Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

River Bend Elementary

Q: Is River Bend Elementary a good school?

River Bend Elementary ranks 734 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

734^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 51% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

River Bend Elementary is a mid-sized public school in Raleigh, NC, serving 709 students in grades PK–5 as part of Wake County Schools. The school's state ranking has climbed from the lower third of North Carolina elementary schools to just above the statewide median, ranking 734 of 1,492 (51st percentile) for 2025-2026. That improvement is especially striking given the student population: nearly 100% of students qualify for free/reduced-price lunch, a rate far higher than nearby schools like Abbotts Creek Elementary (37.5%) or Durant Road Elementary (58.6%).

River Bend stands out among schools serving a similar student body. Compared with Beaverdam Elementary, Brentwood Elementary, Wildwood Forest Elementary, Fox Road Elementary, and Wilburn Elementary — all with roughly 99% economically disadvantaged enrollment — River Bend is the strongest performer by a wide margin. The school also excels with groups often underserved in public education: African American, English Language Learner, and low-income students all rank in the 75th–83rd percentile statewide. Test scores improved sharply in a single year, most dramatically in 5th grade math, where proficiency jumped from 36.2% to 64.2%, now above the state average.

Attendance and early reading still need attention. Over one in four students (27%) were chronically absent in 2024-2025, above state and district averages, though down from 33.1% two years earlier. Third grade reading proficiency (49%) trails the state average (55.6%), an important early literacy milestone. Outcomes vary across student groups, and girls have trailed boys in statewide subgroup rankings for three consecutive years. Notably, River Bend spends less per student than several nearby high-poverty schools with weaker results, suggesting its effectiveness comes from factors beyond budget size.

709

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6710 Perry Creek Road
Raleigh, NC 27616

(919) 431-8010

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend River Bend Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Rolesville Middle
High:	Rolesville 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:

African American:

42.5%

Hispanic:

27.5%

White:

14.4%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare River Bend Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 28th percentile in 2016 → 51st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 23 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the North Carolina median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg70%

North Carolina avg61%

734^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 49%▲ up 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to top 49% (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	49.9	734 of 1492	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.0	1018 of 1490	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.8	804 of 1505	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.2	951 of 1502	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.6	945 of 1514	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.1	1081 of 1489	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.5	1107 of 1473	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.1	987 of 1434	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	46.6	809 of 1429	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	32.9	1030 of 1425	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	47.3	789 of 1440	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	51.7	672 of 1390	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.2	516 of 1403	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.2	422 of 1388	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.5	673 of 1381	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	42.9	884 of 1363	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	52.4	736 of 1354	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.8	716 of 1324	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	48.8	765 of 1293	40.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.6	151 of 903	83.3%	★★★★☆
2025	55.1	337 of 918	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	77.5	133 of 924	85.6%	★★★★☆
2023	61.3	290 of 933	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.7	281 of 927	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.3	395 of 896	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.3	381 of 949	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.9	421 of 927	54.6%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.2	118 of 134	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.4	102 of 130	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	54.4	66 of 114	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.1	78 of 107	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.6	80 of 95	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.3	98 of 106	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	45.7	281 of 634	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	25.0	537 of 646	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	61.0	235 of 878	73.2%	★★★★☆
2018	54.8	328 of 897	63.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.4	123 of 519	76.3%	★★★★☆
2025	57.5	165 of 563	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	58.1	156 of 533	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	51.1	204 of 514	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.0	110 of 485	77.3%	★★★★☆
2021	35.6	240 of 385	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.1	274 of 497	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.9	211 of 421	49.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.4	899 of 1447	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.3	1171 of 1451	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.3	982 of 1455	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.1	1172 of 1459	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.0	1030 of 1458	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.7	1015 of 1440	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.5	1127 of 1424	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.4	1002 of 1405	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.5	280 of 743	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.6	339 of 710	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.0	153 of 669	77.1%	★★★★☆
2023	54.2	372 of 582	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.9	370 of 981	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.9	419 of 961	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.7	525 of 951	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.9	518 of 915	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.7	629 of 893	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.2	611 of 843	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.7	584 of 865	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.3	468 of 851	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.2	359 of 1434	75.0%	★★★★☆
2025	56.3	549 of 1437	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.9	403 of 1450	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	57.4	541 of 1437	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.2	668 of 1366	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.0	784 of 1329	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.2	889 of 1361	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.8	737 of 1332	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.0	602 of 1451	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.1	824 of 1450	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.3	625 of 1464	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.2	659 of 1461	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.0	805 of 1464	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.5	1134 of 1444	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.4	1048 of 1430	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.8	964 of 1413	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.6	432 of 815	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.3	391 of 821	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.5	303 of 801	62.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.0	1041 of 1146	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.8	1145 of 1172	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	33.3	847 of 1166	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.2	791 of 1183	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.9	794 of 1194	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.6	1050 of 1172	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.1	970 of 1183	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.8	599 of 1178	49.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)83rd percentile+32 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)76th percentile+25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)75th percentile+24 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)62nd percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)62nd percentile+11 vs school

Male (2026)59th percentile+8 vs school

Disabled (2022)56th percentile+18 vs school

Special Education (2026)47th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)38th percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2026)12th percentile-39 vs school

White (2026)9th percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science64%-4 vs state

Mathematics62%~ state avg

Reading54%~ state avg

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

Rate River Bend Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a teacher
Saturday, January 31, 2015

The principal of this school is the worst I've ever worked with. He does not take his job or his duties seriously. Whether or not he does his job properly depends on whether he likes you or not. His favorites are given all kinds of special considerations. I don't know of a teacher in the building who has any respect for him as a leader. He has no vision for the school beyond some silly fantasy of being the "big man on campus" complete with an adoring throng surrounding him. He is unethical and arrogant. He throws tantrums when he feels like he doesn't get the amount of admiration he thinks he's entitled to. I'm embarrassed to have him as principal. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, January 7, 2010

I was very disappointed to learn that Mr. Pond had left as River Bend's assistant principal to become a principal at a private school. I was even more upset to learn from my child's teacher that he left because he was run off by Dr. Hart, the principal at River Bend. Mr. Pond was the bright light at River Bend. I was amazed that he knew so many of the students by name, and he interacted with them throughout the day. He was always "there," always visbile and always friendly. Dr. Hart, on the other hand, seemed to resent that and treated him and her teachers very disrespectfully, and does everything she can to avoid interactions with students and parents throughout the day. It's a shame that Mr. Pond had to leave, as he would have made a great Wake County principal. Its even more shameful that we are stuck with Dr. Hart. Close Quote

Schools Near River Bend Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 Bend Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6710 Perry Creek Road	Raleigh	27616	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 431-8010	709	50	14.0	99.6%	102 (14.4%)	301 (42.5%)	195 (27.5%)	64 (9.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (6.2%)	49.9	734^th of 1492 public elementary schools	50.8%		34	1018^th of 1490 public elementary schools	31.7%	284	60.0	61.6	64.2				49.0	62.3	49.5				64.2		$9,613	$1,278	$8,335
Fox Road Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	7101 Fox Rd	Raleigh	27616	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 850-8845	430	32	13.4	99.3%	65 (15.1%)	198 (46.0%)	134 (31.2%)	18 (4.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.0%)	15.5	1356^th of 1492 public elementary schools	9.1%		21.5	1252^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	16.0%	104	38.2	49.3	29.2				36.8	50.7	30.8				41.5		$12,594	$1,648	$10,946
Harris Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3829 Forestville Road	Raleigh	27616	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 217-5100	827	66	12.6	51.6%	238 (28.8%)	293 (35.4%)	178 (21.5%)	60 (7.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (6.9%)	51.1	713^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.2%		48.2	774^th of 1490 public elementary schools	48.1%	61	69.5	58.0	52.2				61.9	63.8	54.4				58.1		$9,484	$502	$8,982
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	99.5%	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		$10,167	$1,043	$9,125
Doral Academy of North Carolina	Public, Charter	K-7	7001 Destiny Drive	Raleigh	27604	Wake County	Doral Academy North Carolina	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 874-1001	592	43	13.8	30.7%	171 (28.9%)	210 (35.5%)	152 (25.7%)	25 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.6%)	86.7	160^th of 1492 public elementary schools	89.3%		77.1	292^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	80.4%	132	89.8	88.6	77.1	52.4	88.5		71.3	85.7	75.0	66.7	88.5		75.0
Beaverdam Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3591 Tarheel Club Rd	Raleigh	27604	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 694-0222	678	51	13.4	99.6%	42 (6.2%)	263 (38.8%)	312 (46.0%)	26 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	33 (4.9%)	34.3	1025^th of 1492 public elementary schools	31.3%		32.9	1036^th of 1490 public elementary schools	30.5%	11	62.5	49.1	57.6				45.6	47.8	48.0				56.0		$9,703	$1,189	$8,514
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		$10,142	$822	$9,320
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		$9,019	$705	$8,314
Wilburn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3707 Marsh Creek Rd	Raleigh	27604	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 850-8738	593	43	13.7	99.5%	47 (7.9%)	172 (29.0%)	314 (53.0%)	34 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.4%)	12.1	1396^th of 1492 public elementary schools	6.4%		12.1	1391^st of 1490 public elementary schools	6.6%	5	44.9	45.8	36.1				38.5	38.5	28.9				34.9		$11,065	$1,603	$9,462
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

Frequently Asked Questions about River Bend Elementary

What is the racial makeup of River Bend Elementary?

Students at River Bend Elementary are 42% African American, 28% Hispanic, 14% White, 9% Asian, 6% Two or more races.

What district is River Bend Elementary in?

Wake County Schools

How many students attend River Bend Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 709 students attended River Bend Elementary.

What schools do graduates of River Bend Elementary attend?

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

Middle : Rolesville Middle
High : Rolesville 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 River Bend Elementary a good school?

River Bend Elementary ranks 734^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate River Bend Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Raleigh, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for River Bend Elementary!

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.