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Richland Creek Elementary

Q: Is Richland Creek Elementary a good school?

Richland Creek Elementary ranks 218 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

218^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 85% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Richland Creek Elementary is a public school in Wake Forest, NC, serving 558 students in grades PK–5 as part of Wake County Schools, and it currently holds a strong 4-star rating with a #218 ranking out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools, placing it in the 85th percentile statewide.

The school stands out for delivering strong academic results while serving a student body where just over 42% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — a combination that is uncommon in this competitive area. The most striking comparison is with nearby North Forest Pines Elementary, which has nearly the same poverty rate (41.6%) but ranks #583, about 24 percentile points behind. In 4th-grade math, 83.8% of Richland Creek students scored proficient versus 62.2% at North Forest Pines, and similar gaps appear in reading and 3rd-grade math. Richland Creek also outperforms Heritage Elementary in 4th-grade math and reading despite Heritage ranking higher overall. Equally impressive is the consistency across student groups: Hispanic students rank in the 93rd percentile statewide for three straight years, and English learners, low-income students, African American students, and special education students all earn 4-star ratings in the 80th–84th percentile range.

Richland Creek is especially strong in 4th grade this year, with math proficiency that edges out even elite neighbor Jones Dairy Elementary, while 5th-grade math is a relative soft spot, falling just below the district average — though this appears to reflect cohort variation rather than a long-term trend. Chronic absenteeism has improved steadily from 23.5% to 19.1%, which is better than the Wake County average and far better than nearby Wakefield Elementary at 29.2%. For families weighing options in the Wake Forest area, Richland Creek is not the absolute top performer like Envision Science Academy or Jones Dairy, but it is a high-quality, economically diverse school that delivers strong outcomes across nearly every demographic group — an unusually equitable profile.

558

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

42.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

840 Wallridge Drive
Wake Forest, NC 27587

(919) 554-6333

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Richland Creek Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.1%

African American:

22.8%

Hispanic:

16.8%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Richland Creek Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 53rd percentile in 2016 → 85th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (75% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 32 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school75%

District avg70%

North Carolina avg61%

218^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 33 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to top 15% (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	82.0	218 of 1492	85.4%	★★★★☆
2025	80.9	235 of 1490	84.2%	★★★★☆
2024	83.3	197 of 1505	86.9%	★★★★☆
2023	71.8	378 of 1502	74.8%	★★★★☆
2022	70.7	394 of 1514	74.0%	★★★★☆
2021	53.2	664 of 1489	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.4	517 of 1473	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.1	344 of 1434	76.0%	★★★★☆
2017	60.8	559 of 1429	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.3	674 of 1425	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.6	669 of 1440	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.2	628 of 1390	54.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.6	159 of 903	82.4%	★★★★☆
2025	71.7	182 of 918	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	71.3	179 of 924	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	59.4	312 of 933	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.4	147 of 927	84.1%	★★★★☆
2021	64.3	203 of 896	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	65.2	255 of 949	73.1%	★★★★☆
2018	75.0	140 of 927	84.9%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.5	122 of 134	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.8	121 of 130	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	64.1	203 of 878	76.9%	★★★★☆
2018	84.3	66 of 897	92.6%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.6	86 of 519	83.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.0	222 of 1447	84.7%	★★★★☆
2025	80.1	216 of 1451	85.1%	★★★★☆
2024	79.7	217 of 1455	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	68.9	403 of 1459	72.4%	★★★★☆
2022	78.5	248 of 1458	83.0%	★★★★☆
2021	53.3	635 of 1440	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.6	410 of 1424	71.2%	★★★★☆
2018	79.1	238 of 1405	83.1%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.9	182 of 743	75.5%	★★★★☆
2025	61.7	288 of 710	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.6	320 of 669	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	215 of 582	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.8	70 of 500	86.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	72 of 981	92.7%	★★★★★
2025	81.8	96 of 961	90.0%	★★★★★
2024	88.9	56 of 951	94.1%	★★★★★
2023	74.3	152 of 915	83.4%	★★★★☆
2022	68.8	191 of 893	78.6%	★★★★☆
2021	49.9	374 of 843	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.8	374 of 865	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.3	218 of 851	74.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.6	225 of 1434	84.3%	★★★★☆
2025	74.2	236 of 1437	83.6%	★★★★☆
2024	78.0	186 of 1450	87.2%	★★★★☆
2023	51.1	694 of 1437	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.3	645 of 1366	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.9	569 of 1329	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.4	554 of 1361	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.6	300 of 1332	77.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.6	216 of 1451	85.1%	★★★★☆
2025	78.8	243 of 1450	83.2%	★★★★☆
2024	84.1	175 of 1464	88.0%	★★★★☆
2023	71.8	342 of 1461	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	58.9	585 of 1464	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.6	659 of 1444	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.8	624 of 1430	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.9	473 of 1413	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.7	45 of 181	75.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.3	163 of 815	80.0%	★★★★☆
2025	59.6	230 of 821	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	61.7	199 of 801	75.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.7	245 of 1146	78.6%	★★★★☆
2025	74.7	257 of 1172	78.1%	★★★★☆
2024	86.0	111 of 1166	90.5%	★★★★★
2023	81.0	171 of 1183	85.5%	★★★★☆
2022	68.8	335 of 1194	71.9%	★★★★☆
2021	38.5	742 of 1172	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	77.2	217 of 1183	81.7%	★★★★☆
2018	74.0	277 of 1178	76.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)93rd percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)85th percentile~ school

Female (2026)85th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)84th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)83rd percentile~ school

African American (2026)82nd percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2026)80th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)79th percentile-7 vs school

Disabled (2019)77th percentile+12 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)76th percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)75th percentile-10 vs school

Asian (2026)9th percentile-76 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics77%+13 vs state

Science76%+8 vs state

Reading73%+17 vs state

2.8

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 23, 2018

My daughter was required to go to this school after we moved to Wake Forest. I was leery to send her due to the ratings the school received from numerous parents. After asking some of my neighbors who had children at the school I felt a little bit better. Let's just say it was short lived. The experience we have had at this school has been a complete nightmare. Numerous students that attend Richland should actually not be allowed to attend (this is coming from individuals who have first hand experience with the children) due to behavioral issues or other numerous problems. One student called the teacher an expletive and nothing was done. The student was allowed to stay in the class with no punishment. The experience we have had has been a bit worse. A young man in my child's class tried sticking his hand up her shorts at the beginning of the year (her shorts were longer than fingertip length) and no action was taken and no follow up from the principal. In addition to that another student made racially insensitive remarks to my child and nothing was done about that either and again, no follow up. Then come to find out there were remarks made about a boy taking my child to the bathroom! Having to explain sexual harassment and women being objectified is not the type of conversation I want to have with my child after school. The principal seems to be uninterested in removing or punishing the students that are a constant problem in the school and instead chooses to cover and make the school seem better when in all actuality there needs to be a complete overhaul with the administration. Needless to say I am pulling my child out of the school ASAP and we will not be attending the school next year. In my opinion I would highly suggest any parents contemplating this school to explore other options such as the local private schools, magnet and others if that is an option. I wouldn't recommend this school to any parent thinking of enrolling their child (especially any special needs kids) as they will be lost in the shuffle and not receive the education or attention you are made to believe they will at the orientation. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, July 5, 2017

We have had an excellent experience at Richland Creek Elementary. The teachers and staff are very nice and helpful. Our child has excelled at this school! Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, April 19, 2016

New School, PTA / Office Admin / and Special Needs Departments need structure, organization, communication. We were placed there for the 2014-2015 school year and it was a hot mess. Perhaps, they cater better to the mainstream kids. However, The AU Program is not to par. Close Quote

Schools Near Richland Creek 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/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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Richland Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	840 Wallridge Drive	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 554-6333	558	36	15.5	42.3%	257 (46.1%)	127 (22.8%)	94 (16.8%)	40 (7.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (6.8%)	82	218^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.4%		80.9	235^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.2%	17	75.5	83.8	70.3				71.7	79.3	68.1				75.8		$10,554	$524	$10,030
Wake Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	406 S Main Street	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 554-8655	444	38	11.7	45.9%	214 (48.2%)	110 (24.8%)	65 (14.6%)	19 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.1%)	70.1	415^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.2%		55.3	649^th of 1490 public elementary schools	56.4%	234	64.4	62.5	73.4				66.1	66.3	65.6				79.7		$11,352	$1,126	$10,226
Youngsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	125 Highway 1A South	Youngsville	27596	Franklin County	Franklin County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 556-5250	425	31	13.5	—	169 (39.8%)	119 (28.0%)	85 (20.0%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.6%)	69.6	425^th of 1492 public elementary schools	71.5%		79.6	251^st of 1490 public elementary schools	83.2%	174	68.8	78.3	64.6				61.0	78.3	52.3				73.8		$9,628	$887	$8,741
Envision Science Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	590 Traditions Grande Blvd	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Envision Science Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 435-4002	759	57	13.3	—	463 (61.0%)	104 (13.7%)	76 (10.0%)	53 (7.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (8.2%)	93.9	60^th of 1492 public elementary schools	96.0%		94.2	60^th of 1490 public elementary schools	96.0%		94.4	72.9	94.6	86.4	88.5	84.3	83.1	76.5	88.2	84.1	86.2	88.2	95.7	94.1
Wake Forest Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1851 Friendship Chapel Rd	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake Forest Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 263-8673	650	34	18.9	44.8%	229 (35.2%)	207 (31.8%)	98 (15.1%)	54 (8.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (9.1%)	67.4	463^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	69.0%		56.4	625^th of 1490 public elementary schools	58.1%	162	60.0	65.8	60.3	64.3	71.2	64.3	60.0	63.0	74.4	61.9	79.7	66.1	86.5	78.6
Long Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1753 Long Mill Rd	Youngsville	27596	Franklin County	Franklin County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 554-0667	433	32	13.6	—	155 (35.8%)	143 (33.0%)	93 (21.5%)	13 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.7%)	53.9	668^th of 1492 public elementary schools	55.2%		44.4	842^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	43.5%	174	78.3	67.1	57.1				65.0	61.0	41.4				58.6		$11,120	$1,287	$9,833
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		$9,477	$757	$8,720
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		$9,951	$575	$9,376
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		$9,799	$404	$9,394
Jones Dairy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 Jones Dairy Road	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 562-6181	627	38	16.5	15.0%	385 (61.4%)	63 (10.0%)	80 (12.8%)	60 (9.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	36 (5.7%)	91.6	92^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	93.8%		92.3	79^th of 1490 public elementary schools	94.7%	13	87.5	82.0	81.4				83.3	87.4	72.9				87.6		$10,583	$464	$10,118

Frequently Asked Questions about Richland Creek Elementary

Is Richland Creek Elementary a good school?

Richland Creek Elementary ranks 218^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Richland Creek Elementary?

Students at Richland Creek Elementary are 46% White, 23% African American, 17% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Richland Creek Elementary attend?

Students who attend Richland Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

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

How many students attend Richland Creek Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 558 students attended Richland Creek Elementary.

What district is Richland Creek Elementary in?

Wake County Schools

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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.