Summary:
Zip code 27518 is served by four schools within the Wake County Schools district, together enrolling about 1,526 students in grades K-5 and 9-12, with no middle school located in the area. The only elementary option is Penny Road Elementary, while high school students are split among three very different programs: Wake STEM Early College High School, Crossroads FLEX, and SCORE Academy. This wide variety means a single average for the zip code would be misleading; families should look closely at each program.
Academically, Wake STEM Early College High School is the standout performer, ranked in the 95th percentile of North Carolina high schools with a 5-star rating and near-universal proficiency on End-of-Course tests, including 100% proficiency in Math III and 98.6% in English II. Crossroads FLEX is also strong, posting 94.1% proficiency in English II and an overall 4-star rating, though it recently slipped from 5 stars. SCORE Academy is at the other extreme, ranked in the 2nd percentile with proficiency rates between roughly 10% and 20%, and a graduation rate of just 54.2% against the district's 91.3%. Penny Road Elementary is a stable and improving school, now at the 72nd percentile, with meaningful recent gains in 5th-grade reading, math, and science.
Some findings run counter to expectations. SCORE Academy spends the most per student, $16,937, yet has the lowest outcomes, while Wake STEM Early College High School spends much less and achieves far more, a reminder that higher spending often reflects higher student need. Although SCORE Academy and Crossroads FLEX share the same address, their student populations are very different, with free/reduced lunch rates of 99.49% and 5.76%, respectively. Chronic absenteeism also fails to explain performance patterns here, and the absence of any middle school in 27518 means families of older students must look beyond the area. Overall, school choice likely matters more than geography in this zip code.
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