Summary
Holly Ridge Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Holly Springs, NC, serving 735 students as part of the Wake County Public School System, and it has earned a 5-star SchoolDigger rating every single year since 2015–16. What makes that record so remarkable is its consistency: the school currently ranks 74th out of 1,492 elementary schools statewide (95th percentile), and over the past decade it has never fallen below the 91st percentile, even during the pandemic-disrupted 2020–21 school year. Test scores back up the ranking — 5th grade science proficiency reached 91.5%, math proficiency ranged from 83% to 87% across grades 3–5, and every reading and math score beats district and state averages by double digits. Chronic absenteeism is just 9.8%, less than half the state average of 24.2%, which means students are in class and ready to learn.
Families in this part of southern Wake County have several outstanding options, and Holly Ridge holds its own among them. Nearby Oakview Elementary and Holly Grove Elementary both ranked in the top 40 statewide in the latest year, edging out Holly Ridge, while Holly Springs Elementary and Buckhorn Creek Elementary followed close behind in the 90s. But the local picture is uneven: West Lake Elementary and Middle Creek Elementary rank in the 76th–79th percentile, a reminder that school boundaries matter. Holly Ridge also outranks Pine Springs Preparatory Academy, a nearby charter school sitting at the 91st percentile, and it achieves these results while spending less per pupil than several lower-performing neighbors.
Digging deeper, the school is especially effective for Hispanic, White, and special education students, all of whom score at or above the 90th percentile relative to their statewide peers in recent years. Areas for improvement do exist: identified gifted students ranked at the 38th percentile compared with gifted students statewide, and African American and low-income students, while above state averages, have seen their rankings slip over the past two years. These nuances are worth a conversation with the school for parents of advanced learners or those concerned about equity. Overall, Holly Ridge is one of the safest high-quality choices in the Holly Springs area — a dependable, top-tier school with strong math, science, and attendance, and room to grow in serving every learner equally.
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