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Southern Wake Academy

Public, Charter Grades 6-12

481^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 25% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Southern Wake Academy is a public charter high school serving grades 6-12 in Holly Springs, North Carolina, with 553 students. While the school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking and rating over the years, it appears to provide strong support and educational opportunities for its special education and disabled student populations, ranking in the top 25% of North Carolina high schools for these subgroups.

However, the school struggles with its performance for other student groups, such as female, male, African American, and white students, ranking in the bottom half or bottom quarter of the state. Additionally, the school's test scores are generally below the state and district averages across various subject areas and grade levels, and its four-year graduation rate has been declining, from a high of 87.7% in 2024-2025 to a low of 71.3% in 2023-2024. When compared to nearby schools in the Wake County School District, such as Wake STEM Early College High School, Crossroads FLEX, and SCORE Academy, Southern Wake Academy significantly underperforms in terms of statewide ranking, test scores, and graduation rates.

The declining performance of Southern Wake Academy over time is a concerning trend that warrants further investigation and targeted interventions to address the underlying issues and improve student outcomes. While the school's strengths in supporting its special education and disabled student populations are noteworthy, the overall challenges faced by the school suggest the need for a comprehensive review and implementation of strategies to enhance the educational experience and success of all students.

534

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5108 Old Powell Rd
Holly Springs, NC 27540

(919) 567-9955

District: Southern Wake Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.7%

Hispanic:

11.0%

African American:

10.3%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Southern Wake Academy to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 88th percentile in 2015 → 25th in 2025

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (25th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (71% vs 88%)

!Ranking has slipped — down 63 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

North Carolina avg54%

Middle school

348^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From top 34% (2015) to top 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

481^st of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 63 pts since 2015

From top 12% (2015) to bottom 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

160^th of 242Southern Wake Academy 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	53.7	348 of 773	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.0	460 of 793	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.1	325 of 784	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.0	487 of 786	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.0	403 of 741	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.5	303 of 737	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.6	297 of 691	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.2	275 of 694	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.6	363 of 692	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	64.2	237 of 705	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	32.5	429 of 627	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	23.7	448 of 519	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	62.8	83 of 449	81.5%	★★★★☆
2021	64.0	87 of 478	81.8%	★★★★☆
2019	60.8	126 of 504	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	61.9	99 of 475	79.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	463 of 733	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.1	489 of 738	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.9	321 of 731	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.8	482 of 733	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.0	385 of 706	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.0	268 of 684	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.8	217 of 656	66.9%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.7	388 of 458	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.3	334 of 461	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.4	442 of 452	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.7	445 of 450	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	30.8	385 of 448	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	52.9	232 of 553	58.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.5	424 of 729	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.1	492 of 743	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.1	321 of 735	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.2	239 of 689	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	63.0	245 of 733	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.7	368 of 751	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.2	318 of 747	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.0	447 of 748	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.5	392 of 711	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.4	317 of 697	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.6	371 of 665	44.2%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	49.7	108 of 248	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.5	51 of 237	78.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	76.3	37 of 478	92.3%	★★★★★
2024	56.5	132 of 473	72.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	495 of 649	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.2	537 of 652	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.3	469 of 656	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.9	588 of 658	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.8	447 of 632	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.4	366 of 624	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.7	420 of 596	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	27.0	481 of 641	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.8	471 of 640	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.6	422 of 626	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.8	297 of 621	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.0	274 of 594	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.4	163 of 514	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	133 of 469	71.6%	★★★★☆
2017	79.4	51 of 476	89.3%	★★★★☆
2016	63.1	96 of 507	81.1%	★★★★☆
2015	74.5	63 of 531	88.1%	★★★★☆
2014	51.4	147 of 451	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.1	68 of 505	86.5%	★★★★☆
2012	71.0	66 of 502	86.9%	★★★★☆
2011	58.0	206 of 506	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	46.4	312 of 499	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	28.9	389 of 490	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	15.6	416 of 477	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	29.6	345 of 453	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	33.6	331 of 431	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	39.3	166 of 364	54.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	55.9	95 of 330	71.2%	★★★★☆
2021	72.5	46 of 334	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	65.7	67 of 364	81.6%	★★★★☆
2018	62.4	74 of 349	78.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	463 of 610	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.7	436 of 602	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.6	346 of 588	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.0	354 of 594	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.7	213 of 475	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.2	173 of 475	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.5	136 of 449	69.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.5	308 of 606	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.5	427 of 613	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.5	428 of 597	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	27.5	452 of 601	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	467 of 607	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.7	469 of 602	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.3	232 of 585	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.2	159 of 481	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.4	133 of 488	72.7%	★★★★☆
2018	59.1	154 of 463	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	59.0	81 of 352	77.0%	★★★★☆
2024	64.4	69 of 349	80.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	19.2	471 of 542	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.8	474 of 553	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.4	438 of 537	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.9	326 of 534	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.9	216 of 439	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.1	206 of 444	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.7	201 of 427	52.9%	★★★☆☆

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)

Middle school

Special Education (2025)92nd percentile+37 vs school

Disabled (2022)82nd percentile+43 vs school

Male (2025)67th percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2023)58th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2021)56th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)42nd percentile-13 vs school

Female (2025)37th percentile-18 vs school

White (2025)24th percentile-31 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)15th percentile-40 vs school

African American (2019)14th percentile-45 vs school

High school

Special Education (2025)77th percentile+52 vs school

Disabled (2022)71st percentile+19 vs school

African American (2021)54th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)49th percentile+24 vs school

Male (2025)25th percentile~ school

Female (2025)24th percentile~ school

White (2025)13th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science62%~ state avg

Reading58%+5 vs state

English II55%-4 vs state

Mathematics47%-6 vs state

Math III36%-30 vs state

Math I34%~ state avg

Biology30%-18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southern Wake Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Southern Wake Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	5108 Old Powell Rd	Holly Springs	27540	Wake County	Southern Wake Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 567-9955	534	36	14.7		351 (65.7%)	55 (10.3%)	59 (11.0%)	15 (2.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (9.7%)	27	481^st of 641 public high schools	25.0%		26.8	471^st of 640 public high schools	26.4%	10	30.5	55.4	34.0	36.1	37.9	47.8	52.2	53.4	55.1	62.4	62.0
Fuquay-Varina High	Public	9-12	201 Bengal Blvd	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 557-2511	1,858	98	18.9	25.1%	1,073 (57.8%)	276 (14.9%)	313 (16.8%)	105 (5.7%)	6 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	83 (4.5%)	57.2	250^th of 641 public high schools	61.0%		64.7	205^th of 640 public high schools	68.0%	45	53.2	74.2	26.9	69.6								$8,243	$402	$7,841
Holly Springs High	Public	9-12	5329 Cass Holt Road	Holly Springs	27540	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 577-1444	2,018	103	19.6	13.8%	1,485 (73.6%)	156 (7.7%)	176 (8.7%)	120 (5.9%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	77 (3.8%)	82.6	124^th of 641 public high schools	80.7%		79.5	136^th of 640 public high schools	78.8%	12	78.4	82.5	46.1	89.1								$8,040	$403	$7,638
Middle Creek High	Public	9-12	123 Middle Creek Park Avenue	Apex	27539	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 773-3838	1,587	87	18.2	29.6%	925 (58.3%)	198 (12.5%)	360 (22.7%)	44 (2.8%)	4 (0.3%)	4 (0.3%)	52 (3.3%)	62	219^th of 641 public high schools	65.8%		59.3	239^th of 640 public high schools	62.7%	20	61.8	75.3	27.9	71.7								$8,441	$392	$8,048
Willow Spring High	Public	9-12	1704 Old Honeycutt Rd	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8030	2,223	110	20.2	28.7%	1,249 (56.2%)	319 (14.3%)	465 (20.9%)	99 (4.5%)	5 (0.2%)	6 (0.3%)	80 (3.6%)	58.2	240^th of 641 public high schools	62.6%		51.6	289^th of 640 public high schools	54.8%	49	61.2	69.7	31.1	67.0
Apex Friendship High	Public	9-12	7801 Humie Olive Rd	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-0500	2,748	131	21.0	11.2%	1,790 (65.1%)	188 (6.8%)	261 (9.5%)	390 (14.2%)	6 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	110 (4.0%)	85.6	106^th of 641 public high schools	83.5%		85.9	107^th of 640 public high schools	83.3%	1	78.9	85.2	59.7	87.3								$7,834	$322	$7,511
Apex High	Public	9-12	1501 Laura Duncan Road	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 387-2208	2,449	123	19.9	22.5%	1,422 (58.1%)	230 (9.4%)	378 (15.4%)	311 (12.7%)	2 (0.1%)	8 (0.3%)	98 (4.0%)	69.9	175^th of 641 public high schools	72.7%		72.5	169^th of 640 public high schools	73.6%	6	59.7	75.9	47.8	78.9								$8,281	$390	$7,891
Harnett Central High	Public	9-12	2911 Harnett Central Rd	Angier	27501	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 639-6161	1,522	62	24.4	56.1%	626 (41.1%)	281 (18.5%)	506 (33.2%)	10 (0.7%)	8 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	90 (5.9%)	23.4	503^rd of 641 public high schools	21.5%		25.8	476^th of 640 public high schools	25.6%	27	42.2	47.7	18.8	33.8								$7,920	$580	$7,341
Wake STEM Early College High School	Public	9-12	2205 Walnut Street	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8130	294	15	20.2	35.7%	98 (33.3%)	40 (13.6%)	84 (28.6%)	60 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	96.4	6^th of 641 public high schools	99.1%		93.9	43^rd of 640 public high schools	93.3%	37	93.4	98.6	90.9									$10,774	$232	$10,542
Crossroads FLEX	Public, Virtual	9-12	5651 Dillard Dr	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(919) 694-8515	139	6	23.4	5.8%	95 (68.3%)	9 (6.5%)	13 (9.4%)	13 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.5%)	92.5	56^th of 641 public high schools	91.3%		89.2	87^th of 640 public high schools	86.4%	31	73.3	100.0		99.9								$9,819	$232	$9,587

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Wake Academy

How many students attend Southern Wake Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 534 students attended Southern Wake Academy.

What district is Southern Wake Academy in?

Southern Wake Academy

Is Southern Wake Academy a good school?

Southern Wake Academy ranks in the bottom 25.0% of North Carolina high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Southern Wake Academy?

Students at Southern Wake Academy are 66% White, 11% Hispanic, 10% African American, 10% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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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.