West Lake Elementary

Summary:

West Lake Elementary is a public elementary school in Apex, North Carolina, serving 611 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Wake County Schools district, which is ranked 59th out of 242 districts in the state.

West Lake Elementary is a high-performing school, consistently ranking in the top 25% of North Carolina elementary schools. The school's students excel on state standardized tests, particularly in mathematics and science, outperforming the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 75.9% of West Lake's 5th-graders achieved proficiency on the End-of-Grade (EOG) Science exam, compared to the state average of 66.2% and the Wake County Schools average of 72%. The school's African American and Special Education student subgroups also perform exceptionally well, ranking in the top 25% and top 5% of North Carolina elementary schools, respectively.

However, West Lake Elementary has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 15.41% in 2020-2021 to 30.61% in 2022-2023. This shift in the school's demographic may impact its resources and support services. Additionally, the school's Hispanic and English Language Learner (ELL) student subgroups have struggled, ranking in the bottom 25% of North Carolina elementary schools. Nearby schools like Banks Road Elementary, Herbert Akins Rd Elementary, and Fuquay-Varina Elementary have lower academic performance compared to West Lake Elementary, despite being in the same school district.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4500 West Lake Rd
       Apex, NC  27539-7655


(919) 662-2300

District: Wake County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
358th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,343 Help


Students who attend West Lake Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    West Lake Middle
High:    Middle Creek High
    Wake Early College of Health and Science
    Wake STEM Early College High School
    Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  14.2 Help
Number of students:  611

Racial breakdown:

White:
64.6%
Hispanic:
18.5%
African American:
8.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  30.6% Help


 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

 Compare West Lake Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details West Lake Elementary ranks better than 76.2% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 53rd among 115 ranked elementary schools in the Wake County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.91. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (64.6%), Hispanic (18.5%), African American (8.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 30.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Lake Elementary is 14.2. 94 elementary schools in the Wake County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare West Lake Elementary employs 43 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Lake Elementary is $9,343. 88 elementary schools in the Wake County Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Lake Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks West Lake Elementary 358th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See West Lake Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Wake County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Wake County Schools 59th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for West Lake Elementary

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Rank History for all students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 78.67 191st 1276 85.0%
2007 79.06 188th 1293 85.5%
2008 80.30 178th 1324 86.6%
2009 70.92 379th 1354 72.0%
2010 71.21 372nd 1363 72.7%
2011 66.28 486th 1381 64.8%
2012 65.62 491st 1388 64.6%
2013 82.15 200th 1403 85.7%
2014 82.95 193rd 1390 86.1%
2015 80.42 232nd 1440 83.9%
2016 84.78 161st 1425 88.7%
2017 85.50 143rd 1429 90.0%
2018 78.22 253rd 1434 82.4%
2019 73.32 338th 1473 77.1%
2021 82.47 212th 1489 85.8%
2022 78.48 262nd 1514 82.7%
2023 75.38 316th 1502 79.0%
2024 72.91 358th 1505 76.2%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.58 394th 421 6.4%
2019 18.64 476th 497 4.2%
2021 26.88 317th 385 17.7%
2022 19.86 452nd 485 6.8%
2023 12.25 510th 514 0.8%
2024 16.38 513th 533 3.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 90.10 33rd 801 95.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.41 1067th 1332 19.9%
2019 20.85 1192nd 1361 12.4%
2021 20.14 1142nd 1329 14.1%
2022 25.48 1130th 1366 17.3%
2023 23.96 1190th 1437 17.2%
2024 22.14 1266th 1450 12.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.36 316th 1405 77.5%
2019 63.16 500th 1424 64.9%
2021 77.60 260th 1440 81.9%
2022 76.28 279th 1458 80.9%
2023 71.87 359th 1459 75.4%
2024 70.24 365th 1455 74.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.52 340th 897 62.1%
2019 68.24 171st 878 80.5%
2021 71.78 92nd 646 85.8%
2022 79.14 57th 634 91.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 52.92 416th 612 32.0%
2021 57.73 263rd 494 46.8%
2022 64.95 159th 500 68.2%
2024 61.28 283rd 669 57.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.11 212th 1413 85.0%
2019 79.30 228th 1430 84.1%
2021 82.51 201st 1444 86.1%
2022 77.94 263rd 1464 82.0%
2023 75.37 291st 1461 80.1%
2024 72.71 343rd 1464 76.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.59 248th 927 73.2%
2022 53.97 351st 927 62.1%
2023 47.88 463rd 933 50.4%
2024 84.22 77th 924 91.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.09 699th 851 17.9%
2019 24.35 741st 865 14.3%
2021 33.96 581st 843 31.1%
2022 28.69 720th 893 19.4%
2023 26.09 732nd 915 20.0%
2024 13.90 912th 951 4.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at West Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.68 194th 1178 83.5%
2019 69.92 321st 1183 72.9%
2021 85.53 117th 1172 90.0%
2022 81.49 172nd 1194 85.6%
2023 76.41 229th 1183 80.6%
2024 73.58 276th 1166 76.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

West Lake Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for West Lake Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1993 686 79 5 5 1 n/a n/a 6 782
1994 848 112 6 6 1 n/a n/a 10 983
1995 940 95 9 6 3 n/a n/a 0 1053
1996 940 95 9 6 3 n/a n/a 0 1053
1997 931 89 10 8 3 n/a n/a 0 1041
1998 890 106 10 8 1 n/a n/a 0 1015
1999 869 120 13 18 1 n/a n/a 0 1021
2000 878 116 13 12 1 n/a n/a 0 1020
2001 868 117 14 13 0 n/a n/a 0 1012
2002 968 191 15 82 2 n/a n/a 0 1258
2003 968 191 15 82 2 n/a n/a 0 1258
2004 886 161 17 110 2 n/a n/a 0 1176
2005 854 148 17 111 3 n/a n/a 0 1133
2006 840 158 19 153 3 n/a n/a 0 1173
2007 757 120 17 172 4 n/a n/a 36 1106
2008 717 95 20 195 0 n/a n/a 39 1066
2009 657 116 18 185 1 n/a n/a 0 977
2010 519 99 21 153 0 n/a n/a 0 792
2011 552 61 22 166 3 0 37 0 841
2012 557 60 21 160 2 0 33 0 833
2013 632 64 17 147 0 0 40 0 900
2014 650 70 18 147 1 1 29 0 916
2015 648 54 23 133 1 1 33 0 893
2016 657 52 27 140 1 1 28 0 906
2017 664 62 30 146 1 1 23 0 927
2018 617 60 23 130 1 1 19 0 851
2019 561 59 24 135 0 1 23 0 803
2020 542 50 20 137 1 0 21 0 771
2021 458 43 11 137 1 0 25 0 675
2022 394 45 8 116 2 0 33 0 598
2023 395 53 13 113 1 1 35 0 611

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Lake Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 782 47.0 16.6 13
1994 983 51.0 19.3 4.4
1995 1053 57.0 18.5 3.6
1996 1053 57.0 18.5 3.6
1997 1041 55.0 18.9 2.7
1998 1015 59.0 17.2 3.3
1999 1021 58.0 17.6 4.2
2000 1020 58.0 17.6 5.7
2001 1012 57.0 17.8 6.4
2002 1258 76.0 16.6 15.7
2003 1258 76.0 16.6 15.7
2004 1176 76.0 15.5 16
2005 1133 69.0 16.4 18.9
2006 1173 73.0 16.1 19.7
2007 1106 n/a n/a 23.6
2008 1066 63.8 16.7 n/a
2009 977 61.0 16.0 n/a
2010 792 47.7 16.5 23
2011 841 47.9 17.5 23.2
2012 833 49.2 16.9 22.9
2013 900 52.9 16.9 18.3
2014 916 54.0 16.9 17.9
2015 893 58.0 15.3 18.8
2016 906 57.0 15.8 18.5
2017 927 55.5 16.7 18.7
2018 851 52.0 16.3 19.9
2019 803 50.0 16.0 22
2020 771 49.9 15.4 20.1
2021 675 46.0 14.6 15.4
2022 598 41.7 14.3 14.9
2023 611 43.0 14.2 30.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio West Lake Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 782 47.0 16.6 13
1994 983 51.0 19.3 4.4
1995 1053 57.0 18.5 3.6
1996 1053 57.0 18.5 3.6
1997 1041 55.0 18.9 2.7
1998 1015 59.0 17.2 3.3
1999 1021 58.0 17.6 4.2
2000 1020 58.0 17.6 5.7
2001 1012 57.0 17.8 6.4
2002 1258 76.0 16.6 15.7
2003 1258 76.0 16.6 15.7
2004 1176 76.0 15.5 16
2005 1133 69.0 16.4 18.9
2006 1173 73.0 16.1 19.7
2007 1106 n/a n/a 23.6
2008 1066 63.8 16.7 n/a
2009 977 61.0 16.0 n/a
2010 792 47.7 16.5 23
2011 841 47.9 17.5 23.2
2012 833 49.2 16.9 22.9
2013 900 52.9 16.9 18.3
2014 916 54.0 16.9 17.9
2015 893 58.0 15.3 18.8
2016 906 57.0 15.8 18.5
2017 927 55.5 16.7 18.7
2018 851 52.0 16.3 19.9
2019 803 50.0 16.0 22
2020 771 49.9 15.4 20.1
2021 675 46.0 14.6 15.4
2022 598 41.7 14.3 14.9
2023 611 43.0 14.2 30.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Lake Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $437 (4.7%) $8,905 (95.3%) $9,343

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Lake Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 338th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 316th of 1502 Elementary schools
 1.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Lake Elementary)66.762.1
 4.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)69.467.4
 2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (West Lake Elementary)66.757.3
 9.4%
   3rd Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)6658.7
 7.3%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Lake Elementary)64.861.6
 3.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)6565
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (West Lake Elementary)69.167
 2.1%
   4th Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)63.265.7
 2.5%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (West Lake Elementary)73.977.8
 3.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)6665.6
 0.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (West Lake Elementary)70.964.1
 6.8%
   5th Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)60.659.1
 1.5%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (West Lake Elementary)79.177.8
 1.3%
   5th Grade Science (Wake County Schools)71.370.6
 0.7%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students803611
 23.9%
African American5953
 10.2%
American Indian01
Asian2413
 45.8%
Hispanic135113
 16.3%
Pacific Islander11
White561395
 29.6%
Two or More Races2335
 52.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients22%30.6%
 8.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about West Lake Elementary

West Lake Elementary ranks 358th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at West Lake Elementary are 65% White, 18% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 611 students attended West Lake Elementary.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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