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Wakefield Elementary

Q: Is Wakefield Elementary a good school?

Wakefield Elementary ranks 945 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

945^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 37% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Wakefield Elementary is a PK-5 school in Raleigh, NC, serving 520 students in the Wake County Schools district—one of North Carolina's top-ranked districts. The school itself, however, now ranks toward the middle-low end of elementary schools statewide (945th of 1,492), and scores have slipped in recent years. Math and reading proficiency run roughly 14 to 20 points below the district average in every grade tested, and 5th grade science proficiency has fallen from 75% to 57% over three years. Strong nearby alternatives include Endeavor Charter School, which ranks in the 99th percentile statewide, along with Heritage Elementary and Abbotts Creek Elementary, both in the high-80th percentiles.

Two issues in particular separate the school from its higher-performing neighbors. Chronic absenteeism is the highest in the area at 29.2%, well above the district average of 20.5% and far above Abbotts Creek Elementary (10.3%), Heritage Elementary (15.5%), and Wake Forest Elementary (19.4%). The school's economic need is also high and rising: 62.5% of students now qualify for free or reduced lunch, up from 51.5% a few years ago, and roughly double the rate at Heritage Elementary. Notably, the school has a lower student-teacher ratio (about 13.0) than several stronger nearby schools, yet that advantage has not produced stronger academic outcomes.

School averages also hide sharp differences among student groups. White students have been served at a solid level statewide, but outcomes for low-income students, English language learners, and special education students rank near the bottom, and recent declines have been steep. The school's post-pandemic rebound in 2022-2023 did not stick: growth in reading, math, and science has since faded while poverty and absenteeism have climbed. For families weighing options, Wakefield Elementary sits in a local market with many higher-performing public and charter choices, so it's worth comparing school-level data carefully.

520

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

62.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

93.8%

Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 2.5% (any vaccine)

2400 Wakefield Pines Drive
Raleigh, NC 27614

(919) 562-3555

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Wakefield Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.6%

African American:

31.2%

White:

26.7%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Wakefield Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2016 → 37th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (54% vs 61% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg70%

North Carolina avg61%

945^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 37%▼ down 26 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to bottom 37% (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	37.9	945 of 1492	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.4	843 of 1490	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.2	696 of 1505	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.2	510 of 1502	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.7	848 of 1514	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.7	810 of 1489	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.9	969 of 1473	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.3	905 of 1434	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	53.5	688 of 1429	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.5	537 of 1425	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.1	767 of 1440	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	51.7	675 of 1390	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	65.7	426 of 1403	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.4	657 of 1388	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.9	761 of 1381	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.4	743 of 1363	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	56.7	671 of 1354	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.0	368 of 1324	72.2%	★★★★☆
2007	70.6	330 of 1293	74.5%	★★★★☆
2006	74.9	254 of 1276	80.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.0	629 of 903	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.0	409 of 918	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.5	177 of 924	80.8%	★★★★☆
2023	63.4	272 of 933	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	50.7	398 of 927	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.3	350 of 896	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.9	425 of 949	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.3	578 of 927	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	46.7	273 of 634	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.9	268 of 878	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.7	467 of 897	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.7	385 of 519	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.7	347 of 563	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	340 of 533	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.1	364 of 514	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.3	399 of 485	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.5	142 of 385	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	15.8	486 of 497	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	32.7	312 of 421	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.0	886 of 1447	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.3	844 of 1451	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.0	716 of 1455	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	470 of 1459	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.2	842 of 1458	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.6	714 of 1440	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.0	1060 of 1424	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.5	839 of 1405	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.5	679 of 743	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	46.2	538 of 710	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	62.1	274 of 669	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.1	440 of 582	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.2	475 of 500	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	42.6	378 of 494	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.7	542 of 612	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.3	61 of 69	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.3	740 of 981	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.3	669 of 961	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.1	749 of 951	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.4	536 of 915	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.2	770 of 893	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.4	741 of 843	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.9	846 of 865	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.8	671 of 851	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.2	1231 of 1434	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.4	1194 of 1437	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.8	843 of 1450	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.2	972 of 1437	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.4	1044 of 1366	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.6	956 of 1329	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.1	1221 of 1361	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.0	1221 of 1332	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.4	973 of 1451	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.7	801 of 1450	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.8	653 of 1464	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.4	540 of 1461	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.8	809 of 1464	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.2	876 of 1444	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.3	790 of 1430	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.5	910 of 1413	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.9	700 of 815	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.8	562 of 821	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	339 of 1146	70.4%	★★★★☆
2025	67.1	357 of 1172	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.5	321 of 1166	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	83.0	147 of 1183	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	65.4	375 of 1194	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.5	411 of 1172	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.7	633 of 1183	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.5	497 of 1178	57.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2026)70th percentile+34 vs school

Disabled (2022)57th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)39th percentile~ school

Male (2026)33rd percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)30th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)26th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)25th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)14th percentile-23 vs school

Special Education (2026)14th percentile-23 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)9th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science57%-10 vs state

Mathematics55%-8 vs state

Reading51%-5 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, September 27, 2019

Great school system for my kids! Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, June 11, 2016

My kids have all gone to WES and have gotten a wonderful education. There is a lot of diversity at the school, which has lead to my children learning a lot of life lessons that are invaluable but not tested for on EOGS. This year they got a new Principal and she rocks! She has done incredible things in one year. However, the teachers are really the most amazing asset at the school. Most of the teachers have kids at the school and go beyond the call of duty for their students. My children have always gotten 4 and 5's on the EOGs and so I believe you get out of school what you as a parent put in. So if you want your kids to do well then you volunteer and you meet with the teachers, you get them help if they are struggling and you review their take home work. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, May 3, 2016

My son has had a wonderful experience so far at Wakefield Elementary. He has had great teachers from Kindergarten through 3rd grade & hoping it continues. Parents must be involved in their children's education, ensuring homework is completed, as well as teaching respectful behavior as it will only benefit the child, teacher & peers. Close Quote

Schools Near Wakefield 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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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	Vaccination: Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wakefield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2400 Wakefield Pines Drive	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 562-3555	520	40	13.0	62.5%	139 (26.7%)	162 (31.2%)	180 (34.6%)	22 (4.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.5%)	37.9	945^th of 1492 public elementary schools	36.7%		44.4	843^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	43.4%	102	58.8	56.1	52.1				48.8	52.4	52.1				57.4		93.8%	2.5%	$10,379	$816	$9,563
North Forest Pines Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11501 Forest Pines Drive	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 570-2220	536	37	14.4	41.6%	266 (49.6%)	88 (16.4%)	143 (26.7%)	10 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	26 (4.9%)	59.8	583^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	60.9%		64.6	489^th of 1490 public elementary schools	67.2%	94	65.7	62.2	69.8				54.5	56.7	65.5				71.3		98.8%	1.2%	$9,951	$575	$9,376
Forest Pines Drive Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11455 Forest Pines Drive	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 562-6262	493	35	14.1	—	125 (25.4%)	199 (40.4%)	117 (23.7%)	19 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.5%)	42.5	870^th of 1492 public elementary schools	41.7%		35.6	989^th of 1490 public elementary schools	33.6%	119	43.3	51.2	67.4				41.7	48.8	57.0				69.8		92.4%	3%	$9,477	$757	$8,720
Casa Esperanza Montessori Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	10510 Star Road	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Casa Esperanza Montessori	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 855-9811	752	40	18.8	—	165 (21.9%)	123 (16.4%)	402 (53.5%)	16 (2.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.9%)	56.7	632^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	57.6%		38.5	946^th of 1490 public elementary schools	36.5%	314	57.3	65.4	57.3	62.3	62.1	59.3	54.7	63.0	69.3	58.0	70.7	92.6	64.0	85.2	87.5%	6.9%
Endeavor Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	4879 One World Way	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Endeavor Charter	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 848-0333	799	52	15.4	—	584 (73.1%)	67 (8.4%)	55 (6.9%)	35 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (7.3%)	97.2	12^th of 1492 public elementary schools	99.2%		96.5	33^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	97.8%	21	98.8	93.1	95.5	91.0	93.9	86.7	91.3	89.7	85.2	82.0	93.9	91.0	92.0	94.4	92.6%	4.9%
Abbotts Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9900 Durant Road	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-0555	805	56	14.4	37.5%	415 (51.6%)	204 (25.3%)	121 (15.0%)	24 (3.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (4.8%)	83.5	197^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.8%		86.5	153^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	89.7%	44	79.1	80.8	81.7				66.4	77.6	71.8				75.4		97.3%	1.8%	$9,019	$705	$8,314
Heritage Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3500 Rogers Road	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 562-6000	634	41	15.5	30.4%	358 (56.5%)	117 (18.5%)	95 (15.0%)	40 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.6%)	86.8	159^th of 1492 public elementary schools	89.3%		81.6	227^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.8%	68	78.6	76.7	79.2				73.2	76.7	75.6				85.8		93.3%	4%	$9,799	$404	$9,394
Durant Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9901 Durant Rd	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 870-4220	577	47	12.1	58.6%	194 (33.6%)	160 (27.7%)	173 (30.0%)	24 (4.2%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	22 (3.8%)	44.9	828^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.5%		48.4	768^th of 1490 public elementary schools	48.5%	60	69.4	58.5	58.7				58.2	44.3	50.0				59.8		97.9%	2.1%	$10,142	$822	$9,320
Brassfield Elementary	Public	K-5	2001 Brassfield Rd	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 870-4080	613	45	13.6	41.9%	301 (49.1%)	58 (9.5%)	198 (32.3%)	18 (2.9%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (5.5%)	31.6	1065^th of 1492 public elementary schools	28.6%		48.8	763^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	48.8%	302	44.8	61.8	49.5				34.3	57.3	48.5				53.5		97.5%	0.8%	$9,591	$407	$9,184
Wildwood Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8401 Wildwood Forest Drive	Raleigh	27616	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 713-0600	551	45	12.3	—	53 (9.6%)	287 (52.1%)	163 (29.6%)	27 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.8%)	23.3	1218^th of 1492 public elementary schools	18.4%		21.2	1256^th of 1490 public elementary schools	15.7%	38	53.5	45.2	36.3				45.3	47.9	46.3				48.8		97.2%	2.8%	$10,167	$1,043	$9,125

Frequently Asked Questions about Wakefield Elementary

Is Wakefield Elementary a good school?

Wakefield Elementary ranks 945^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Wakefield Elementary in?

Wake County Schools

What schools do graduates of Wakefield Elementary attend?

Students who attend Wakefield Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Wakefield Middle
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
High : Wakefield High

How many students attend Wakefield Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 520 students attended Wakefield Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Wakefield Elementary?

Students at Wakefield Elementary are 35% Hispanic, 31% African American, 27% White, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.