The top reported proficiency rate is 93% in Science. The lowest is 89% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hortons Creek Elementary
Hortons Creek Elementary is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in Cary, a large, planned suburban town in the Raleigh-Cary metro anchored by SAS Institute and other major employers. The school sits on O'Kelly Chapel Road in the 27519 zip code, placing it within a prosperous area where housing values are high and the majority of families are economically secure.
The school's student body reflects Cary's multicultural character. The enrollment leans substantially toward Asian students, with white, Black, and Hispanic students also present. Only a modest share of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting overall economic advantage. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available, so a parent interested in those support systems should contact the school directly.
On state end-of-grade testing, Hortons Creek's proficiency rates are notably strong. In math, the school achieved proficiency across grades three through five at a rate well above three-quarters. English language arts proficiency was nearly as high. Science, tested in a subset of grades, showed even higher proficiency. These results sit firmly in the upper range for elementary schools. State testing data does not include a performance breakdown by student subgroup, so a parent cannot see from these figures whether proficiency is distributed evenly across all groups or concentrated among particular populations; this is a gap worth exploring with the school itself.
The physical enrollment is moderate for an elementary school of this kind, with roughly similar-sized cohorts across grades except for one noticeably larger fourth-grade class. Pre-K enrollment is quite small. The school operates on a traditional calendar and is part of Wake County Schools, a large district that has been managing significant growth and capacity pressures across its footprint. Recent district-wide changes that affect Hortons Creek include a new science-of-reading approach to K-5 instruction, for which all teachers have completed state-mandated LETRS training, and a new cellphone policy that took effect this school year requiring elementary students to keep devices silenced and stored away. The district's major school-bond referendum, approved in 2022, is funding new schools in growth areas and does not appear to directly alter Hortons Creek's current enrollment or facilities.
Housing in the 27519 zip code is at a premium relative to state and national benchmarks; homeownership is financially substantial, and rent is similarly high. This area of Cary reflects the town's long-standing appeal to families with professional employment, particularly those connected to the Research Triangle. Families already living in the area tend to stay put, and the neighborhood draws new families seeking access to strong schools and the town's parks, greenways, and civic amenities like Downtown Cary Park.
A parent considering Hortons Creek should recognize it as a school serving a relatively affluent, diverse community with strong academic results on standardized measures. The absence of comparative performance data for the school's subgroups, and lack of trend data showing how results have moved over time, means a parent may want to ask the school directly about equity of outcomes and where support concentrates. On the broader district level, ongoing reassignments and calendar changes continue to be a planning factor; families should confirm whether future boundary changes might affect enrollment at this school. For families already in the area or considering a move to this part of Cary, Hortons Creek represents a solid, well-resourced elementary option with established academics and a stable community base.
See more original research from School Decision →