Highland Creek Elementary

Summary:

Highland Creek Elementary is a public elementary school in Charlotte, North Carolina, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade as part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district.

Highland Creek Elementary consistently outperforms the state and district averages in academic achievement, particularly in mathematics, where 68.2% of 3rd graders, 69.9% of 4th graders, and 64.6% of 5th graders were proficient or better, compared to 62.7% and 61.8% for the state and district, respectively. The school also excels in reading and science, with its African American and Hispanic student subgroups performing exceptionally well, ranking 112th and 166th, respectively, out of over 900 North Carolina elementary schools. Highland Creek Elementary has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and has consistently ranked in the top third of North Carolina elementary schools over the past several years.

Compared to nearby schools, such as David Cox Road Elementary and Stoney Creek Elementary, Highland Creek Elementary outperforms them in academic achievement, despite having a significantly lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students. The school's strong performance across diverse student subgroups and efficient use of resources, with a relatively low student-teacher ratio, contribute to its success.


Detail:

Public K-5

 7242 Highland Creek Pkwy
       Charlotte, NC  28269-0805


(980) 343-1065

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
448th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,491 Help


Students who attend Highland Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Ridge Road Middle
High:    Mallard Creek High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.7 Help
Number of students:  439

Racial breakdown:

African American:
41.9%
White:
33.9%
Hispanic:
12.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  29.6% Help


 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

 Compare Highland Creek Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Highland Creek Elementary ranks better than 70.2% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 37th among 109 ranked elementary schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.71. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Highland Creek Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (41.9%), White (33.9%), Hispanic (12.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 29.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland Creek Elementary is 14.7, which is the 35th best among 109 elementary schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Highland Creek Elementary employs 29.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland Creek Elementary is $9,491. 80 elementary schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highland Creek Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland Creek Elementary 448th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Highland Creek Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 140th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Highland Creek Elementary?

Rank History for Highland Creek Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 77.26 217th 1293 83.2%
2008 80.30 179th 1324 86.5%
2009 80.55 192nd 1354 85.8%
2010 80.40 188th 1363 86.2%
2011 83.00 151st 1381 89.1%
2012 86.43 89th 1388 93.6%
2013 87.71 131st 1403 90.7%
2014 81.31 221st 1390 84.1%
2015 77.85 275th 1440 80.9%
2016 78.20 265th 1425 81.4%
2017 77.74 264th 1429 81.5%
2018 77.17 272nd 1434 81.0%
2019 70.56 394th 1473 73.3%
2021 63.15 515th 1489 65.4%
2022 66.80 459th 1514 69.7%
2023 73.93 344th 1502 77.1%
2024 67.71 448th 1505 70.2%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 41.00 438th 801 45.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.34 480th 1332 64.0%
2019 50.87 657th 1361 51.7%
2021 20.37 1136th 1329 14.5%
2022 40.67 838th 1366 38.7%
2023 53.21 643rd 1437 55.3%
2024 59.22 525th 1450 63.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 84.10 148th 1405 89.5%
2019 79.15 225th 1424 84.2%
2021 65.78 418th 1440 71.0%
2022 73.76 317th 1458 78.3%
2023 84.16 164th 1459 88.8%
2024 74.33 293rd 1455 79.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.79 658th 897 26.6%
2019 35.06 601st 878 31.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 64.68 226th 612 63.1%
2021 35.39 406th 494 17.8%
2022 68.69 120th 500 76.0%
2023 67.32 149th 582 74.4%
2024 66.43 180th 669 73.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.25 416th 1413 70.6%
2019 61.76 505th 1430 64.7%
2021 58.07 575th 1444 60.2%
2022 56.71 617th 1464 57.9%
2023 60.36 557th 1461 61.9%
2024 59.46 579th 1464 60.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.97 79th 927 91.5%
2019 73.88 160th 949 83.1%
2021 51.45 333rd 896 62.8%
2022 72.96 163rd 927 82.4%
2023 77.66 129th 933 86.2%
2024 79.38 112th 924 87.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.18 234th 851 72.5%
2021 84.15 77th 843 90.9%
2023 73.07 166th 915 81.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Highland Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 86.10 105th 1178 91.1%
2019 76.16 234th 1183 80.2%
2021 79.16 205th 1172 82.5%
2022 87.30 83rd 1194 93.0%
2023 78.56 200th 1183 83.1%
2024 61.51 432nd 1166 63.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Highland Creek Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

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by a parent
Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Open Quote Superior leadership from Principal Earnest Saxton Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Open Quote Great atmosphere for kids. The school was overwhelmed with twice (1200) the number of students during the 2014/2015 school year. The opening of Parkside Elementary in the fall of 2015 has provided much needed relief for Highland Creek Elementary (HCE.) Now HCE can really excel! Smaller student to teacher ratios, dedicated staff (both teachers and administration), and even a Dad's group that volunteers several hours a month to helping at the school make for a great place for kids to learn and thrive.

We love this school! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Highland Creek Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2007 577 235 25 38 1 n/a n/a 37 913
2008 621 278 48 59 1 n/a n/a 55 1062
2009 665 375 57 59 5 n/a n/a 0 1161
2010 690 395 65 70 2 n/a n/a 0 1222
2011 687 356 70 61 1 0 83 0 1258
2012 655 401 78 61 1 0 39 0 1235
2013 607 409 83 73 0 0 41 0 1213
2014 551 434 88 79 4 0 35 0 1191
2015 427 460 104 84 6 0 24 0 1105
2016 311 278 35 45 1 0 20 0 690
2017 278 255 28 42 1 0 27 0 631
2018 267 222 32 46 1 2 29 0 599
2019 252 226 34 51 2 2 29 0 596
2020 237 212 31 50 1 0 33 0 564
2021 168 206 24 49 1 0 35 0 483
2022 150 166 20 45 3 2 26 0 412
2023 149 184 14 55 2 1 34 0 439

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highland Creek Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 913 n/a n/a 9.4
2008 1062 61.6 17.2 11.8
2009 1161 63.9 18.2 12.7
2010 1222 67.0 18.2 18.7
2011 1258 63.7 19.7 21.1
2012 1235 66.2 18.6 22.3
2013 1213 62.0 19.5 23.2
2014 1191 62.5 19.0 23.7
2015 1105 57.0 19.3 27.7
2016 690 38.0 18.1 27
2017 631 36.4 17.3 29.2
2018 599 36.5 16.3 24.7
2019 596 35.0 17.0 29.7
2020 564 36.9 15.2 27.3
2021 483 33.2 14.5 23.8
2022 412 32.5 12.6 20.4
2023 439 29.7 14.7 29.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Highland Creek Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 913 n/a n/a 9.4
2008 1062 61.6 17.2 11.8
2009 1161 63.9 18.2 12.7
2010 1222 67.0 18.2 18.7
2011 1258 63.7 19.7 21.1
2012 1235 66.2 18.6 22.3
2013 1213 62.0 19.5 23.2
2014 1191 62.5 19.0 23.7
2015 1105 57.0 19.3 27.7
2016 690 38.0 18.1 27
2017 631 36.4 17.3 29.2
2018 599 36.5 16.3 24.7
2019 596 35.0 17.0 29.7
2020 564 36.9 15.2 27.3
2021 483 33.2 14.5 23.8
2022 412 32.5 12.6 20.4
2023 439 29.7 14.7 29.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Highland Creek Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $658 (6.9%) $8,833 (93.1%) $9,491

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland Creek Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 394th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 344th of 1502 Elementary schools
 3.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Highland Creek Elementary)77.571.2
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)69.661.3
 8.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Highland Creek Elementary)77.557.6
 19.9%
   3rd Grade Reading (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)57.346.4
 10.9%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Highland Creek Elementary)66.369.4
 3.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)63.255.2
 8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Highland Creek Elementary)59.456.5
 2.9%
   4th Grade Reading (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)52.551.5
 1%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Highland Creek Elementary)66.166.7
 0.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)65.457.9
 7.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Highland Creek Elementary)61.960.3
 1.6%
   5th Grade Reading (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)5045.8
 4.2%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Highland Creek Elementary)7880.8
 2.8%
   5th Grade Science (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)72.862.2
 10.6%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students596439
 26.3%
African American226184
 18.6%
American Indian22
Asian3414
 58.8%
Hispanic5155
 7.8%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White252149
 40.9%
Two or More Races2934
 17.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients29.7%29.6%
 0.1%


Schools Near Highland Creek Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Creek Elementary

Students at Highland Creek Elementary are 42% African American, 34% White, 13% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Highland Creek Elementary ranks 448th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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

Middle : Ridge Road Middle
High : Mallard Creek High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 439 students attended Highland Creek Elementary.


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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.





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