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Highland Creek Elementary

Q: Is Highland Creek Elementary a good school?

Highland Creek Elementary ranks 215 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

215^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Highland Creek Elementary is a PK–5 school in Charlotte, NC, serving 477 students in the Highland Creek area as part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. It currently ranks 215th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools — the top 14% — with a 4-star rating. Test scores beat both district and state averages in nearly every grade and subject: 78.8% of 3rd graders are proficient in math versus 66.4% statewide, and 78.0% of 4th graders are proficient in reading versus 57.7% statewide.

Among nearby Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools elementaries, Highland Creek is the strongest performer. By comparison, Croft Community School ranks in the 73rd percentile, Blythe Elementary in the 71st, Mallard Creek Elementary in the 55th, Stoney Creek Elementary in the 30th, and David Cox Road Elementary in the 10th percentile. The school also outranks nearby charters: Bonnie Cone Classical Academy is at the 64th percentile, and Mallard Creek STEM Academy is at the 27th. The only nearby school ranking higher is Cox Mill Elementary in Cabarrus County Schools, which sits at the 97th percentile.

Highland Creek also stands out for attendance and steady momentum. Just 15.9% of students are chronically absent, compared with 26.8% districtwide and 24.2% statewide. Over the past two years, its statewide rank has climbed from 448th to 215th. The student body is socioeconomically mixed: 42.1% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a far smaller share than at most other elementary schools in its district. Subgroup results are a notable strength: students from low-income families score at the 81st percentile relative to similar students statewide, and African American and white students perform at comparable levels relative to their same-group peers across North Carolina — a sign of strong equity. The clearest areas for improvement are narrowing the gap between male and female students and raising achievement for special education students.

477

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

42.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

7242 Highland Creek Pkwy
Charlotte, NC 28269-0805

(980) 343-1065

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Students who attend Highland Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ridge Road Middle
High:	Mallard Creek High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

41.1%

White:

31.2%

Hispanic:

13.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Highland Creek Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 81st 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

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

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%

215^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From top 19% (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	82.1	215 of 1492	85.6%	★★★★☆
2025	74.1	332 of 1490	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	67.7	448 of 1505	70.2%	★★★★☆
2023	73.9	344 of 1502	77.1%	★★★★☆
2022	66.8	459 of 1514	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.2	515 of 1489	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.6	394 of 1473	73.3%	★★★★☆
2018	77.2	272 of 1434	81.0%	★★★★☆
2017	77.7	264 of 1429	81.5%	★★★★☆
2016	78.2	265 of 1425	81.4%	★★★★☆
2015	77.9	275 of 1440	80.9%	★★★★☆
2014	81.3	221 of 1390	84.1%	★★★★☆
2013	87.7	131 of 1403	90.7%	★★★★★
2012	86.4	89 of 1388	93.6%	★★★★★
2011	83.0	151 of 1381	89.1%	★★★★☆
2010	80.4	188 of 1363	86.2%	★★★★☆
2009	80.5	192 of 1354	85.8%	★★★★☆
2008	80.3	179 of 1324	86.5%	★★★★☆
2007	77.3	217 of 1293	83.2%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.0	86 of 903	90.5%	★★★★★
2025	75.2	150 of 918	83.7%	★★★★☆
2024	79.4	112 of 924	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	77.7	129 of 933	86.2%	★★★★☆
2022	73.0	163 of 927	82.4%	★★★★☆
2021	51.5	333 of 896	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.9	160 of 949	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	83.0	79 of 927	91.5%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	35.1	601 of 878	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.8	658 of 897	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.6	100 of 1447	93.1%	★★★★★
2025	84.8	153 of 1451	89.5%	★★★★☆
2024	74.3	293 of 1455	79.9%	★★★★☆
2023	84.2	164 of 1459	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	73.8	317 of 1458	78.3%	★★★★☆
2021	65.8	418 of 1440	71.0%	★★★★☆
2019	79.2	225 of 1424	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	84.1	148 of 1405	89.5%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.5	27 of 743	96.4%	★★★★★
2025	70.6	109 of 710	84.6%	★★★★☆
2024	66.4	180 of 669	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	67.3	149 of 582	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	68.7	120 of 500	76.0%	★★★★☆
2021	35.4	406 of 494	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	64.7	226 of 612	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	188 of 981	80.8%	★★★★☆
2025	75.3	143 of 961	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	73.1	166 of 915	81.9%	★★★★☆
2021	84.2	77 of 843	90.9%	★★★★★
2018	65.2	234 of 851	72.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.4	274 of 1434	80.9%	★★★★☆
2025	57.3	531 of 1437	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.2	525 of 1450	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.2	643 of 1437	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.7	838 of 1366	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.4	1136 of 1329	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.9	657 of 1361	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.3	480 of 1332	64.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.7	456 of 1451	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.4	577 of 1450	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.5	579 of 1464	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.4	557 of 1461	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.7	617 of 1464	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.1	575 of 1444	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.8	505 of 1430	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.2	416 of 1413	70.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	445 of 821	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	438 of 801	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.9	101 of 1146	91.2%	★★★★★
2025	76.8	226 of 1172	80.7%	★★★★☆
2024	61.5	432 of 1166	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.6	200 of 1183	83.1%	★★★★☆
2022	87.3	83 of 1194	93.0%	★★★★★
2021	79.2	205 of 1172	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	76.2	234 of 1183	80.2%	★★★★☆
2018	86.1	105 of 1178	91.1%	★★★★★

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)96th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2026)93rd percentile+7 vs school

White (2026)91st percentile+6 vs school

African American (2026)90th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)81st percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)69th percentile-17 vs school

Special Education (2025)46th percentile-32 vs school

Disabled (2019)32nd percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics77%+13 vs state

Science76%+8 vs state

Reading73%+17 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Superior leadership from Principal Earnest Saxton Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

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

Schools Near Highland 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/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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7242 Highland Creek Pkwy	Charlotte	28269	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-1065	477	29	16.7	42.1%	149 (31.2%)	196 (41.1%)	65 (13.6%)	27 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (8.0%)	82.1	215^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.6%		74.1	332^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	77.7%	117	78.8	78.0	73.3				75.0	78.0	66.3				75.6		$9,491	$658	$8,833
Cox Mill Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	1360 Cox Mill Road	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6170	1,086	79	13.7	10.6%	285 (26.2%)	122 (11.2%)	53 (4.9%)	581 (53.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (3.9%)	94.7	46^th of 1492 public elementary schools	96.9%		96.6	28^th of 1490 public elementary schools	98.1%	18	91.2	89.3	90.4				79.3	81.3	83.4				89.8		$8,388	$334	$8,054
Mallard Creek STEM Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	9142 Browne Rd	Charlotte	28269	Mecklenburg County	Mallard Creek STEM Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(980) 288-4811	961	72	13.4	97.1%	18 (1.9%)	737 (76.7%)	106 (11.0%)	23 (2.4%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (7.4%)	30.4	1085^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.3%		40.1	914^th of 1490 public elementary schools	38.7%	171	54.0	50.9	42.0	56.0	55.2	40.4	45.1	55.4	47.3	46.0	49.5	62.9	43.8	61.8
Bonnie Cone Classical Academy	Public, Charter	K-6	10700 Asbury Chapel Road	Huntersville	28078	Mecklenburg County	Bonnie Cone Classical Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(704) 948-4439	642	35	18.3	62.6%	65 (10.1%)	398 (62.0%)	91 (14.2%)	34 (5.3%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	50 (7.8%)	62.9	537^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.0%		59.5	573^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	61.5%	36	67.7	61.4	67.9	62.0			61.6	64.4	65.1	62.5			63.2
Stoney Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	14015 Mallard Roost Rd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 344-1030	850	45	18.8	—	42 (4.9%)	545 (64.1%)	197 (23.2%)	26 (3.1%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	31 (3.6%)	32.9	1044^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.0%		14.7	1351^st of 1490 public elementary schools	9.3%	307	57.8	38.9	58.6				46.1	40.3	48.7				68.4		$9,805	$923	$8,882
Mallard Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	9801 Mallard Creek Rd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-3980	490	30	16.1	97.1%	29 (5.9%)	342 (69.8%)	74 (15.1%)	17 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.3%)	54.3	664^th of 1492 public elementary schools	55.5%		59.8	567^th of 1490 public elementary schools	61.9%	97	70.9	67.1	62.6				58.2	56.6	55.6				58.6		$9,661	$734	$8,927
Croft Community School	Public	PK, KG-5	4911 Hucks Rd	Charlotte	28269	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-0370	459	27	16.9	—	49 (10.7%)	302 (65.8%)	63 (13.7%)	18 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.7%)	70.5	404^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.9%		53.4	684^th of 1490 public elementary schools	54.1%	280	75.0	65.3	80.0				70.5	54.7	67.3				76.4		$9,720	$854	$8,867
David Cox Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4215 David Cox Rd	Charlotte	28269	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6540	604	36	16.6	—	26 (4.3%)	400 (66.2%)	130 (21.5%)	11 (1.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.6%)	16.6	1341^st of 1492 public elementary schools	10.1%		18.7	1301^st of 1490 public elementary schools	12.7%	40	37.0	50.5	47.3				26.6	35.0	33.7				59.8		$9,445	$1,098	$8,347
Honor Prep	Public, Charter	K-2	9108 Mallard Creek Rd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Honor Prep	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(980) 301-0960				—															(n/a)
W R Odell Primary	Public	K-2	1 Dragon Pride Dr	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6760	938	59	15.8	14.4%	269 (28.7%)	92 (9.8%)	68 (7.2%)	459 (48.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	47 (5.0%)								(n/a)															$8,788	$299	$8,490

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Creek Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Highland Creek Elementary?

Students at Highland Creek Elementary are 41% African American, 31% White, 14% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Highland Creek Elementary attend?

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

Middle : Ridge Road Middle
High : Mallard Creek High School

How many students attend Highland Creek Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 477 students attended Highland Creek Elementary.

Is Highland Creek Elementary a good school?

Highland Creek Elementary ranks 215^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Highland Creek Elementary in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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.