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Dixon Road Elementary

Q: Is Dixon Road Elementary a good school?

Dixon Road Elementary ranks 329 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

329^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Dixon Road Elementary is a PK-5 elementary school in Willow Spring, NC, serving 644 students as part of Johnston County Public Schools. The school holds a 4-star state rating, ranking 329th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools and placing it in the 78th percentile — a notable achievement in a district rated 3 stars overall. Dixon Road has earned 4-star ratings every year since 2021-22. That distinction is especially clear when compared with McGee's Crossroads Elementary, its closest neighbor less than two miles away, which ranks in the 61st percentile.

One of the school's most distinctive strengths is attendance. Dixon Road's chronic absenteeism rate was just 10.7% in 2024-25, less than half the Johnston County district average of 21.8% and far below the 24.2% state average. Academically, the early grades are exceptionally strong: 3rd-grade math proficiency was 82.6% compared with 66.4% statewide, and 4th-grade math proficiency of 86.1% was the highest among all nearby comparison schools, including those in the higher-rated Wake County Schools district. The school also posts standout results for several student subgroups: African American students ranked in the 99th percentile statewide in 2022-23, while English Language Learner, special education, and low-income students have all recently ranked above the 85th percentile relative to their peers in the same groups.

The clearest area for improvement is 5th grade. While 3rd- and 4th-grade scores are strong, 5th-grade reading proficiency has declined to 53.7%, below the district (56.4%) and state (55.3%). Fifth-grade math (68.5%) and science (69.4%) also trail district averages. The contrast with Cleveland Elementary, a nearby Johnston County school serving a similar student population, is instructive: Dixon Road's 4th-grade math exceeds Cleveland's by roughly 18 points, but Cleveland's 5th-grade math (84.3%) and reading (70.7%) far exceed Dixon Road's. If Dixon Road can sustain its early-grade success into 5th grade, it could return to the top-15% statewide range it occupied in 2022-24.

644

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

835 Dixon Road
Willow Spring, NC 27592

(919) 894-7771

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Students who attend Dixon Road Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	McGee's Crossroads Middle
High:	West Johnston High

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.5%

Hispanic:

31.1%

African American:

6.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Dixon Road Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 84th percentile in 2024 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (72% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 84th-percentile peak (2024) to 78th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school72%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg61%

329^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to top 22% (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	74.6	329 of 1492	77.9%	★★★★☆
2025	74.9	316 of 1490	78.8%	★★★★☆
2024	80.4	237 of 1505	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	252 of 1502	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	76.9	293 of 1514	80.6%	★★★★☆
2021	60.3	570 of 1489	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.1	673 of 1473	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.3	434 of 1434	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	74.6	330 of 1429	76.9%	★★★★☆
2016	64.5	487 of 1425	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.0	574 of 1440	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.0	631 of 1390	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	45.8	732 of 1403	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	61.0	578 of 1388	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	66.9	472 of 1381	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.9	439 of 1363	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.4	500 of 1354	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	63.1	490 of 1324	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	61.7	518 of 1293	59.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	98.5	6 of 933	99.4%	★★★★★
2022	74.7	144 of 927	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	58.7	329 of 927	64.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	67.7	118 of 634	81.4%	★★★★☆
2021	35.8	405 of 646	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.4	721 of 878	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.7	468 of 897	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.8	82 of 519	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	83.5	46 of 563	91.8%	★★★★★
2022	66.2	85 of 485	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	27.8	406 of 497	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.4	329 of 1447	77.3%	★★★★☆
2025	71.9	338 of 1451	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	77.6	245 of 1455	83.2%	★★★★☆
2023	78.4	238 of 1459	83.7%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	293 of 1458	79.9%	★★★★☆
2021	56.0	590 of 1440	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.0	653 of 1424	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.5	511 of 1405	63.6%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.0	287 of 743	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.6	107 of 710	84.9%	★★★★☆
2024	25.9	625 of 669	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	51.2	424 of 582	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	70.1	59 of 500	88.2%	★★★★☆
2019	57.9	326 of 612	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.5	282 of 981	71.3%	★★★★☆
2025	82.3	89 of 961	90.7%	★★★★★
2024	82.1	101 of 951	89.4%	★★★★☆
2023	77.2	130 of 915	85.8%	★★★★☆
2022	73.6	162 of 893	81.9%	★★★★☆
2021	57.6	286 of 843	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.3	454 of 865	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	69.3	198 of 851	76.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.0	215 of 1434	85.0%	★★★★☆
2025	80.6	147 of 1437	89.8%	★★★★☆
2024	74.7	238 of 1450	83.6%	★★★★☆
2023	80.0	159 of 1437	88.9%	★★★★☆
2022	87.4	71 of 1366	94.8%	★★★★★
2021	59.2	435 of 1329	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.0	700 of 1361	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.5	610 of 1332	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	341 of 1451	76.5%	★★★★☆
2025	74.4	313 of 1450	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	79.2	249 of 1464	83.0%	★★★★☆
2023	77.0	268 of 1461	81.7%	★★★★☆
2022	75.5	300 of 1464	79.5%	★★★★☆
2021	61.9	513 of 1444	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.2	651 of 1430	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.1	369 of 1413	73.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.4	116 of 815	85.8%	★★★★☆
2025	66.5	159 of 821	80.6%	★★★★☆
2024	89.9	34 of 801	95.8%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	371 of 1146	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.1	463 of 1172	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.3	416 of 1166	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.1	429 of 1183	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.2	377 of 1194	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.4	584 of 1172	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.8	682 of 1183	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.3	575 of 1178	51.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2023)99th percentile+16 vs school

Special Education (2026)86th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)85th percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)84th percentile+6 vs school

Disabled (2022)81st percentile~ school

Female (2026)77th percentile~ school

Male (2026)76th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)71st percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)68th percentile-10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)61st percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics79%+16 vs state

Science69%~ state avg

Reading65%+9 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

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3★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, August 20, 2019

This is an amazing school. The principal, teachers and staff are without a doubt the best I’ve ever come across. The pre-k program is out of this world awesome! Ms. Jo, Ms. Maryanne, and Ms. Jennifer are some of the kindest and most well-rounded educators. They made us feel at home with leaving our daughter in their care. They use positive reinforcement with the kids and their naturally kind dispositions shine through in even the most challenging situations. We are so lucky to have them and we appreciate all they do! Close Quote

by a citizen
Sunday, July 1, 2018

As a retired Wake County teacher, I have been very impressed with all I see at Dixon Road. I am there several days each week and am thrilled my grandson is getting his education there among an awesome staff. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, March 29, 2018

This is the best school! Great teachers and principal! Close Quote

Schools Near Dixon Road 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
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	99.5%	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		$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	99.7%	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		$8,802	$528	$8,274
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
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
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
Angier Elementary	Public	3-5	130 E McIver St	Angier	27501	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 639-2635	376	26	14.3	99.2%	98 (26.1%)	59 (15.7%)	203 (54.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.7%)	14.7	1368^th of 1492 public elementary schools	8.3%		11.2	1403^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	5.8%	35	54.9	35.1	38.8				36.3	40.5	28.4				52.6		$9,429	$1,293	$8,136
Carolina Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	8529 NC Highway 55	Angier	27501	Harnett County	Carolina Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(984) 300-3015	782	49	15.9		403 (51.5%)	80 (10.2%)	136 (17.4%)	103 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (7.7%)	64.8	508^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.0%		60.5	556^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.7%	48	62.5	73.7	62.4	53.4	69.2	70.0	64.8	75.8	64.4	56.8	61.5	78.3	70.3	91.7
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		$10,382	$374	$10,008
Willow Springs Elementary	Public	K-5	6800 Dwight Rowland Rd	Willow Spring	27592	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 557-2770	826	59	14.0	30.8%	486 (58.8%)	66 (8.0%)	161 (19.5%)	64 (7.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (5.6%)	76.1	299^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.0%		85.3	167^th of 1490 public elementary schools	88.8%	132	75.2	75.8	75.5				64.3	70.8	64.7				71.2		$9,222	$529	$8,694

Frequently Asked Questions about Dixon Road Elementary

What schools do graduates of Dixon Road Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dixon Road Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : McGee's Crossroads Middle
High : West Johnston High

How many students attend Dixon Road Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 644 students attended Dixon Road Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Dixon Road Elementary?

Students at Dixon Road Elementary are 57% White, 31% Hispanic, 6% African American, 6% Two or more races.

Is Dixon Road Elementary a good school?

Dixon Road Elementary ranks 329^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Dixon Road Elementary in?

Johnston County Public Schools

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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.