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Paw Creek Elementary

Q: Is Paw Creek Elementary a good school?

Paw Creek Elementary ranks 203 rd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

203^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Paw Creek Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Charlotte, NC, serving 784 students in a community where 99.6% of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite that level of poverty, Paw Creek has become one of the strongest elementary schools in the Charlotte area, earning a 4-star rating and ranking at the 86th percentile statewide (203rd of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools). The story is even more impressive given its starting point: from the 24th–30th percentile in 2020–2022, the school has climbed roughly 60 percentile points in four years — a sustained transformation, not a one-year fluke.

Academically, Paw Creek is strong in every subject and grade tested. In 3rd grade math, 90.2% of students are proficient — far above the 70.7% average in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the 66.4% statewide average. Reading proficiency also outpaces the district and state at every grade level, and 5th grade science reaches 87.9%, versus 70.9% for the district and 67.7% for the state. The subgroup results are especially striking: African American students rank 21st in North Carolina (98th percentile), Hispanic students rank 83rd (92nd percentile), English language learners rank 43rd (92nd percentile), and low-income students rank 57th of 1,434 schools (96th percentile). This is a school that is closing achievement gaps in ways that very few high-poverty elementary schools in North Carolina ever manage.

Attendance tells a similar story of improvement. Chronic absenteeism has fallen from 37% in 2021–2022 to 17.9% in 2024–2025, below the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district rate of 26.8%. Surrounding campuses look very different: Thomasboro Academy reports 41.6%, Oakdale Elementary 37.9%, Whitewater Academy 34.1%, and Mountain Island Lake Academy 33.3%. In statewide rankings, Paw Creek (86th percentile) outpaces every nearby CMS elementary, including Allenbrook Elementary (64th percentile), Tuckaseegee Elementary (58th), and several others in the bottom quarter of the state. Even strong local alternatives such as Pinewood Elementary (76th percentile, in Gaston County Schools) and Movement School Northwest trail Paw Creek on most measures. For families weighing options in the Charlotte area, Paw Creek is a genuine standout.

784

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1300 Cathey Rd
Charlotte, NC 28214-1274

(980) 343-6088

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Students who attend Paw Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Coulwood STEM Academy
High:	West Mecklenburg High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.0%

Hispanic:

33.5%

White:

6.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Paw Creek Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 43rd percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (77% vs 61% meeting standards)

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

✓Ranking is trending up — up 43 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school77%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg61%

203^rd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 44 pts since 2016

From bottom 43% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

105^th of 246Charlotte-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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.2	203 of 1492	86.4%	★★★★☆
2025	79.1	260 of 1490	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	69.6	415 of 1505	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	57.4	632 of 1502	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.9	1057 of 1514	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.3	1135 of 1489	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.7	922 of 1473	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.2	1036 of 1434	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	37.2	962 of 1429	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	46.0	815 of 1425	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	37.9	956 of 1440	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	41.3	827 of 1390	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	42.6	798 of 1403	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	36.6	993 of 1388	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	22.1	1174 of 1381	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	32.0	1036 of 1363	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	28.3	1047 of 1354	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	26.0	1060 of 1324	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	27.7	1051 of 1293	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	55.9	606 of 1276	52.5%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	94.4	21 of 903	97.7%	★★★★★
2025	95.1	23 of 918	97.5%	★★★★★
2024	88.0	47 of 924	94.9%	★★★★★
2023	84.2	82 of 933	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	53.1	367 of 927	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	332 of 896	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.1	228 of 949	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	56.5	358 of 927	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	24.6	537 of 634	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	67.2	118 of 646	81.7%	★★★★☆
2019	84.5	55 of 878	93.7%	★★★★★
2018	71.7	138 of 897	84.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.2	43 of 519	91.7%	★★★★★
2025	77.8	61 of 563	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	82.1	54 of 533	89.9%	★★★★★
2023	59.3	140 of 514	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	54.9	157 of 485	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.6	202 of 385	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.1	135 of 497	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	55.2	143 of 421	66.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.2	195 of 1447	86.5%	★★★★☆
2025	76.9	263 of 1451	81.9%	★★★★☆
2024	66.1	434 of 1455	70.2%	★★★★☆
2023	48.4	768 of 1459	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.9	979 of 1458	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.5	1205 of 1440	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.0	953 of 1424	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.9	1107 of 1405	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.4	162 of 743	78.2%	★★★★☆
2025	70.6	119 of 710	83.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.9	83 of 981	91.5%	★★★★★
2025	80.7	103 of 961	89.3%	★★★★☆
2024	78.6	127 of 951	86.6%	★★★★☆
2023	61.0	287 of 915	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.4	334 of 893	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.9	566 of 843	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.4	382 of 865	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.0	361 of 851	57.6%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	92.7	1 of 8	87.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	90.9	57 of 1434	96.0%	★★★★★
2025	91.0	48 of 1437	96.7%	★★★★★
2024	79.5	162 of 1450	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	78.0	195 of 1437	86.4%	★★★★☆
2022	41.0	824 of 1366	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.6	927 of 1329	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.0	638 of 1361	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.2	804 of 1332	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.7	227 of 1451	84.4%	★★★★☆
2025	77.7	262 of 1450	81.9%	★★★★☆
2024	70.0	387 of 1464	73.6%	★★★★☆
2023	63.8	494 of 1461	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.2	1060 of 1464	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.4	1018 of 1444	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.1	860 of 1430	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.8	918 of 1413	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.1	176 of 815	78.4%	★★★★☆
2025	55.3	262 of 821	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.6	355 of 801	55.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	34.5	859 of 1183	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.1	921 of 1178	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2026)98th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)96th percentile+10 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)92nd percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)92nd percentile+5 vs school

Homeless (2022)88th percentile+57 vs school

Female (2026)87th percentile~ school

Male (2026)84th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)78th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)78th percentile-8 vs school

White (2019)27th percentile-10 vs school

Disabled (2022)15th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science88%+20 vs state

Mathematics85%+21 vs state

Reading64%+8 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, October 26, 2018

The school & teachers are uneducated on special needs. Please look somewhere else to send your child. Close Quote

Schools Near Paw Creek 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
Paw Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1300 Cathey Rd	Charlotte	28214	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6088	784	45	17.3	99.6%	51 (6.5%)	400 (51.0%)	263 (33.5%)	37 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	30 (3.8%)	83.2	203^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	86.4%		79.1	260^th of 1490 public elementary schools	82.6%	57	90.2	82.9	81.7				66.1	65.3	61.4				87.9		$10,851	$1,377	$9,474
Movement School Northwest	Public, Charter	K-3	8015 Bellhaven Boulevard	Charlotte	28216	Mecklenburg County	Movement School Northwest	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(980) 431-5330	208	14	15.1	98.6%	2 (1.0%)	168 (80.8%)	22 (10.6%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	11 (5.3%)								(n/a)	64.3						53.5
Mountain Island Lake Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	7905 Pleasant Grove Rd	Charlotte	28216	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6948	766	41	18.6	99.6%	41 (5.4%)	491 (64.1%)	174 (22.7%)	36 (4.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.9%)	42.7	863^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	42.2%		23.3	1215^th of 1490 public elementary schools	18.5%	352	40.3	50.0	77.2	47.5	36.5	28.0	38.8	51.4	59.5	46.3	46.0	56.6	73.4	57.9	$10,304	$897	$9,407
River Oaks Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1015 Mt Holly-Huntersville Rd	Charlotte	28214	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 344-1020	555	31	17.8	99.5%	47 (8.5%)	333 (60.0%)	144 (25.9%)	18 (3.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.0%)	27.1	1156^th of 1492 public elementary schools	22.5%		11.9	1395^th of 1490 public elementary schools	6.4%	239	54.8	51.9	39.8				45.2	55.1	38.6				53.7		$10,288	$1,014	$9,274
Whitewater Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	11600 White Rapids Rd	Charlotte	28214	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-0003	832	47	17.6	99.6%	70 (8.4%)	381 (45.8%)	305 (36.7%)	35 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.7%)	34 (4.1%)	20.6	1269^th of 1492 public elementary schools	14.9%		41.8	883^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	40.7%	386	51.5	51.5	48.1				37.1	39.8	32.6				54.1		$9,291	$1,057	$8,234
Allenbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1430 Allenbrook Dr	Charlotte	28208	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6004	267	16	16.6	98.9%	10 (3.7%)	122 (45.7%)	97 (36.3%)	26 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.5%)	62.8	539^th of 1492 public elementary schools	63.9%		60.4	560^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.4%	21	79.5	63.6	78.6				40.5	54.5	54.8				88.1		$12,622	$1,851	$10,771
Oakdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1825 Oakdale Rd	Charlotte	28216	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6076	497	31	16.2	98.8%	20 (4.0%)	270 (54.3%)	151 (30.4%)	30 (6.0%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	22 (4.4%)	25	1190^th of 1492 public elementary schools	20.2%		24.1	1202^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	19.3%	12	41.9	59.3	44.6				37.8	51.1	39.2				50.0		$11,247	$2,019	$9,228
Tuckaseegee Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	2028 Little Rock Rd	Charlotte	28214	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6055	544	40	13.6	99.4%	12 (2.2%)	232 (42.6%)	234 (43.0%)	50 (9.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.6%)	57.2	622^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	58.3%		57.1	606^th of 1490 public elementary schools	59.3%	16	69.9	59.6	76.7				54.4	51.4	52.3				77.4		$10,356	$1,167	$9,190
East Voyager Academy of Charlotte	Public, Charter	K-8	7429 Tuckaseegee Rd.	Charlotte	28214	Mecklenburg County	East Voyager Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(704) 412-6988	200	8	24.5		10 (5.0%)	95 (47.5%)	78 (39.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (8.0%)	41.7	885^th of 1492 public elementary schools	40.7%		32.5	1045^th of 1490 public elementary schools	29.9%	160	45.5	68.4	50.0	64.5	60.0		36.4	47.4	33.3	64.5	53.3		50.0
Thomasboro Academy	Public	K-8	538 Bradford Dr	Charlotte	28208	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6000	569	39	14.5	99.5%	12 (2.1%)	280 (49.2%)	213 (37.4%)	58 (10.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	18.9	1294^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.3%		12	1393^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	6.5%	99	51.3	53.9	43.5	34.7	31.6	28.4	37.0	48.1	32.3	36.0	34.5	31.3	43.5	54.5	$12,153	$1,283	$10,870

Frequently Asked Questions about Paw Creek Elementary

What schools do graduates of Paw Creek Elementary attend?

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

Middle : Coulwood STEM Academy
High : West Mecklenburg High School

Is Paw Creek Elementary a good school?

Paw Creek Elementary ranks 203^rd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Paw Creek Elementary?

Students at Paw Creek Elementary are 51% African American, 34% Hispanic, 7% White, 5% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Paw Creek Elementary in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

How many students attend Paw Creek Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 784 students attended Paw Creek Elementary.

Rate Paw Creek Elementary!

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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.