Carpenter Elementary

Summary:

Carpenter Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in Cary, North Carolina, serving students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade as part of the Wake County Schools district. With a diverse student population, the school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, delivering strong academic results that often exceed the district and state averages.

Carpenter Elementary's academic performance is particularly impressive, with a higher percentage of students proficient or better in Mathematics, Reading, and Science compared to the Wake County and North Carolina averages. The school's performance is especially strong for certain student subgroups, such as Asian students, English Language Learners, and Gifted and Talented students, ranking among the top schools in the state for these populations. However, the school's performance for Hispanic and Low Socioeconomic Status (SES) students is relatively lower compared to other subgroups, highlighting the need for continued efforts to address achievement gaps.

Carpenter Elementary's success can be attributed to its dedicated staff, effective teaching practices, and focus on equity and inclusive practices. The school's low student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending compared to nearby schools, such as Highcroft Elementary and Hortons Creek Elementary, contribute to its ability to support the academic growth of its diverse student population. As a high-performing school in the area, Carpenter Elementary serves as a model for collaboration and the sharing of best practices to further improve educational outcomes for all students in the region.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 2100 Morrisville Parkway
       Cary, NC  27519


(919) 462-6780

District: Wake County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
203rd of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,401 Help


Students who attend Carpenter Elementary usually attend:

High:    Wake Early College of Health and Science
    Wake STEM Early College High School
    Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
    Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

Student/teacher ratio:  14.0 Help
Number of students:  657

Racial breakdown:

Asian:
38.2%
White:
25.6%
Hispanic:
21.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  32.1% Help


 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Carpenter Elementary ranks better than 86.5% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 32nd 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 83.16. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Carpenter Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (38.2%), White (25.6%), Hispanic (21.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 32.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Carpenter Elementary is 14. 86 elementary schools in the Wake County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Carpenter Elementary employs 46.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Carpenter Elementary is $9,401. 85 elementary schools in the Wake County Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Carpenter Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Carpenter Elementary 203rd of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Carpenter 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:
Asian 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Carpenter Elementary.

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Rank History for Carpenter Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 76.55 233rd 1293 82.0%
2008 88.42 82nd 1324 93.8%
2009 84.71 133rd 1354 90.2%
2010 78.14 235th 1363 82.8%
2011 76.74 255th 1381 81.5%
2012 77.43 255th 1388 81.6%
2013 91.04 95th 1403 93.2%
2014 88.04 126th 1390 90.9%
2015 82.87 189th 1440 86.9%
2016 86.07 138th 1425 90.3%
2017 83.11 176th 1429 87.7%
2018 82.77 189th 1434 86.8%
2019 79.12 243rd 1473 83.5%
2021 75.69 305th 1489 79.5%
2022 88.06 129th 1514 91.5%
2023 83.24 192nd 1502 87.2%
2024 83.16 203rd 1505 86.5%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.18 59th 421 86.0%
2019 79.62 51st 497 89.7%
2021 69.61 54th 385 86.0%
2022 87.19 29th 485 94.0%
2023 80.23 53rd 514 89.7%
2024 70.36 88th 533 83.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 61.55 200th 801 75.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.64 928th 1332 30.3%
2019 33.48 998th 1361 26.7%
2021 22.84 1080th 1329 18.7%
2022 53.72 588th 1366 57.0%
2023 40.62 897th 1437 37.6%
2024 48.23 748th 1450 48.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.78 154th 1405 89.0%
2019 68.50 414th 1424 70.9%
2021 71.22 351st 1440 75.6%
2022 84.15 169th 1458 88.4%
2023 75.80 277th 1459 81.0%
2024 81.70 194th 1455 86.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.02 345th 897 61.5%
2019 70.05 150th 878 82.9%
2022 62.87 143rd 634 77.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 56.18 363rd 612 40.7%
2021 62.20 220th 494 55.5%
2022 65.55 152nd 500 69.6%
2023 62.52 224th 582 61.5%
2024 72.46 12th 669 98.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.33 222nd 1413 84.3%
2019 84.71 165th 1430 88.5%
2021 75.49 309th 1444 78.6%
2022 88.86 110th 1464 92.5%
2023 85.95 143rd 1461 90.2%
2024 80.79 217th 1464 85.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 66.40 49th 99 50.5%
2019 62.12 54th 106 49.1%
2021 49.87 63rd 95 33.7%
2022 77.66 12th 107 88.8%
2023 66.46 46th 114 59.6%
2024 68.90 44th 130 66.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.21 77th 927 91.7%
2019 51.14 422nd 949 55.5%
2021 41.33 484th 896 46.0%
2022 64.56 237th 927 74.4%
2023 53.70 385th 933 58.7%
2024 79.20 116th 924 87.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.04 731st 851 14.1%
2019 26.03 729th 865 15.7%
2021 21.45 740th 843 12.2%
2022 45.70 467th 893 47.7%
2023 47.29 477th 915 47.9%
2024 36.88 641st 951 32.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Carpenter Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.21 265th 1178 77.5%
2019 73.76 265th 1183 77.6%
2021 84.22 134th 1172 88.6%
2022 83.89 134th 1194 88.8%
2023 80.50 174th 1183 85.3%
2024 78.15 223rd 1166 80.9%
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.

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





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
50%

0%

50%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, September 22, 2014

Open Quote Most teachers in this school are very young. They use a lot of online resources and online accounts required parents/students to sign in to do school work and review which is good, but sometimes link and accounts/password have issue problems and parents try to reach out for help and teachers are not always available and can take for days to resolve problem.
Using online to do work and sign up for things are good, but sometimes, we prefer more print-out papers to have on-hand instead online 100% as not all parents are have access or using online systems. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Carpenter Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2007 281 31 94 101 2 n/a n/a 26 535
2008 270 42 139 81 0 n/a n/a 31 563
2009 339 99 157 79 0 n/a n/a 0 674
2010 396 131 190 92 1 n/a n/a 0 810
2011 349 84 141 114 1 0 39 0 728
2012 353 69 104 126 0 0 28 0 680
2013 372 87 131 111 1 0 23 0 725
2014 350 93 129 115 2 0 28 0 717
2015 328 89 154 117 2 2 35 0 727
2016 322 78 189 105 2 4 28 0 728
2017 319 85 288 101 3 3 35 0 834
2018 275 93 285 107 4 1 45 0 810
2019 252 86 333 119 2 1 35 0 828
2020 187 90 219 114 2 0 18 0 630
2021 185 99 230 128 2 0 20 0 664
2022 190 99 270 138 2 0 21 0 720
2023 168 73 251 143 1 0 21 0 657

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 Carpenter Elementary

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 535 n/a n/a 20.4
2008 563 38.8 14.5 n/a
2009 674 43.9 15.4 n/a
2010 810 49.8 16.2 22
2011 728 45.2 16.0 24.2
2012 680 41.6 16.3 25.6
2013 725 45.2 16.0 22.6
2014 717 44.8 16.0 21.8
2015 727 48.0 15.1 23.2
2016 728 47.0 15.4 22.4
2017 834 50.0 16.6 19.5
2018 810 54.0 15.0 22.6
2019 828 56.0 14.7 21.5
2020 630 43.7 14.3 29.7
2021 664 48.0 13.8 23
2022 720 52.0 13.8 16.8
2023 657 46.7 14.0 32.1

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 Carpenter Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 535 n/a n/a 20.4
2008 563 38.8 14.5 n/a
2009 674 43.9 15.4 n/a
2010 810 49.8 16.2 22
2011 728 45.2 16.0 24.2
2012 680 41.6 16.3 25.6
2013 725 45.2 16.0 22.6
2014 717 44.8 16.0 21.8
2015 727 48.0 15.1 23.2
2016 728 47.0 15.4 22.4
2017 834 50.0 16.6 19.5
2018 810 54.0 15.0 22.6
2019 828 56.0 14.7 21.5
2020 630 43.7 14.3 29.7
2021 664 48.0 13.8 23
2022 720 52.0 13.8 16.8
2023 657 46.7 14.0 32.1

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 Carpenter Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $613 (6.5%) $8,788 (93.5%) $9,401

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Carpenter 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 243rd of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 192nd of 1502 Elementary schools
 3.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Carpenter Elementary)78.576.4
 2.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)69.467.4
 2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Carpenter Elementary)69.259.1
 10.1%
   3rd Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)6658.7
 7.3%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Carpenter Elementary)75.477.3
 1.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)6565
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Carpenter Elementary)73.874.8
 1%
   4th Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)63.265.7
 2.5%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Carpenter Elementary)6970.2
 1.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)6665.6
 0.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Carpenter Elementary)72.471.9
 0.5%
   5th Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)60.659.1
 1.5%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Carpenter Elementary)76.775.4
 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 Students828657
 20.7%
African American8673
 15.1%
American Indian21
 50%
Asian333251
 24.6%
Hispanic119143
 20.2%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White252168
 33.3%
Two or More Races3521
 40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients21.5%32.1%
 10.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Carpenter Elementary

Carpenter Elementary ranks 203rd of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Carpenter Elementary are 38% Asian, 26% White, 22% Hispanic, 11% African American, 3% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 657 students attended Carpenter 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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