Mills Park Elementary, 509 Mills Park Drive: grades Pre-K-5, 582 students in 2024-25, an A (90) state grade.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website; the Wake County Public School System’s enrollment and calendar pages, base school lookup and draft 2027-28 enrollment plan; the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2024-25 report card data and 2025-26 school assessment workbook; and the federal NCES school directory.

Mills Park Elementary is a Wake County Public School System elementary school at 509 Mills Park Drive, Cary. In our Oct. 12 check of 986 home addresses spread across Cary in the district’s base school lookup, 25 were assigned to Mills Park Elementary. It sits beside Mills Park Middle, and its about page describes “Panther PRIDE” as its core values.

Who to call
Address 509 Mills Park Drive, Cary, NC 27519
Phone 919-466-1466
Grades Pre-K to 5
District Wake County Public School System
Mascot Panthers
Calendar Traditional
State school code 920501

Principal

Principal Anne Pauls, according to the school’s website.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 582 students in the 2024-25 school year, down from 641 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 645 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 46 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 14 students per teacher.

State report card

North Carolina grades every public school A to F. The grade is based 80% on student achievement and 20% on academic growth, according to the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report. For this school, achievement is measured mainly by the state’s end-of-grade reading, math and science tests.

School year Grade and score Growth
2024-25 A (90) Exceeded
2023-24 A (89) Exceeded

The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data. From the state’s 2025-26 school assessment workbook:

  • At grade level or above, all state tests: 88.3% (statewide, all tests: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 77.7%
  • Growth: exceeded expected growth
  • Reading, grades 3 to 8: 85.6% at grade level or above; math: 91.3%

The full report card, with class sizes, teacher data and school safety figures, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.

Attendance zone

WCPSS assigns every address a base elementary, middle and high school. Enter an address in the district’s base school lookup to see all three, or browse the base attendance area map. Zones do not follow town limits or mailing addresses. We did not find a published feeder list on the district’s enrollment pages, so we do not name feeder schools here; Student Assignment, 919-431-7333, can confirm an address.

Proposed changes for 2027-28: The district’s draft 2027-28 enrollment plan would move some students now assigned to Highcroft Drive, Salem and White Oak elementary schools to Mills Park Elementary, using its available space, and would move some Mills Park students to Cary Elementary. The plan is a draft: the Board of Education holds a public hearing Tuesday, Oct. 20, and is scheduled to vote Nov. 17, according to the district’s enrollment proposal page. Check an address with the proposal lookup.

Calendar and bell times

Mills Park Elementary follows the district’s traditional calendar. Coming dates on the 2026-27 traditional calendar (PDF):

  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: teacher workday, no school for students
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day holiday
  • Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break

Bell times: 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., according to the bell schedule posted on the school’s website.

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Frequently asked questions

What grades does Mills Park Elementary serve?

Mills Park Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

What is Mills Park Elementary’s school grade?

Mills Park Elementary earned an A, with a score of 90, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 88.3% of its state tests were at grade level or above and it exceeded its growth target.

What time does Mills Park Elementary start?

The school day runs 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., according to the school’s website.

How do I know if my address is zoned for Mills Park Elementary?

Enter the address in the Wake County Public School System’s base school lookup, or call Student Assignment at 919-431-7333. Zones do not follow town limits.