Woods Charter

Woods Charter is a K–12 public charter school in Chapel Hill, NC, enrolling 515 students across all grade levels and operating as its own school district. Academically, Woods stands out dramatically: overall EOG/EOC proficiency averages about 84.5% versus the state average of 59.2%, and it exceeds the state on every single reported test. Reading and English Language Arts are particularly strong, with 5th-grade reading at 95% proficient, 6th-grade at 92.5%, and the English II EOC at a remarkable 97.7% compared to the state rate of 64.6%. Among nearby schools, only Triangle Math and Science Academy scores higher overall, while Woods outperforms Excelsior Classical Academy, Durham Charter School, and The Hawbridge School by 14 to 19 percentage points. Remote options like NC Virtual Academy and Ignite Online Academy trail far behind.

The school also offers a healthy learning environment. Chronic absenteeism is just 12.4%, half the state rate of 24.2%, and second-best among nearby in-person charters. The student-to-teacher ratio is about 9.4 to 1, the lowest in the comparison group, and far better than Excelsior Classical Academy's 24.7 or Triangle Math and Science Academy's 16.2. Because grade-level cohorts are small—often just 30 to 50 students—parents should expect some year-to-year swings in specific grade scores, but multi-year trends remain consistently well above state averages.

Two things are worth keeping an eye on. Math I EOC proficiency, while still above the state average (52.9% vs. 42.1%), is a relative weak spot, especially compared to Woods' excellent 91.1% proficiency in Math III. The most recent graduation rate of 88.6% essentially matches the state average of 88.8%, but it follows two straight years above 93% and sits below nearby peers such as The Hawbridge School (94.3%) and Excelsior Classical Academy (92.5%). Given the small senior class, this single-year dip should not be overinterpreted, but it's the metric most worth watching. Overall, Woods Charter is an in-person school with strong literacy outcomes, excellent attendance, and a very favorable student-to-teacher ratio—one of the highest-performing public school options in the Chapel Hill area.