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Walter M Williams High

Q: Is Walter M Williams High a good school?

Walter M Williams High ranks 491 st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

491^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 26% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Walter M Williams High is a large comprehensive high school in Burlington, NC, serving about 1,206 students in grades 9–12 within Alamance-Burlington Schools. Its statewide ranking has declined steadily over the past decade: the school earned a 3-star rating as recently as 2018–2019, but by 2025–2026 it had fallen to a 1-star rating in the 26th percentile of North Carolina high schools. Within the district, Walter M Williams High now trails Eastern Alamance High, Southeast Alamance High, Southern Alamance High, and Western Alamance High, while ranking above Graham High and Hugh M Cummings High.

The most pressing academic concern at Walter M Williams High is mathematics. In 2025–2026, the school posted Math I proficiency of just 35.3% and Math III proficiency of 49.8%, both below district and state averages and far behind nearby schools such as Southeast Alamance High, where 73.1% of students scored proficient on Math III. The school’s graduation rate has also slipped to 83.7%, below the state average of 88.8% but still above Graham High and Hugh M Cummings High. Chronic absenteeism affects nearly one in three students, and a student-to-teacher ratio of 20.2 to 1 is higher than at most comparable high schools in the district.

There are some bright spots. English II proficiency reached 54.8% in 2025–2026, essentially matching the district average, and reading and writing performance has held up better than math in recent years. Still, outcomes vary considerably across student groups: gifted students and students from economically disadvantaged families rank among the lowest percentiles statewide compared with their peers. The overall picture is sobering. Families choosing between Walter M Williams High and higher-performing options such as Southeast Alamance High or Western Alamance High should weigh the meaningful gaps in math achievement, graduation rates, and the school’s clear downward academic trajectory.

1,206

Students ?

20.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,479

Per pupil spending ?

99.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1307 S Church Street
Burlington, NC 27215-4919

(336) 570-6161

District: Alamance-Burlington Schools

Feeder schools for Walter M Williams High:

Elementary:	Grove Park Elementary
	Highland Elementary
	Hillcrest Elementary
	Marvin B Smith Elementary
Middle:	Turrentine Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

31.8%

Hispanic:

31.1%

White:

26.3%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Walter M Williams High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 46th percentile in 2016 → 26th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (47% vs 60% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (84% vs 89%)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg52%

North Carolina avg60%

491^st of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6High Schools in the Alamance-Burlington Schools

179^th of 246Alamance-Burlington Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.3	491 of 662	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.5	459 of 641	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.0	450 of 640	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.2	438 of 626	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.9	378 of 621	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.7	335 of 594	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.6	211 of 514	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.6	204 of 469	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	41.0	238 of 476	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	34.9	274 of 507	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	40.4	259 of 531	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	29.9	278 of 451	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	33.2	290 of 505	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	41.6	300 of 502	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	54.4	246 of 506	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	55.8	228 of 499	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	48.9	264 of 490	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	51.4	238 of 477	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	48.5	237 of 453	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	48.6	244 of 431	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	354 of 450	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.5	291 of 440	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.4	300 of 437	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.8	300 of 434	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.0	274 of 430	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.5	206 of 364	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.6	168 of 369	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.6	129 of 359	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.9	89 of 103	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	71.0	33 of 101	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.4	43 of 98	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	53.1	109 of 330	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.7	186 of 334	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.9	222 of 364	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.7	165 of 349	52.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.1	219 of 289	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	45.3	125 of 273	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.9	156 of 262	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.1	143 of 226	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.4	29 of 156	81.4%	★★★★☆
2021	87.7	9 of 124	92.7%	★★★★★
2019	51.9	60 of 173	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	83.9	12 of 147	91.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.7	484 of 629	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.6	435 of 610	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.7	421 of 602	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.1	401 of 588	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.8	366 of 594	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.1	247 of 475	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.6	249 of 475	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.8	210 of 449	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.9	365 of 407	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.0	310 of 412	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.5	334 of 403	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	59.1	187 of 403	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.6	240 of 398	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.1	150 of 337	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.4	62 of 325	80.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.4	349 of 474	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.9	320 of 462	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.4	362 of 454	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.6	400 of 449	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.8	335 of 436	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.0	221 of 370	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.2	55 of 354	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	57.4	100 of 340	70.6%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	47.9	20 of 44	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.6	517 of 620	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.4	468 of 606	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.8	474 of 613	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.2	443 of 597	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.3	383 of 544	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.8	261 of 432	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.3	172 of 446	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.4	127 of 424	70.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.4	476 of 624	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.5	470 of 601	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	456 of 607	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.6	465 of 602	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.7	374 of 585	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.6	258 of 481	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.4	184 of 488	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.5	225 of 463	51.4%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.3	188 of 265	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.5	228 of 253	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	221 of 261	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.7	142 of 249	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.2	61 of 226	73.0%	★★★★☆
2021	52.3	89 of 199	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.4	46 of 195	76.4%	★★★★☆
2018	60.3	69 of 185	62.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.6	259 of 372	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.0	330 of 349	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.3	289 of 551	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.0	372 of 542	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.2	288 of 553	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.1	267 of 537	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.6	180 of 534	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.1	155 of 439	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.1	122 of 444	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	64.3	130 of 427	69.6%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)67th percentile+28 vs school

Homeless (2019)55th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)48th percentile+22 vs school

Special Education (2026)30th percentile+5 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)29th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)26th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)24th percentile~ school

Male (2026)24th percentile~ school

Female (2026)23rd percentile-3 vs school

African American (2026)21st percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)17th percentile-9 vs school

Asian (2026)14th percentile-12 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)10th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English II55%-10 vs state

Math III50%-19 vs state

Biology47%-11 vs state

Math I35%-7 vs state

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Schools Near Walter M Williams High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Walter M Williams High	Public	9-12	1307 S Church Street	Burlington	27215	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 570-6161	1,206	59	20.2	99.8%	317 (26.3%)	383 (31.8%)	375 (31.1%)	42 (3.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	86 (7.1%)	28.3	491^st of 662 public high schools	25.8%		29.5	459^th of 641 public high schools	28.4%	32	47.2	54.8	35.3	49.8								$8,479	$604	$7,875
Hugh M Cummings High	Public	9-12	2200 N Mebane Street	Burlington	27217	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 570-6100	807	39	20.4	98.8%	36 (4.5%)	234 (29.0%)	503 (62.3%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (3.7%)	18	567^th of 662 public high schools	14.4%		11.3	594^th of 641 public high schools	7.3%	27	37.7	38.3	36.8	41.2								$9,437	$1,037	$8,400
Alamance Virtual School	Public, Virtual	6-12	631 Southern High Road	Graham	27253	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(336) 570-6134	203	18	11.3	62.1%	89 (43.8%)	60 (29.6%)	28 (13.8%)	4 (2.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (10.3%)	20.9	546^th of 662 public high schools	17.5%		15.1	559^th of 641 public high schools	12.8%	13	56.5	46.4	14.8	41.7	35.7	39.1	27.6	42.9	47.8	58.6	75.9
Ray Street Academy	Public	6-12	609 Ray Street	Graham	27253	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 570-6644	36	15	2.4	91.7%	12 (33.3%)	17 (47.2%)	7 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	340.6	539.4	7.1		535.7	5.9	14.3	26.7	539.2	9.5	23.8	$33,251	$3,956	$29,295
Career and Technical Education Center	Public	9-12	2550 Buckingham Road	Burlington	27217	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 570-6092	0	12	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Graham High	Public	9-12	903 Trollinger Road	Graham	27253	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 570-6440	828	45	18.4	99.6%	109 (13.2%)	292 (35.3%)	367 (44.3%)	8 (1.0%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (5.6%)	14.3	586^th of 662 public high schools	11.5%		12.7	580^th of 641 public high schools	9.5%	6	36.6	40.6	26.9	36.0								$10,422	$935	$9,487
Western Alamance High	Public	9-12	1731 N Nc 87	Elon	27244	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 538-6020	1,138	62	18.2	49.5%	561 (49.3%)	224 (19.7%)	267 (23.5%)	21 (1.8%)	6 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	56 (4.9%)	47.6	344^th of 662 public high schools	48.0%		54.2	269^th of 641 public high schools	58.0%	75	45.1	63.2	47.3	77.6								$8,437	$759	$7,678
ABSS Early College at ACC	Public	9-12	1247 Jimmie Kerr Road	Graham	27253	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 506-4001	247	8	29.9	36.4%	108 (43.7%)	35 (14.2%)	74 (30.0%)	12 (4.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.5%)	95	6^th of 662 public high schools	99.1%		96.9	4^th of 641 public high schools	99.4%	2	362.5	99.9	100.0	565.6								$6,280	$165	$6,115
Southern Alamance High	Public	9-12	631 Southern High Road	Graham	27253	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 570-6400	1,148	61	18.7	49.8%	668 (58.2%)	143 (12.5%)	250 (21.8%)	22 (1.9%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (5.3%)	32.2	464^th of 662 public high schools	29.9%		32.9	425^th of 641 public high schools	33.7%	39	54.0	51.1	39.0	55.1								$8,061	$590	$7,471
Southeast Alamance High	Public	9-12	3400 S Hwy 119	Haw River	27258	Alamance County	Alamance-Burlington Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(336) 513-4780	1,079	55	19.4	54.9%	423 (39.2%)	244 (22.6%)	281 (26.0%)	40 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (8.3%)	58.6	265^th of 662 public high schools	60.0%		44.1	345^th of 641 public high schools	46.2%	80	63.9	70.1	53.8	73.1

Frequently Asked Questions about Walter M Williams High

How many students attend Walter M Williams High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,206 students attended Walter M Williams High.

What district is Walter M Williams High in?

Alamance-Burlington Schools

What is the racial makeup of Walter M Williams High?

Students at Walter M Williams High are 32% African American, 31% Hispanic, 26% White, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools feed into Walter M Williams High?

Walter M Williams High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Grove Park Elementary
Elementary : Highland Elementary
Elementary : Hillcrest Elementary
Elementary : Marvin B Smith Elementary
Middle : Turrentine Middle

Is Walter M Williams High a good school?

Walter M Williams High ranks 491^st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Walter M Williams High!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.