Cary's public schools are run by WCPSS. No school Monday, Oct. 12; magnet applications open Oct. 15. 2025-26 test scores for every Cary school.
Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Updated each school year and when the district changes a date. Facts on this page come from the Wake County Public School System and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Every public school in Cary, with its zone and report card: Cary public schools.
Almost every public school student in Cary attends the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), which projects 161,461 students countywide for 2026-27, according to its facts and figures page. The district’s headquarters is in Cary, at 5625 Dillard Drive. Each address is assigned a base school, and families can apply to magnet, year-round and early college schools. Homes in the Chatham County part of Cary are served by Chatham County Schools.
Who to call
- WCPSS customer service: 919-431-7400 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays)
- Student assignment (which school is mine?): 919-431-7333
- Transportation and buses: 919-805-3030
- Magnet programs: 919-533-7295
- Chatham County Schools: 919-542-3626
Key dates this school year
From the district’s 2026-27 traditional calendar. Year-round schools, including several in Cary, follow their own track calendars on the same page.
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| Monday, Oct. 12 | Teacher workday, no school for students |
| Tuesday, Oct. 27 | End of first quarter |
| Tuesday, Nov. 3 | Teacher workday (Election Day), no school |
| Wednesday, Nov. 11 | Veterans Day holiday |
| Nov. 25-27 | Thanksgiving break |
| Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, 2027 | Winter break |
| Monday, Jan. 18, 2027 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday |
| March 26 to April 2, 2027 | Holiday, then spring break |
| June 9, 2027 | Last day of classes |
Enrolling and finding your school
New students enroll online through the district’s enrollment page, which links to the base school finder. For 2027-28:
- Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026: kindergarten and pre-K pre-registration opens.
- Oct. 15 to Dec. 11: applications for early college high schools, including Wake STEM Early College High in Cary, and Crossroads FLEX High.
- Oct. 15 to Jan. 21, 2027: applications for magnet and year-round schools.
- Feb. 18, 2027: results for all application windows.
How Cary’s schools score
North Carolina grades every public school A to F; look up any school on the N.C. School Report Cards. The tables below use the state’s 2025-26 results for schools with a Cary address: the share of tested students at grade level or above on state exams (all subjects) and whether the school met the state’s growth target. Across WCPSS, 68.2% of students were at grade level, against 59.2% statewide.
High schools
| School | At grade level | College and career ready | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake STEM Early College High | Above 95% | 91.5% | Exceeded |
| Green Level High | 90.5% | 80.2% | Exceeded |
| Green Hope High | 84.2% | 70.1% | Exceeded |
| Panther Creek High | 81.8% | 68.3% | Exceeded |
| Cary High | 64.1% | 46.3% | Exceeded |
Middle schools
| School | At grade level | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Mills Park Middle | 93.9% | Exceeded |
| Davis Drive Middle | 88.1% | Exceeded |
| Alston Ridge Middle | 77.5% | Exceeded |
| West Cary Middle | 77.0% | Exceeded |
| East Cary Middle | 71.3% | Exceeded |
| Reedy Creek Middle | 63.3% | Not met |
Elementary schools
| School | At grade level | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Davis Drive | 90.2% | Exceeded |
| Mills Park | 88.3% | Exceeded |
| Highcroft | 86.6% | Met |
| Hortons Creek | 86.4% | Exceeded |
| Green Hope | 84.4% | Exceeded |
| Turner Creek | 80.3% | Exceeded |
| Carpenter | 78.8% | Met |
| Alston Ridge | 78.3% | Exceeded |
| Weatherstone | 77.8% | Exceeded |
| Farmington Woods | 74.1% | Exceeded |
| Cary | 72.7% | Met |
| Northwoods | 70.7% | Met |
| Penny Road | 68.1% | Not met |
| Kingswood | 63.6% | Met |
| Briarcliff | 61.7% | Exceeded |
| Reedy Creek | 57.9% | Met |
| Adams | 56.6% | Met |
Source: N.C. Department of Public Instruction, 2025-26 School Assessment and Other Indicator Data. Test scores reflect who attends a school as much as how it teaches; growth measures progress over the year.
Charter schools in Cary set their own calendars and admit by lottery: Triangle Math and Science Academy (93.1% at grade level, exceeded growth) and Cardinal Charter Academy (63.7%, growth not met).
Which schools serve 10 Cary areas, from Lochmere to Green Level, is in our neighborhoods guide.
The school board and the Nov. 3 bond
The nine-member Wake County Board of Education sets policy, hires the superintendent and adopts the budget request; it cannot set taxes. Find your member and watch meetings on the school board page.
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, Wake County voters decide a $680 million school bond for renovations, new schools and repairs, according to the district’s bond page. See our voting guide.
What this means for you
- No school Monday, Oct. 12, on the traditional calendar.
- Want a magnet, year-round or early college seat for 2027-28? Apply starting Oct. 15.
- Check your base school with the district finder before you buy or rent.
High school sports scores are on our scoreboard and Friday night football pages.
Frequently asked questions
What school district is Cary in?
Most of Cary is served by the Wake County Public School System, which assigns each address a base school. Homes in the Chatham County part of Cary are served by Chatham County Schools.
What is the best high school in Cary?
On 2025-26 state tests, Green Level High had 90.5% of students at grade level, Green Hope High 84.2%, Panther Creek High 81.8% and Cary High 64.1%. All four exceeded expected growth.
When is winter break for Wake County schools?
On the 2026-27 traditional calendar, winter break runs from Monday, Dec. 21, 2026, through Friday, Jan. 1, 2027. Thanksgiving break is Nov. 25-27.
When do Wake County magnet applications open?
Applications for magnet and year-round schools open Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, and close Jan. 21, 2027. Results go out Feb. 18, 2027.
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