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Willow Springs Elementary

Q: Is Willow Springs Elementary a good school?

Willow Springs Elementary ranks 299 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

299^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 80% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Willow Springs Elementary is a public school in Willow Spring, NC, serving 826 students in grades K–5 as part of Wake County Schools, a top-quartile North Carolina district. The school currently holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 80th percentile statewide — still solidly above average, but a step down from its own history, when it regularly landed in the 93rd–96th percentile as recently as 2018–19.

If there is one thing Willow Springs does exceptionally well, it is math. Proficiency runs between 75.2% and 75.8% across 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades — a remarkable consistency that beats both district and state averages in every grade and trails only Ballentine Elementary among nearby schools. Attendance is another standout: just 13.5% of students are chronically absent, far better than the 20.5% district rate and the 24.2% state rate, and second-best among local peers. The school also gets strong results with students who have additional learning needs, ranking in the 85th percentile for special education and the 70th percentile for low-income students. With a 14:1 student-teacher ratio, families will find classrooms that are well-staffed and stable.

The weaker spots are reading, science, and support for English Learners. Reading proficiency clears state averages but trails the district in both 3rd grade (64.3% vs. 65.4%) and 5th grade (64.7% vs. 66.0%). Most surprising is 5th-grade science, which fell to 71.2% after three straight years above 81% — now below the district average and behind Ballentine Elementary (82.4%), South Lakes Elementary (78.3%), and Herbert Akins Road Elementary (74.1%). English Learner students have ranked at the 49th percentile for two consecutive years, the school's weakest subgroup result. Nearby, Ballentine Elementary, Herbert Akins Road Elementary (84th percentile), and South Lakes Elementary (83rd) currently rank ahead of Willow Springs, a reversal of the school's former status as the clear leader of its cluster.

826

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

30.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6800 Dwight Rowland Rd
Willow Spring, NC 27592-9342

(919) 557-2770

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Willow Springs Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Fuquay-Varina Middle
High:	Fuquay-Varina High
	Wake Early College of Health and Science
	Wake STEM Early College High School
	Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
	More...
	Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.8%

Hispanic:

19.5%

African American:

8.0%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Willow Springs Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 93rd percentile in 2016 → 80th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (71% vs 61% meeting standards)

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

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school71%

District avg70%

North Carolina avg61%

299^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 20%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 7% (2016) to top 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

60^th of 246Wake 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	76.1	299 of 1492	80.0%	★★★★☆
2025	85.3	167 of 1490	88.8%	★★★★☆
2024	84.6	182 of 1505	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	88.0	134 of 1502	91.1%	★★★★★
2022	90.1	108 of 1514	92.9%	★★★★★
2021	89.9	121 of 1489	91.9%	★★★★★
2019	92.3	62 of 1473	95.8%	★★★★★
2018	89.3	103 of 1434	92.8%	★★★★★
2017	92.7	53 of 1429	96.3%	★★★★★
2016	88.6	105 of 1425	92.6%	★★★★★
2015	91.1	80 of 1440	94.4%	★★★★★
2014	91.5	86 of 1390	93.8%	★★★★★
2013	90.2	102 of 1403	92.7%	★★★★★
2012	87.9	67 of 1388	95.2%	★★★★★
2011	80.5	198 of 1381	85.7%	★★★★☆
2010	82.2	159 of 1363	88.3%	★★★★☆
2009	81.9	168 of 1354	87.6%	★★★★☆
2008	85.7	113 of 1324	91.5%	★★★★★
2007	79.8	178 of 1293	86.2%	★★★★☆
2006	79.5	181 of 1276	85.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.8	216 of 903	76.1%	★★★★☆
2025	78.4	124 of 918	86.5%	★★★★☆
2024	75.0	146 of 924	84.2%	★★★★☆
2022	90.6	43 of 927	95.4%	★★★★★
2019	93.7	28 of 949	97.0%	★★★★★
2018	88.3	40 of 927	95.7%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.5	23 of 134	82.8%	★★★★☆
2025	84.5	2 of 131	98.5%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	96.6	6 of 634	99.1%	★★★★★
2019	84.9	52 of 878	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	64.6	213 of 897	76.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.4	264 of 519	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.7	285 of 563	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.8	268 of 533	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.5	67 of 514	87.0%	★★★★☆
2022	60.4	119 of 485	75.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.9	293 of 1447	79.8%	★★★★☆
2025	81.1	200 of 1451	86.2%	★★★★☆
2024	83.9	169 of 1455	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	84.7	158 of 1459	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	85.1	151 of 1458	89.6%	★★★★☆
2021	85.5	159 of 1440	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	91.0	63 of 1424	95.6%	★★★★★
2018	87.0	110 of 1405	92.2%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.6	226 of 743	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.9	202 of 710	71.5%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	231 of 669	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.4	294 of 582	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	72.0	8 of 500	98.4%	★★★★★
2021	64.4	195 of 494	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.0	215 of 612	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.2	419 of 981	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.2	283 of 961	70.6%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	284 of 951	70.1%	★★★★☆
2023	73.9	157 of 915	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	89.1	51 of 893	94.3%	★★★★★
2021	81.5	88 of 843	89.6%	★★★★☆
2019	86.8	56 of 865	93.5%	★★★★★
2018	80.3	105 of 851	87.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.9	428 of 1434	70.2%	★★★★☆
2025	65.8	382 of 1437	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	70.6	310 of 1450	78.6%	★★★★☆
2023	74.6	241 of 1437	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	79.6	146 of 1366	89.3%	★★★★☆
2021	75.3	196 of 1329	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	90.9	47 of 1361	96.5%	★★★★★
2018	88.0	60 of 1332	95.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.6	329 of 1451	77.3%	★★★★☆
2025	85.4	159 of 1450	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	82.1	199 of 1464	86.4%	★★★★☆
2023	87.8	123 of 1461	91.6%	★★★★★
2022	91.1	84 of 1464	94.3%	★★★★★
2021	90.7	97 of 1444	93.3%	★★★★★
2019	91.6	71 of 1430	95.0%	★★★★★
2018	89.7	93 of 1413	93.4%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.7	64 of 181	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	88.8	9 of 175	94.9%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.7	124 of 815	84.8%	★★★★☆
2025	76.4	90 of 821	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	58.3	232 of 801	71.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.9	412 of 1146	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.9	272 of 1172	76.8%	★★★★☆
2024	75.5	252 of 1166	78.4%	★★★★☆
2023	77.4	217 of 1183	81.7%	★★★★☆
2022	81.4	174 of 1194	85.4%	★★★★☆
2021	83.1	149 of 1172	87.3%	★★★★☆
2019	87.0	90 of 1183	92.4%	★★★★★
2018	81.8	164 of 1178	86.1%	★★★★☆

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)

Disabled (2022)99th percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2026)85th percentile+5 vs school

Asian (2026)83rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)80th percentile~ school

Male (2026)77th percentile-3 vs school

African American (2026)76th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)70th percentile-10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)70th percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)65th percentile-15 vs school

White (2026)64th percentile-16 vs school

Hispanic (2026)57th percentile-23 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)49th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics76%+12 vs state

Science71%+4 vs state

Reading67%+11 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Best school in Wake County! Every staff member is helpful, kind, and understanding. Close Quote

Schools Near Willow Springs 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
Willow Springs Elementary	Public	K-5	6800 Dwight Rowland Rd	Willow Spring	27592	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 557-2770	826	59	14.0	30.8%	486 (58.8%)	66 (8.0%)	161 (19.5%)	64 (7.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (5.6%)	76.1	299^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.0%		85.3	167^th of 1490 public elementary schools	88.8%	132	75.2	75.8	75.5				64.3	70.8	64.7				71.2		$9,222	$529	$8,694
South Lakes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1449 Old Honeycutt Road	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8066	774	52	14.9	25.5%	379 (49.0%)	109 (14.1%)	96 (12.4%)	153 (19.8%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	29 (3.7%)	78.5	260^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.6%		71.9	365^th of 1490 public elementary schools	75.5%	105	72.7	75.0	74.8				66.4	71.7	68.7				78.3
Fuquay-Varina Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6600 Johnson Pond Rd	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 557-2566	772	51	15.2	35.9%	379 (49.1%)	123 (15.9%)	111 (14.4%)	100 (13.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (7.1%)	74	338^th of 1492 public elementary schools	77.3%		68.5	415^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.1%	77	82.2	67.0	69.4				70.1	63.7	63.1				74.8		$9,010	$382	$8,627
Ballentine Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1651 North McLaurin Lane	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 557-1120	742	53	14.0	28.6%	463 (62.4%)	52 (7.0%)	155 (20.9%)	44 (5.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.6%)	85.2	178^th of 1492 public elementary schools	88.1%		86.8	148^th of 1490 public elementary schools	90.1%	30	78.0	76.1	80.2				75.4	77.1	68.7				82.4		$10,151	$476	$9,675
Banks Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10225 Chambers Rd	Raleigh	27603	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 890-7333	651	47	13.8	45.8%	299 (45.9%)	97 (14.9%)	186 (28.6%)	35 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (4.9%)	60.9	566^th of 1492 public elementary schools	62.1%		54.9	656^th of 1490 public elementary schools	56.0%	90	72.8	66.1	59.6				58.3	66.1	56.4				64.9		$9,294	$381	$8,914
Carolina Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	8529 NC Highway 55	Angier	27501	Harnett County	Carolina Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(984) 300-3015	782	49	15.9		403 (51.5%)	80 (10.2%)	136 (17.4%)	103 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (7.7%)	64.8	508^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.0%		60.5	556^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.7%	48	62.5	73.7	62.4	53.4	69.2	70.0	64.8	75.8	64.4	56.8	61.5	78.3	70.3	91.7
Bowling Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1155 Bowling Road	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(919) 431-7400	0																		(n/a)	62.8	50.6	63.5				56.9	43.2	52.7				75.7
Lincoln Heights Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	307 Bridge St	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 557-2587	667	45	14.7	35.8%	393 (58.9%)	103 (15.4%)	93 (13.9%)	51 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	25 (3.7%)	74.1	336^th of 1492 public elementary schools	77.5%		73.7	336^th of 1490 public elementary schools	77.4%		70.9	72.1	68.3				67.4	71.2	60.4				80.2		$13,231	$2,042	$11,189
Herbert Akins Rd Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2255 Herbert Akins Rd	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 567-4100	988	69	14.3	32.0%	598 (60.5%)	144 (14.6%)	117 (11.8%)	63 (6.4%)	6 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (6.0%)	80.7	235^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.2%		77.8	282^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	81.1%	47	82.0	72.4	76.3				73.4	70.1	69.1				74.1		$9,017	$332	$8,685
West Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4500 West Lake Rd	Apex	27539	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 662-2300	581	39	15.0	32.0%	369 (63.5%)	38 (6.5%)	117 (20.1%)	26 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.3%)	72.8	364^th of 1492 public elementary schools	75.6%		74.7	319^th of 1490 public elementary schools	78.6%	45	91.4	64.4	70.2				78.5	61.1	64.0				68.4		$9,343	$437	$8,905

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Springs Elementary

How many students attend Willow Springs Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 826 students attended Willow Springs Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Willow Springs Elementary attend?

Students who attend Willow Springs Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fuquay-Varina Middle
High : Fuquay-Varina High
High : Wake Early College of Health and Science
High : Wake STEM Early College High School
High : Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
High : Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

Is Willow Springs Elementary a good school?

Willow Springs Elementary ranks 299^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Willow Springs Elementary in?

Wake County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Willow Springs Elementary?

Students at Willow Springs Elementary are 59% White, 19% Hispanic, 8% African American, 8% Asian, 6% Two or more races.

Rate Willow Springs Elementary!

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Schools in Willow Spring, NC

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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.