Summary:
ZIP code 27511, in Cary, North Carolina's Research Triangle region, is home to seven schools serving roughly 6,811 students from pre-K through 12th grade. They include four elementary schools—Adams Elementary, Farmington Woods Elementary, Briarcliff Elementary, and Cary Elementary—plus East Cary Middle, Cary High, and K-12 Triangle Math and Science Academy. Six of the seven schools belong to Wake County Schools, a 4-star district ranked 60th in the state, while the academy operates as its own independent district.
Families will find dramatically different academic experiences within this ZIP code. Triangle Math and Science Academy posts remarkable results, with proficiency rates often 30 or more points above state averages—98.3% proficiency in 8th-grade math, for example—along with a 94.8% graduation rate. Among traditional public schools, Farmington Woods Elementary and Cary Elementary lead the way with 85th and 84th percentile rankings, and East Cary Middle is equally strong and stable, holding an 84th–85th percentile rank for three consecutive years. On the other end, Adams Elementary is the most challenged school in the group: it sits at the 45th percentile, has the highest free/reduced lunch rate at 61.2%, and posts the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 22.9%.
School rankings show shifting trajectories worth noting. Farmington Woods Elementary has slipped from the 92nd to the 85th percentile over three years, while Briarcliff Elementary dropped from the 71st to the 57th percentile and Adams Elementary has steadily declined from the 62nd to the 45th percentile. By contrast, Cary Elementary and East Cary Middle remain remarkably stable in the low-to-mid 80s. The data also reveals that resources alone do not predict outcomes: Adams Elementary has the lowest student-teacher ratio, yet Cary High—which spends the least per student—outperforms Adams Elementary in many comparative metrics. Cary High's Math I proficiency is a notable soft spot at 33.5%, though its Math III proficiency reaches 81%, likely reflecting course sequencing and student selection. Chronic absenteeism also varies widely, from 9.7% at Cary Elementary to 22.9% at Adams Elementary.
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