Central Wake Charter High School

This analysis covers the single school in the Central Wake Charter High School district: Central Wake High School in Raleigh, NC, a charter high school serving grades 9–12 with 293 students. Because this is a one-school district, all school-level results are identical to the district’s, and there are no other local schools to compare against; however, the gaps between Central Wake and statewide averages are dramatic and point to urgent challenges.

Central Wake High School is performing far below North Carolina averages on nearly every measure. The graduation rate is just 23.0% versus the state average of 88.8%, meaning fewer than 1 in 4 students graduates on time. Chronic absenteeism is an alarming 85.1% — more than four out of five students — compared to 24.2% statewide. End-of-course proficiency rates are severely depressed: Biology at 5.1% (state 58.5%), Math I at 13.3% (state 42.1%), Math III at 22.7% (state 68.9%), and English II at 37.5% (state 64.6%). The student–teacher ratio is 37.4:1, which for an enrollment of 293 implies a very small teaching staff and makes individualized support difficult. The school’s state ranking has also slid from the 13th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 5th percentile in both 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, and it now carries a zero-star rating.

English is the strongest tested subject, yet still trails the state by over 27 points. The chronic absenteeism rate almost certainly drives the low achievement and graduation crisis — if most students are missing substantial instructional time, proficiency and progression will suffer. The near-zero Biology proficiency (1 in 20 students) and the steep drop in Math III scores over the last year further highlight deep learning gaps. At the district level, Central Wake Charter High School ranks in the 2nd percentile among North Carolina districts. No socioeconomic or updated attendance data was included, but the overall picture is consistent: Central Wake High School is one of North Carolina’s lowest-performing high schools and appears to need intense, comprehensive support.