West Lake Elementary, 4500 West Lake Road, Apex: grades Pre-K-5, 569 students in 2024-25, a B (71) 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.

West Lake Elementary is a Wake County Public School System elementary school at 4500 West Lake Road, Apex. The school has an Apex mailing address, but the U.S. Census Bureau’s geocoder places the campus inside Cary town limits. In our Oct. 12 check of 986 home addresses spread across Cary in the district’s base school lookup, 20 were assigned to West Lake Elementary. West Lake’s students are the Wallabies, according to its about page. It shares a campus with West Lake Middle.

Who to call
Address 4500 West Lake Road, Apex, NC 27539
Phone 919-662-2300
Grades Pre-K to 5
District Wake County Public School System
Mascot Wallabies
Calendar Year-round, single-track (Track 4)
State school code 920606

Principal

Principal Thaddeus Sherman, according to the school’s website.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 569 students in the 2024-25 school year, down from 574 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 572 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 37 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 15 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 B (71) Met
2023-24 B (70) 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: 70.9% (statewide, all tests: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 53.5%
  • Growth: met expected growth
  • Reading, grades 3 to 8: 67.7% at grade level or above; math: 75.1%

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.

The list of proposed base area changes in the district’s draft 2027-28 enrollment plan, which the Board of Education is scheduled to vote on Nov. 17, does not name West Lake Elementary. Check an address with the proposal lookup.

Calendar and bell times

West Lake Elementary follows the district’s single-track Track 4 year-round calendar. Coming dates on the 2026-27 Track 4 calendar (PDF):

  • Through Friday, Oct. 23: tracked out (Oct. 22-23 are teacher workdays); students return Monday, Oct. 26
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: teacher workday
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day holiday
  • Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break
  • Jan. 4-22, 2027: tracked out

Bell times: 7:45 a.m. to 2:20 p.m., according to the bell schedule posted on the school’s website.

More

Frequently asked questions

What grades does West Lake Elementary serve?

West Lake Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

What is West Lake Elementary’s school grade?

West Lake Elementary earned a B, with a score of 71, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 70.9% of its state tests were at grade level or above and it met its growth target.

What time does West Lake Elementary start?

The school day runs 7:45 a.m. to 2:20 p.m., according to the school’s website.

How do I know if my address is zoned for West Lake 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.