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Cleveland Elementary

Q: Is Cleveland Elementary a good school?

Cleveland Elementary ranks 216 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

216^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Cleveland Elementary is a PK–5 school in Clayton, NC, serving 851 students in Johnston County Public Schools, with a 4-star rating and a rank of 216th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools (86th percentile). That is a strong result, though a slight step back from two prior cycles when the school ranked at the 92nd percentile and earned 5 stars. Cleveland beats district and state averages in every tested subject: 5th grade math proficiency is 84.3%, versus 67.2% for the district and 62.9% statewide; 5th grade science is 82.9%; overall proficiency is roughly 75%, compared with about 64% for the district and 61% for the state.

Chronic absenteeism is one of Cleveland's most striking strengths: in 2024–2025, just 8.9% of students were chronically absent, versus 21.8% for Johnston County Public Schools and 24.2% statewide. Nearby West View Elementary posts a 19.3% rate, Polenta Elementary 13.4%, and Dixon Road Elementary 10.7%. Cleveland reaches these results with modest resources: about $8,300 per-pupil spending and a student-teacher ratio of 18.9. The school reports roughly 98.6% free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, but that figure stood near 30% two years earlier, pointing to a reporting change more than a shift in the community.

Cleveland also produces strong results for historically underserved groups, with African American, multiracial, and military-connected students ranking in the 93rd–97th percentile statewide in recent years. The main caution is special education, which dropped from the 83rd–86th percentile to the 21st percentile in the latest cycle; English Language Learner, low-income, and gifted students also slipped somewhat. These declines are worth watching closely, but they do not overshadow the school's core strengths. Excellent attendance, sustained academic performance, and strong outcomes for most student groups make the school one of the more compelling elementary options in Clayton.

851

Students ?

18.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

92.3%

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

Exemptions: 2.6% (any vaccine)

10225 Cleveland Rd
Clayton, NC 27520-9861

(919) 550-2700

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Students who attend Cleveland Elementary usually attend:

High:

Cleveland High

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.4%

Hispanic:

20.8%

African American:

19.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Cleveland Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 90th percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (75% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school75%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg61%

216^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 10% (2016) to top 14% (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	82.1	216 of 1492	85.5%	★★★★☆
2025	88.9	124 of 1490	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	89.4	122 of 1505	91.9%	★★★★★
2023	82.8	200 of 1502	86.7%	★★★★☆
2022	83.0	208 of 1514	86.3%	★★★★☆
2021	72.5	357 of 1489	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	77.3	272 of 1473	81.5%	★★★★☆
2018	86.6	140 of 1434	90.2%	★★★★★
2017	82.2	190 of 1429	86.7%	★★★★☆
2016	86.2	136 of 1425	90.5%	★★★★★
2015	85.3	155 of 1440	89.2%	★★★★☆
2014	90.1	100 of 1390	92.8%	★★★★★
2013	81.8	204 of 1403	85.5%	★★★★☆
2012	82.7	149 of 1388	89.3%	★★★★☆
2011	87.3	85 of 1381	93.8%	★★★★★
2010	87.6	75 of 1363	94.5%	★★★★★
2009	88.6	68 of 1354	95.0%	★★★★★
2008	87.5	97 of 1324	92.7%	★★★★★
2007	87.0	64 of 1293	95.1%	★★★★★
2006	87.0	80 of 1276	93.7%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.0	64 of 903	92.9%	★★★★★
2025	85.5	68 of 918	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	83.2	87 of 924	90.6%	★★★★★
2023	85.4	74 of 933	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	82.0	84 of 927	90.9%	★★★★★
2021	64.8	193 of 896	78.5%	★★★★☆
2019	56.3	356 of 949	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	85.6	53 of 927	94.3%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	41.6	325 of 634	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.0	553 of 646	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	60.7	239 of 878	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	59.8	271 of 897	69.8%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.3	169 of 519	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	78.7	57 of 563	89.9%	★★★★★
2023	91.4	27 of 514	94.7%	★★★★★
2021	62.5	76 of 385	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	73.9	66 of 497	86.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.3	285 of 1447	80.3%	★★★★☆
2025	86.0	140 of 1451	90.4%	★★★★★
2024	89.5	101 of 1455	93.1%	★★★★★
2023	79.0	228 of 1459	84.4%	★★★★☆
2022	81.5	208 of 1458	85.7%	★★★★☆
2021	67.8	393 of 1440	72.7%	★★★★☆
2019	73.9	322 of 1424	77.4%	★★★★☆
2018	83.5	159 of 1405	88.7%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	424 of 743	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	61.3	296 of 710	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.7	137 of 669	79.5%	★★★★☆
2023	57.2	329 of 582	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	70.1	57 of 500	88.6%	★★★★☆
2021	61.8	223 of 494	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.8	93 of 612	84.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.3	253 of 981	74.2%	★★★★☆
2025	75.3	144 of 961	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	88.5	58 of 951	93.9%	★★★★★
2023	80.2	104 of 915	88.6%	★★★★☆
2022	78.7	114 of 893	87.2%	★★★★☆
2021	67.0	190 of 843	77.5%	★★★★☆
2019	73.9	157 of 865	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	64.9	238 of 851	72.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.6	438 of 1434	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	77.1	203 of 1437	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	77.4	198 of 1450	86.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.7	162 of 1437	88.7%	★★★★☆
2022	75.3	204 of 1366	85.1%	★★★★☆
2021	47.1	655 of 1329	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.7	838 of 1361	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	75.8	210 of 1332	84.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.5	173 of 1451	88.1%	★★★★☆
2025	88.6	109 of 1450	92.5%	★★★★★
2024	86.8	144 of 1464	90.2%	★★★★★
2023	83.2	180 of 1461	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	81.8	204 of 1464	86.1%	★★★★☆
2021	74.5	329 of 1444	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	78.1	242 of 1430	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	87.4	131 of 1413	90.7%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	93.5	2 of 72	97.2%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.0	11 of 181	93.9%	★★★★★
2025	87.8	14 of 175	92.0%	★★★★★
2024	88.3	9 of 159	94.3%	★★★★★
2023	84.0	21 of 154	86.4%	★★★★☆
2022	83.9	17 of 133	87.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.2	643 of 815	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	68.7	140 of 821	82.9%	★★★★☆
2024	72.4	114 of 801	85.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.9	258 of 1146	77.5%	★★★★☆
2025	86.9	95 of 1172	91.9%	★★★★★
2024	87.2	90 of 1166	92.3%	★★★★★
2023	76.0	236 of 1183	80.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.6	192 of 1194	83.9%	★★★★☆
2021	69.2	323 of 1172	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	74.2	257 of 1183	78.3%	★★★★☆
2018	81.7	165 of 1178	86.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Military Connected (2025)97th percentile+6 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)94th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2026)93rd percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)88th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)80th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)77th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)74th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile-16 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)67th percentile-18 vs school

Disabled (2022)49th percentile-38 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)43rd percentile-43 vs school

Special Education (2026)21st percentile-64 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science83%+15 vs state

Mathematics77%+13 vs state

Reading71%+14 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, December 27, 2017

This is a great school. Teachers are caring and communication is open. You can easily tell that the teachers care for the children and what they do. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Great manage school!! Close Quote

Schools Near Cleveland 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 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
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	—	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		92.3%	2.6%	$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	—	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		97.3%	0.9%	$8,744	$427	$8,317
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	—	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		86.4%	2.9%	$8,530	$528	$8,002
Dixon Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	835 Dixon Road	Willow Spring	27592	Wake County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 894-7771	644	38	16.7	—	364 (56.5%)	40 (6.2%)	200 (31.1%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.6%)	74.6	329^th of 1492 public elementary schools	77.9%		74.9	316^th of 1490 public elementary schools	78.8%	13	82.6	86.1	68.5				68.8	71.3	53.7				69.4		97.9%	1.1%	$9,295	$634	$8,661
McGee's Crossroads Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10330 NC Hwy 50 North	Angier	27501	Harnett County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 894-7161	950	54	17.5	—	501 (52.7%)	97 (10.2%)	271 (28.5%)	7 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	71 (7.5%)	60.1	575^th of 1492 public elementary schools	61.5%		61.8	534^th of 1490 public elementary schools	64.2%	41	68.8	60.0	72.2				57.8	55.6	57.6				72.8		91.9%	5.6%	$8,802	$528	$8,274
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		96.5%	1.7%
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	—	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		96.3%	0.9%	$9,685	$477	$9,208
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	100%	0%
Bryan Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8317 Bryan Rd	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 694-7844	685	49	13.9	34.0%	219 (32.0%)	163 (23.8%)	122 (17.8%)	164 (23.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	15 (2.2%)	88.8	133^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	91.1%		84.4	184^th of 1490 public elementary schools	87.7%	51	80.3	81.4	88.9				72.6	74.6	75.8				86.9		98.7%	0%	$10,316	$641	$9,675
Rand Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 Arbor Greene Dr	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 662-2275	394	30	13.2	52.5%	191 (48.5%)	91 (23.1%)	89 (22.6%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.8%)	73.5	352^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	76.4%		68.3	423^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	71.6%	71	84.1	65.7	64.6				81.0	71.4	63.1				67.7		92.8%	0%	$10,382	$374	$10,008

Frequently Asked Questions about Cleveland Elementary

Is Cleveland Elementary a good school?

Cleveland Elementary ranks 216^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Cleveland Elementary?

Students at Cleveland Elementary are 50% White, 21% Hispanic, 19% African American, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Cleveland Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 851 students attended Cleveland Elementary.

What district is Cleveland Elementary in?

Johnston County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Cleveland Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cleveland Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Cleveland High

Rate Cleveland Elementary!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

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

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 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.