The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in Math. The lowest is 31% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Wilburn Elementary
Wilburn Elementary is a Pre-K through fifth-grade school in Raleigh, located in the Marsh Creek area, serving roughly 600 students. The school sits within Wake County Schools, a large, rapidly growing district spanning the Raleigh metro region.
The student body is majority Hispanic, with substantial representation from Black and Asian students; a very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. This profile reflects a school serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged neighborhood in an area undergoing development pressure.
The school's academic performance, measured by North Carolina's End-of-Grade tests administered in grades three through five, shows below-average proficiency rates. In math, about one in three students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, the proficiency rate was lower, at roughly one in three as well. In science, proficiency was similar. These are weak results, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school: what academic supports are in place, how the school is addressing literacy and math fundamentals, and what trajectory the school has shown over time. Trend data was not available, so it is unclear whether performance is improving, holding steady, or declining.
The school receives no particular designation for magnet or charter status; it operates as a regular public elementary school under Wake County Schools' governance. Civil rights and discipline data were not provided in the available records. Staffing, attendance, and course-access details were similarly absent from the materials.
Raleigh itself is a capital-city landscape mixing downtown density with sprawling suburban neighborhoods. The downtown core has active civic anchors along Fayetteville Street—the State Capitol, museums, performing arts venues—and several distinct walkable districts like Glenwood South and the Warehouse District, but most of the city is car-dependent, with Walk Scores reflecting that car-oriented pattern outside downtown. The city has anchors in technology, healthcare, higher education, and professional services; major employers include WakeMed, NC State University, Red Hat, and companies in nearby Research Triangle Park. The housing market in the Raleigh zip code where Wilburn sits has median values in the mid-300s, with rents roughly in the mid-1500s range, and affordability pressures are present but moderate compared to national benchmarks.
Wake County Schools is in the midst of substantial growth and change. A school construction bond approved in 2022 is funding five new schools and renovations across the district, with a corresponding property tax increase that affects every homeowner in the district. At the same time, the district has been rolling out large reassignments to balance enrollment in newly opened schools; families in areas affected by these reassignments often face the practical uncertainty of which school their child will attend and whether year-round or traditional calendars apply. The district has also undertaken a wholesale shift to Science of Reading instruction in elementary grades, with all Pre-K through five teachers completing state-mandated LETRS training. Additionally, a new district-wide cellphone policy took effect in 2025-26, requiring younger students to keep devices away all day. For families considering Wilburn or any Wake elementary, these are material changes shaping the daily school experience and calendar context.
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