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River Park Elementary

Q: Is River Park Elementary a good school?

River Park Elementary ranks 296 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

296^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 80% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

River Park Elementary is a K-5 public school in Hillsborough, NC, serving 523 students as part of Orange County Schools, a district ranked 69th of 246 districts statewide with a 4-star rating. The school has been a steady upper-quartile performer over the past decade, ranking 296th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools in 2025-26 — the 80th percentile with a 4-star rating. It is not, however, the highest-performing school in its immediate area: The Expedition School and Morris Grove Elementary rank in the top 100 statewide, while Hillsborough Elementary and Pathways Elementary also rank above River Park.

Academically, River Park posts strong results in most grades and subjects. In 2025-26, reading proficiency ran above both the district and state averages in every grade, and 5th grade math (80.9% proficient) and 5th grade science (76.6%) were standout areas. The clearest concern is 3rd grade math, which fell to 66.3% proficiency — below the Orange County Schools average of 70.1% and well off the 78.2% posted by the previous year's 3rd graders. Compared with its neighbors, River Park clearly outperforms Central Elementary, New Hope Elementary, Efland Cheeks Elementary, Grady Brown Elementary, and Forest View Elementary.

The school's most significant challenge is an internal gap. River Park serves a mixed-income population — 37.5% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, above Hillsborough Elementary's 17.5% but far below Central Elementary's roughly 99%. While the school's overall ranking is in the top quintile statewide, its low-income students perform at only the 29th percentile among low-income students across North Carolina. Chronic absenteeism runs about 20% — better than district and state averages but roughly double the rate at Hillsborough Elementary and Morris Grove Elementary. On a positive note, gifted and special education subgroups have improved dramatically in recent years. For most families, River Park represents one of the better traditional public school options in Hillsborough — a solid mid-tier choice whose main work ahead is closing the gap for its underserved students.

523

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

37.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

240 St. Mary's Road
Hillsborough, NC 27278-2521

(919) 732-9326

District: Orange County Schools

Students who attend River Park Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Orange Middle
High:	Orange High

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.1%

Hispanic:

25.0%

Two or more races:

7.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare River Park Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 79th percentile in 2016 → 80th in 2026

Strengths

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

✓Ranks in the top 20% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school72%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg61%

296^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 20%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

69^th of 246Orange County 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	76.5	296 of 1492	80.2%	★★★★☆
2025	81.0	234 of 1490	84.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.7	390 of 1505	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	75.5	314 of 1502	79.1%	★★★★☆
2022	66.2	470 of 1514	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.2	513 of 1489	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.2	519 of 1473	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.1	402 of 1434	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	77.3	275 of 1429	80.8%	★★★★☆
2016	75.6	299 of 1425	79.0%	★★★★☆
2015	78.4	269 of 1440	81.3%	★★★★☆
2014	81.5	213 of 1390	84.7%	★★★★☆
2013	88.4	120 of 1403	91.4%	★★★★★
2012	80.5	193 of 1388	86.1%	★★★★☆
2011	84.4	134 of 1381	90.3%	★★★★★
2010	75.0	295 of 1363	78.4%	★★★★☆
2009	71.1	374 of 1354	72.4%	★★★★☆
2008	72.0	313 of 1324	76.4%	★★★★☆
2007	81.0	157 of 1293	87.9%	★★★★☆
2006	80.6	171 of 1276	86.6%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	49.5	435 of 924	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.0	340 of 896	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.6	477 of 949	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.1	636 of 927	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	30.9	452 of 634	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.9	487 of 646	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.2	629 of 878	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	58.7	289 of 897	67.8%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.2	239 of 519	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	32.4	401 of 563	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.5	350 of 533	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.5	369 of 514	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.1	427 of 485	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.6	220 of 385	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.6	463 of 497	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.9	251 of 1447	82.7%	★★★★☆
2025	80.4	212 of 1451	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	69.0	385 of 1455	73.5%	★★★★☆
2023	69.0	401 of 1459	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	62.2	512 of 1458	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.1	507 of 1440	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.8	522 of 1424	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.5	471 of 1405	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.7	5 of 743	99.3%	★★★★★
2025	69.1	150 of 710	78.9%	★★★★☆
2024	42.1	568 of 669	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.3	507 of 582	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.2	340 of 500	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.7	331 of 494	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.7	481 of 612	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.3	596 of 981	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.7	483 of 961	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	654 of 951	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.9	422 of 915	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.0	565 of 893	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.5	571 of 843	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.9	750 of 865	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.4	555 of 851	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.4	1012 of 1434	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.9	1057 of 1437	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.9	1222 of 1450	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.2	733 of 1437	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	787 of 1366	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.7	1014 of 1329	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.7	1195 of 1361	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.6	931 of 1332	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.5	368 of 1451	74.6%	★★★★☆
2025	78.5	247 of 1450	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	69.6	391 of 1464	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	78.7	246 of 1461	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	68.3	408 of 1464	72.1%	★★★★☆
2021	62.6	502 of 1444	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.2	484 of 1430	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.9	344 of 1413	75.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	79.3	76 of 821	90.7%	★★★★★
2024	44.3	388 of 801	51.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.8	215 of 1146	81.2%	★★★★☆
2025	83.5	148 of 1172	87.4%	★★★★☆
2024	76.8	233 of 1166	80.0%	★★★★☆
2023	71.4	301 of 1183	74.6%	★★★★☆
2022	70.0	321 of 1194	73.1%	★★★★☆
2021	65.1	378 of 1172	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.8	306 of 1183	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	80.9	180 of 1178	84.7%	★★★★☆

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)99th percentile+19 vs school

Special Education (2025)91st percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)83rd percentile~ school

White (2026)81st percentile~ school

Male (2026)75th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)54th percentile-26 vs school

African American (2024)53rd percentile-21 vs school

Hispanic (2026)39th percentile-41 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)29th percentile-51 vs school

Disabled (2022)29th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science77%+9 vs state

Mathematics74%+11 vs state

Reading68%+11 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

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3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, February 17, 2014

My child has been at Cameron Park for 2 years and has enjoyed both years there. The teachers are uniformly excellent, being dedicated and caring. The school does very well academically considering the diverse socio-economic catchment area. There is also a good school community feel, with regular events planned - like the fall festival, Christmas concert and silent auction. The teachers take part and there are quite a few youngish teachers which add energy and vitality to the school.
I thoroughly recommend Cameron Park. Close Quote

by a student
Wednesday, June 8, 2011

My school is one of the best schools I have been to, well I have never been to any other schools, but the teachers are nice and firm. They really give fun projects and they teach kids a lot. Close Quote

Schools Near River Park 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
River Park Elementary	Public	K-5	240 St. Mary's Road	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-9326	523	36	14.4	37.5%	309 (59.1%)	27 (5.2%)	131 (25.0%)	10 (1.9%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	76.5	296^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.2%		81	234^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.3%	62	66.3	75.0	80.9				66.3	70.0	67.0				76.6		$10,994	$454	$10,540
Hillsborough Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	402 North Nash Street	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-6137	435	30	14.6	17.5%	337 (77.5%)	28 (6.4%)	30 (6.9%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.7%)	90.8	103^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	93.1%		90.8	98^th of 1490 public elementary schools	93.4%	5	87.5	82.6	86.5				76.7	75.4	81.1				82.4		$11,531	$386	$11,145
Central Elementary	Public	K-5	154 Hayes St	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 732-3622	261	23	11.1	98.9%	105 (40.2%)	72 (27.6%)	63 (24.1%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.5%)	33.4	1038^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.4%		34.1	1017^th of 1490 public elementary schools	31.7%	21	48.6	58.7	47.5				43.2	43.5	52.5				65.0		$14,465	$1,168	$13,297
The Expedition School	Public, Charter	K-8	437 Dimmocks Mill Rd Ste 33	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	The Expedition School	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 245-8432	380	29	13.1		282 (74.2%)	14 (3.7%)	37 (9.7%)	17 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (7.4%)	94.5	52^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	96.5%		95.1	52^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	96.5%		78.0	97.7	81.4	90.7	97.6	97.4	90.2	90.9	86.0	90.7	97.6	94.7	90.7	100.0
Pathways Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	431 Strouds Creek Road	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-9136	371	27	13.7	54.4%	204 (55.0%)	66 (17.8%)	57 (15.4%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (10.0%)	83.5	198^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.7%		80.8	238^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.0%	40	80.4	82.5	75.5				67.4	65.0	71.4				89.8		$14,700	$1,138	$13,561
Grady Brown Elementary	Public	K-5	1100 New Grady Brown Rd	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 732-6138	406	31	13.2	59.6%	170 (41.9%)	46 (11.3%)	146 (36.0%)	12 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.6%)	58.3	610^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.1%		49.3	757^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.2%	147	66.7	67.7	65.7				55.6	64.5	52.9				67.1		$12,441	$1,012	$11,429
New Hope Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 New Hope Church Rd	Chapel Hill	27514	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 942-9696	528	46	11.5	99.1%	142 (26.9%)	62 (11.7%)	273 (51.7%)	10 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	48.6	756^th of 1492 public elementary schools	49.3%		47.4	791^st of 1490 public elementary schools	46.9%	35	68.6	70.2	65.3				43.0	46.8	50.7				66.7		$13,203	$1,160	$12,043
Efland Cheeks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 Fuller Rd	Efland	27243	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 245-4042	532	36	14.7	99.4%	175 (32.9%)	129 (24.2%)	154 (28.9%)	26 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.8%)	63.4	529^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.5%		61.9	533^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	64.2%	4	67.4	82.4	65.6				51.7	75.3	54.2				68.0		$11,292	$882	$10,410
Morris Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	215 Eubanks Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 918-4800	383	32	12.1	22.5%	211 (55.1%)	30 (7.8%)	54 (14.1%)	56 (14.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.8%)	91.2	97^th of 1492 public elementary schools	93.5%		93.5	67^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.5%	30	81.4	85.9	83.3				77.1	79.7	83.3				86.4		$12,863	$298	$12,565
Carolina Achieve	Public, Charter	K-2	6920 West Ten Rd	Mebane	27302	Alamance County	Carolina Achieve	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(919) 964-2158	0																		(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about River Park Elementary

How many students attend River Park Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 523 students attended River Park Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of River Park Elementary?

Students at River Park Elementary are 59% White, 25% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 5% African American, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What district is River Park Elementary in?

Orange County Schools

What schools do graduates of River Park Elementary attend?

Students who attend River Park Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Orange Middle
High : Orange High

Is River Park Elementary a good school?

River Park Elementary ranks 296^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate River Park Elementary!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 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.