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West Clayton Elementary

Q: Is West Clayton Elementary a good school?

West Clayton Elementary ranks 844 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

844^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

West Clayton Elementary is a public PK-5 elementary school serving 742 students in Clayton, North Carolina, as part of Johnston County Public Schools. The school holds a two-star rating at the 43rd percentile statewide, placing it near the middle-low end of North Carolina elementary schools after a decade-long decline from more competitive levels. Its current standing is especially striking given the neighborhood: Riverwood Elementary ranks at the 93rd percentile, Cleveland Elementary and West View Elementary sit in the mid-to-high 80s, and Powhatan Elementary ranks at the 85th percentile—all within a few miles and serving similar student populations. The school is most in line with East Clayton Elementary (52nd percentile) and Cooper Academy (38th percentile).

Academically, the school trails district and state averages in most subjects. Third-grade reading proficiency is 50.9%, compared with 59.8% across the district, and 5th grade science proficiency is 58.9% versus 72.2% districtwide. The gaps with nearby schools are dramatic: 5th grade math proficiency is 58.2%, while Riverwood Elementary posts 87.5% and Cleveland Elementary posts 84.3% in the same subject. Chronic absenteeism is a likely factor—22.0% of students miss enough school to affect learning, while the higher-performing neighboring schools report rates near 9–10%. Poverty does not explain the gap: free/reduced-price lunch rates are near 98–99% across all of these schools, and the school actually has smaller class sizes than most of its higher-performing neighbors.

There are bright spots. African American students and multiracial students perform well above the school's overall average, gifted students improved to the 67th percentile in 2025-26, and 4th grade math and reading scores jumped sharply in the most recent year. English learner results, however, have fallen from the 51st to the 10th percentile over two years—a red flag the school will need to address. For parents weighing options in Clayton, this school serves a population very similar to that of nearby higher-performing schools, with comparable funding and no class-size disadvantage, which suggests meaningful improvement is achievable.

742

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1012 S Lombard St
Clayton, NC 27520-2810

(919) 553-7113

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Students who attend West Clayton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Clayton Middle
High:	Clayton High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

35.8%

White:

33.0%

African American:

21.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare West Clayton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 58th percentile in 2016 → 43rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg61%

844^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From top 42% (2016) to bottom 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

98^th of 246Johnston County Public 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.0	844 of 1492	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.1	759 of 1490	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.6	862 of 1505	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.1	671 of 1502	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.5	819 of 1514	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.8	962 of 1489	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.6	1072 of 1473	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.7	1056 of 1434	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	57.7	618 of 1429	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	57.0	597 of 1425	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.9	629 of 1440	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	52.8	650 of 1390	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	48.0	698 of 1403	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	73.3	340 of 1388	75.5%	★★★★☆
2011	72.7	347 of 1381	74.9%	★★★★☆
2010	80.1	200 of 1363	85.3%	★★★★☆
2009	83.8	144 of 1354	89.4%	★★★★☆
2008	77.3	237 of 1324	82.1%	★★★★☆
2007	81.9	140 of 1293	89.2%	★★★★☆
2006	67.0	387 of 1276	69.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.5	375 of 903	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.3	244 of 918	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	60.6	281 of 924	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.3	170 of 933	81.8%	★★★★☆
2022	73.5	156 of 927	83.2%	★★★★☆
2021	50.1	353 of 896	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.1	738 of 949	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.8	768 of 927	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	37.5	372 of 634	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.2	282 of 646	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.6	696 of 878	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.8	822 of 897	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.0	468 of 519	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.0	452 of 563	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.2	263 of 533	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	116 of 514	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	44.3	243 of 485	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.5	263 of 385	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.8	423 of 497	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.9	361 of 421	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.9	773 of 1447	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.9	548 of 1451	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.6	847 of 1455	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.1	676 of 1459	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.7	875 of 1458	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.4	905 of 1440	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.1	1024 of 1424	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.8	1054 of 1405	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.3	247 of 743	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.1	394 of 710	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	564 of 669	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	62.1	233 of 582	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.3	233 of 500	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	21.2	454 of 494	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	58.1	321 of 612	47.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.2	741 of 981	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.0	562 of 961	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.8	431 of 951	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.5	407 of 915	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.7	603 of 893	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.6	672 of 843	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	769 of 865	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.1	746 of 851	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.3	778 of 1434	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.9	541 of 1437	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.0	637 of 1450	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	444 of 1437	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.7	679 of 1366	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.6	840 of 1329	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.6	1164 of 1361	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	1139 of 1332	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.8	859 of 1451	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.6	938 of 1450	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.6	846 of 1464	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.6	634 of 1461	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.2	733 of 1464	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.2	950 of 1444	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.9	1087 of 1430	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.8	1027 of 1413	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	69.9	46 of 175	73.7%	★★★★☆
2024	58.2	70 of 159	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.6	52 of 154	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.2	85 of 133	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.6	58 of 97	40.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.2	379 of 815	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.6	478 of 821	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.6	427 of 801	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.2	624 of 1146	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.7	690 of 1172	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.1	891 of 1166	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	59.8	464 of 1183	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.6	606 of 1194	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.9	855 of 1172	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.8	838 of 1183	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.2	831 of 1178	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2025)74th percentile+25 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)67th percentile+23 vs school

African American (2026)58th percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2026)53rd percentile+10 vs school

Female (2026)47th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)46th percentile~ school

White (2026)46th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)41st percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)41st percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)24th percentile-19 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)10th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics60%-4 vs state

Science59%-9 vs state

Reading53%-4 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, May 11, 2018

I had my doubts about the school to begin with, especially having spoken to other parents and former staff before enrolling my child in West Clayton. I thought, "Oh, it couldn't really be that bad." Well, the reality was far worse. Speaking just for my child's experience as one of the top children in his class, he has had to deal with bullying on a pretty consistent level. He has had to deal with children belittling his intelligence, other students wishing he were dead to his face, and to the extreme end having to deal with being punched in the face. The best response the school and his teacher can do is that "Kids will be Kids." That is true... Until they become something worse. Behavior begins to set in at the elementary level, whether it's poor parenting or worse supervision and discipline, this school will do very little to ensure a safe environment for your exceptional child. There are now alternatives to this at best, mediocre school... If you are a discerning parent of any kind, please, I beg of you, take your child elsewhere or risk putting your child through what mine has had to endure. I will have my work cut out for me trying to undo what this institute of barbarian learning has done to my child. There really needs to be a better way to hold these incompetent so-called educators accountable. I will certainly be looking into outside options to gain recourse for my child. Close Quote

Schools Near West Clayton Elementary

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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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
West Clayton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1012 S Lombard St	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-7113	742	50	14.8	98.5%	245 (33.0%)	158 (21.3%)	266 (35.8%)	20 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.0%)	44	844^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.4%		49.1	759^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.1%	85	62.3	59.8	58.2				50.9	61.6	46.8				58.9		$9,685	$477	$9,208
Cooper Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	849 North Mial St	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 553-0256	447	31	14.5	98.9%	111 (24.8%)	161 (36.0%)	132 (29.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.7%)	38.8	922^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	38.2%		43.4	861^st of 1490 public elementary schools	42.2%	61	58.7	50.6	52.7				54.3	65.4	45.5				55.5		$10,146	$817	$9,330
Johnston Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	40 Scholar Drive	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 879-8190	677	35	19.4	50.5%	269 (39.7%)	206 (30.4%)	116 (17.1%)	17 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (10.2%)	75.9	304^th of 1492 public elementary schools	79.6%		66.2	463^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	68.9%	159	80.2	75.6	65.4	61.1	50.0	59.4	67.9	69.5	61.5	65.3	67.9	69.6	87.2	88.2
East Clayton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2075 NC Highway 42 East	Clayton	27527	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 550-5311	524	32	16.2	98.3%	143 (27.3%)	204 (38.9%)	117 (22.3%)	8 (1.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (9.4%)	50.3	723^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	51.5%		43.9	851^st of 1490 public elementary schools	42.9%	128	61.3	64.0	60.0				62.0	52.0	51.3				65.0		$9,338	$524	$8,814
Riverwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	108 Athletic Club Blvd	Clayton	27527	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 359-6300	728	45	16.2	99.6%	365 (50.1%)	122 (16.8%)	170 (23.4%)	5 (0.7%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (8.5%)	90.1	111^th of 1492 public elementary schools	92.6%		88	139^th of 1490 public elementary schools	90.7%	28	82.5	79.5	87.5				80.8	70.9	78.1				90.6		$8,213	$432	$7,780
Powhatan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3145 Vinson Rd	Clayton	27527	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-3259	656	38	17.4	99.5%	345 (52.6%)	132 (20.1%)	118 (18.0%)	8 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.9%)	81.2	226^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.9%		81.9	218^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.4%	8	77.9	74.6	75.2				64.0	69.3	73.3				84.2		$9,061	$544	$8,517
Polenta Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	105 Josephine Road	Garner	27529	Wake County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 989-6039	1,010	63	15.9	98.0%	481 (47.6%)	178 (17.6%)	282 (27.9%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (6.3%)	70.6	401^st of 1492 public elementary schools	73.1%		59.9	566^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.0%	165	76.7	61.9	68.8				68.9	60.7	61.3				79.6		$8,530	$528	$8,002
Cleveland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10225 Cleveland Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 550-2700	851	45	18.9	98.6%	429 (50.4%)	164 (19.3%)	177 (20.8%)	16 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (7.5%)	82.1	216^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.5%		88.9	124^th of 1490 public elementary schools	91.7%	92	77.8	67.8	84.3				71.5	69.9	70.7				82.9		$8,300	$357	$7,943
West View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11755 Cleveland Road	Garner	27529	Wake County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 661-6184	969	60	16.2	98.5%	376 (38.8%)	274 (28.3%)	230 (23.7%)	25 (2.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (6.4%)	83.5	195^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.9%		70.2	388^th of 1490 public elementary schools	74.0%	193	83.6	75.4	72.7				77.6	73.1	67.5				80.8		$8,744	$427	$8,317
Swift Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4188 Cleveland Road	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(919) 912-9960	0																		(n/a)	57.1	71.8	79.0				53.1	64.1	79.0				80.0

Frequently Asked Questions about West Clayton Elementary

How many students attend West Clayton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 742 students attended West Clayton Elementary.

What district is West Clayton Elementary in?

Johnston County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of West Clayton Elementary?

Students at West Clayton Elementary are 36% Hispanic, 33% White, 21% African American, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is West Clayton Elementary a good school?

West Clayton Elementary ranks 844^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of West Clayton Elementary attend?

Students who attend West Clayton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Clayton Middle
High : Clayton High

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.