Scotts Ridge Elementary

Scotts Ridge Elementary is a large 869-student public school in Apex, North Carolina, serving grades PK–5 within Wake County Schools, and it ranks #17 among all 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools in 2025–2026. That placement is not a one-year fluke: Scotts Ridge has finished in the state's top 100 every year for the past decade and routinely earns a five-star rating. In its own neighborhood, it outranks nearby Apex Friendship Elementary and Olive Chapel Elementary, with only the charter school The Math and Science Academy of Apex placing higher.

Academics are strikingly strong. Proficiency rates run 20–30 points above district and state averages in nearly every grade and subject — for example, 94.9% of 3rd graders are proficient in math versus 66.4% statewide, and 4th-grade reading proficiency is 88.8%, compared to 57.7% statewide. Attendance is equally notable: the chronic absenteeism rate is just 9.0%, far below Wake County Schools' 20.5% and the 24.2% statewide rate. About 8.2% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a relatively well-resourced area, and the school achieves these results despite a higher student–teacher ratio and lower per-pupil spending than several neighboring schools.

Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway is that success is not limited to one group of students. In 2025–2026, Scotts Ridge's multiracial students ranked #2 in the state, female students ranked #11, male students ranked #25, and special education students ranked #14. The gifted and talented subgroup has been the school's least spectacular area — its recent state rankings landed between the 37th and 75th percentile — but it remains above average in absolute terms. With nearby schools such as Turner Creek Elementary, Baucom Elementary, Salem Elementary, and Woods Creek Elementary all posting solid results, Scotts Ridge stands out for its sustained high achievement and broad-based excellence.