★☆
2016	88.6	104 of 1425	92.7%	★★★★★
2015	82.1	198 of 1440	86.3%	★★★★☆
2014	92.1	71 of 1390	94.9%	★★★★★
2013	84.5	164 of 1403	88.3%	★★★★☆
2012	86.6	86 of 1388	93.8%	★★★★★
2011	88.8	56 of 1381	95.9%	★★★★★
2010	82.2	156 of 1363	88.6%	★★★★☆
2009	86.6	100 of 1354	92.6%	★★★★★
2008	84.3	133 of 1324	90.0%	★★★★★
2007	81.9	136 of 1293	89.5%	★★★★☆
2006	73.5	285 of 1276	77.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.8	438 of 1447	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.0	304 of 1451	79.0%	★★★★☆
2024	80.4	211 of 1455	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	76.7	268 of 1459	81.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	341 of 1458	76.6%	★★★★☆
2021	84.0	172 of 1440	88.1%	★★★★☆
2019	79.6	220 of 1424	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	67.0	447 of 1405	68.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	598 of 743	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.2	519 of 1434	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.9	433 of 1437	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.6	709 of 1450	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.7	311 of 1437	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	85.6	95 of 1361	93.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.5	461 of 1451	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.3	333 of 1450	77.0%	★★★★☆
2024	66.4	443 of 1464	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.7	412 of 1461	71.8%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	224 of 1464	84.7%	★★★★☆
2021	87.5	139 of 1444	90.4%	★★★★★
2019	81.1	204 of 1430	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	78.0	245 of 1413	82.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	66.2	165 of 821	79.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.5	575 of 1146	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.5	441 of 1172	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.5	538 of 1166	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.8	562 of 1183	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	466 of 1194	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.4	280 of 1172	76.1%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	365 of 1183	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.0	434 of 1178	63.2%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.1	158 of 778	79.7%	★★★★☆
2025	80.5	133 of 773	82.8%	★★★★☆
2024	85.2	96 of 793	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	82.1	119 of 784	84.8%	★★★★☆
2022	80.5	136 of 786	82.7%	★★★★☆
2021	82.6	103 of 741	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	84.1	89 of 737	87.9%	★★★★☆
2018	73.7	159 of 691	77.0%	★★★★☆
2017	83.4	87 of 694	87.5%	★★★★☆
2016	91.0	42 of 692	93.9%	★★★★★
2015	90.8	45 of 705	93.6%	★★★★★
2014	85.2	70 of 627	88.8%	★★★★☆
2013	91.8	44 of 673	93.5%	★★★★★
2012	83.1	59 of 662	91.1%	★★★★★
2011	81.8	69 of 648	89.4%	★★★★☆
2010	79.4	99 of 640	84.5%	★★★★☆
2009	82.7	67 of 630	89.4%	★★★★☆
2008	74.2	140 of 620	77.4%	★★★★☆
2007	52.3	337 of 606	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	46.9	372 of 598	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.1	161 of 731	78.0%	★★★★☆
2025	85.4	82 of 733	88.8%	★★★★☆
2024	86.4	83 of 738	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.4	169 of 731	76.9%	★★★★☆
2022	72.5	175 of 733	76.1%	★★★★☆
2021	78.4	131 of 706	81.4%	★★★★☆
2019	80.7	109 of 684	84.1%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	207 of 656	68.4%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.5	230 of 465	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.5	330 of 725	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.8	303 of 729	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.4	65 of 639	89.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.4	155 of 736	78.9%	★★★★☆
2025	72.4	174 of 733	76.3%	★★★★☆
2024	80.9	119 of 751	84.2%	★★★★☆
2023	86.2	83 of 747	88.9%	★★★★☆
2022	84.5	96 of 748	87.2%	★★★★☆
2021	84.1	86 of 711	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	81.5	105 of 697	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	66.1	221 of 665	66.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.8	231 of 644	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.5	214 of 649	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.0	187 of 652	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	66.7	203 of 656	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.1	217 of 658	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.5	162 of 632	74.4%	★★★★☆
2019	78.0	118 of 624	81.1%	★★★★☆
2018	61.7	221 of 596	62.9%	★★★☆☆

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

Special Education (2025)80th percentile~ school

Female (2026)70th percentile~ school

Male (2026)68th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)64th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)50th percentile-20 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)20th percentile-51 vs school

Middle school

Male (2026)79th percentile~ school

Female (2026)78th percentile~ school

White (2026)64th percentile-16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)54th percentile-25 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)51st percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science84%+16 vs state

Reading67%+11 vs state

Mathematics65%+5 vs state

5.0

4 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, October 29, 2014

we love this school! Close Quote

by a citizen
Friday, May 6, 2011

Kids actually learn at this school. The school does not get bogged down in petty nonsense. Classes are small and each child is respected and treated as an individual. Bullying is not tolerated. Close Quote

Schools Near Cape Fear Center for Inquiry

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cape Fear Center for Inquiry	Public, Charter	K-8	2525 Wonder Way	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	Cape Fear Center for Inquiry	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 362-0000	395	30	13.1	—	320 (81.0%)	29 (7.3%)	26 (6.6%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (3.0%)	68.6	447^th of 1492 public elementary schools	70.0%		75.8	309^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.3%	138	58.1	71.1	70.8	66.7	56.5	68.1	55.8	73.3	64.6	62.2	73.9	72.3	77.1	91.5	92.5%	7.5%
Sunset Park Elementary	Public	K-5	613 Alabama Ave	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 815-6948	450	35	12.9	—	40 (8.9%)	103 (22.9%)	280 (62.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.8%)	7.4	1448^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.9%		24.9	1190^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.1%	258	40.7	43.8	35.2				32.6	28.8	19.7				25.4				$14,494	$2,078	$12,416
Lake Forest Academy	Public	K-8	1802 S 15th Street	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 772-2515	45	14	3.2	93.3%	14 (31.1%)	21 (46.7%)	3 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (13.3%)								(n/a)																	$44,023	$483	$43,539
Edwin A Alderman Elementary	Public	K-5	2025 Independence Blvd	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2031	255	22	11.4	—	108 (42.4%)	89 (34.9%)	32 (12.5%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.1%)	12.1	1395^th of 1492 public elementary schools	6.5%		12.1	1392^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	6.6%	3	35.9	31.8	35.0				41.0	31.8	32.5				57.5				$14,178	$1,969	$12,209
Dr John Codington Elementary	Public	K-5	4321 Carolina Beach Road	Wilmington	28412	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 790-2236	470	31	15.0	26.6%	374 (79.6%)	26 (5.5%)	32 (6.8%)	8 (1.7%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	25 (5.3%)	94.8	45^th of 1492 public elementary schools	97.0%		86.7	149^th of 1490 public elementary schools	90.0%	104	98.6	81.9	84.8				87.3	84.7	78.8				93.9		93.5%	3.9%	$10,516	$680	$9,836
Pine Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	440 John S Mosby Dr	Wilmington	28412	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2121	465	29	15.8	—	311 (66.9%)	61 (13.1%)	49 (10.5%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.5%)	63.2	532^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	64.3%		68.2	424^th of 1490 public elementary schools	71.5%	108	72.5	61.9	69.2				55.1	60.3	66.7				67.9		95.9%	0%	$10,137	$902	$9,235
Wilmington School of the Arts	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-7	1306 Floral Pkwy	Wilmington	28406	New Hanover County	Wilmington School of the Arts	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(910) 399-3712	297	20	14.7	58.2%	192 (64.6%)	26 (8.8%)	32 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	5 (1.7%)	38 (12.8%)	61.7	553^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	62.9%		51	730^th of 1490 public elementary schools	51.0%	177	62.2	66.0	51.2	55.6	50.0		66.7	72.3	68.3	66.7	54.5		63.4		72.7%	12.7%
The International School at Gregory	Public, Magnet	K-8	1106 Ann St	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(910) 251-6185	514	37	13.7	—	171 (33.3%)	114 (22.2%)	198 (38.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.4%)	51.8	700^th of 1492 public elementary schools	53.1%		58.3	594^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.1%	106	43.9	51.7	69.8	65.3	60.5	79.3	40.4	48.3	69.8	67.3	73.7	75.9	79.2	79.3			$18,192	$1,517	$16,675
Holly Tree Elementary	Public	K-5	3020 Web Trace	Wilmington	28409	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 790-2250	383	28	13.5	26.1%	289 (75.5%)	28 (7.3%)	44 (11.5%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	83.9	191^st of 1492 public elementary schools	87.2%		83.2	200^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.6%	9	82.8	73.4	81.8				71.9	70.3	67.3				83.6		96.9%	3.1%	$10,025	$585	$9,440
Forest Hills Global Elementary	Public	K-5	602 Colonial Drive	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 251-6190	340	32	10.7	—	43 (12.6%)	146 (42.9%)	130 (38.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.3%)	22.6	1234^th of 1492 public elementary schools	17.3%		13.5	1373^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	7.9%	139	45.2	59.3	64.4				14.3	38.9	28.8				44.1		87.8%	2%	$14,096	$1,993	$12,103

Frequently Asked Questions about Cape Fear Center for Inquiry

What is the racial makeup of Cape Fear Center for Inquiry?

Students at Cape Fear Center for Inquiry are 81% White, 7% African American, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Cape Fear Center for Inquiry?

In the 2024-25 school year, 395 students attended Cape Fear Center for Inquiry.

Is Cape Fear Center for Inquiry a good school?

Cape Fear Center for Inquiry ranks 447^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Cape Fear Center for Inquiry in?

Cape Fear Center for Inquiry

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2026

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.