Hawk Ridge Elementary

Hawk Ridge Elementary is a public elementary school in Charlotte, NC serving 640 students in grades PK–5 as part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The school is a standout academic performer, ranking 25th of 1,492 elementary schools in North Carolina for 2025–2026 — a 98th-percentile result with a 5-star rating. This is not a flash in the pan: Hawk Ridge has ranked in the top 5% of North Carolina elementary schools every year since at least 2015, with its statewide rank never slipping below #64. In terms of raw proficiency, the school absolutely dwarfs district averages — roughly 85–92% of Hawk Ridge students are proficient in reading, math, and science, compared to roughly 57–71% across the district and similar statewide figures. Reading scores also bounced back strongly in 2025–2026, jumping more than 11 percentage points in 3rd grade and 13 points in 5th grade after a temporary dip the prior year.

Perhaps the most distinctive part of Hawk Ridge’s profile is how well it serves historically underserved student groups. The school ranked #4 of 924 schools statewide for African American students, #7 of 981 for Hispanic students, #13 of 519 for English Language Learners, and #27 of 821 for special education students in recent years — all 97th-percentile or better results. Economically disadvantaged students also ranked in the 95th percentile. This suggests Hawk Ridge excels not just at lifting overall averages, but at producing strong outcomes for children who are often under-served elsewhere. Its comparatively softer spots — gifted and talented students (77th percentile) and Asian students (69th percentile) — are still above average, but indicate the school's strength is broad-based support rather than extraordinary top-end acceleration.

Hawk Ridge also posts excellent attendance and staffing numbers. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 7.3% in 2024–2025 was less than one-third of the district rate of 26.8%, and better than nearby schools like Endhaven (15.1%) and Elon Park (13.3%). The student-teacher ratio of 14.6-to-1 is favorable versus many elite peers. One important nuance for families: Hawk Ridge sits in one of the most competitive elementary corridors in the state. Nearby Providence Spring Elementary ranks #6, Rea View Elementary #18, Marvin Elementary #19, and Polo Ridge Elementary #22. Hawk Ridge stands out, however, for achieving near-top-tier results while serving a more economically diverse student body (19.5% free/reduced lunch) than those neighboring schools, and doing so without unusually high per-student spending — a strong signal of instructional effectiveness.