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Southern Wake Academy

Public, Charter Grades 6-12

600^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 9% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Southern Wake Academy is a grades 6–12 charter school in Holly Springs, NC, serving 534 students in a region home to some of Wake County's strongest schools. It is not part of Wake County Schools; it operates as its own charter district. The school's most defining feature is its decade-long decline: after ranking 51st in North Carolina (89th percentile) in 2016–2017, it now sits at 600th of 662 high schools — the 9th percentile, with zero stars.

Test scores are dramatically below state and local averages. In the latest data, only 10.9% of students passed Math I, versus 42.1% statewide and 65.2% at Holly Springs High, about two miles away. Biology proficiency is 33.3% at Southern Wake Academy, compared with 87.5% at Holly Springs High and 58.5% statewide; English II is 45.8% versus 86.5% at the same nearby campus. Middle school math is also weak: 8th-grade proficiency is just 22.6%, compared with 53.0% statewide. The graduation rate is 79.6%, well below the state's 88.8% and roughly 14 points lower than nearby Fuquay-Varina High (93.9%) and Middle Creek High (94.9%). Chronic absenteeism, at 27.6%, is also above the state average of 24.2%.

Smaller class sizes are not the problem: the student-teacher ratio is 14.7, versus 19.6 at Holly Springs High and 19.9 at Apex High. Historically, special-education students were a bright spot, ranking around the 80th percentile statewide, but their most recent ranking has fallen to the 14th percentile. Overall, results are low across every measured subgroup — female, male, white, African American, and low-income students. Given that Southern Wake Academy sits amid some of the strongest schools in Wake County — including Apex Friendship High (84th percentile), Holly Springs High (82nd percentile), Apex High (71st percentile), and Fuquay-Varina High (70th percentile) — families should examine its curriculum, instruction, and student support before enrolling.

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 — 81st percentile in 2016 → 9th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (37% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (80% vs 89%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

North Carolina avg58%

Middle school

605^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 25 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to bottom 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

600^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 72 pts since 2016

From top 19% (2016) to bottom 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

227^th of 246Southern 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
2026	25.3	605 of 778	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	23.0	594 of 731	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	30.5	530 of 725	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	30.6	529 of 736	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	23.5	451 of 500	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	12.6	598 of 644	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	10.7	600 of 662	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	20.3	384 of 450	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	11.5	581 of 629	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	6.5	600 of 620	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	9.6	581 of 624	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	22.7	321 of 372	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	4.6	538 of 551	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
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

Disabled (2022)82nd percentile+43 vs school

Hispanic (2023)58th percentile~ school

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

Male (2026)28th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)27th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)19th percentile-3 vs school

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

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

Special Education (2026)10th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)7th percentile-15 vs school

High school

Disabled (2022)71st percentile+19 vs school

African American (2026)15th percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2026)14th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)8th percentile~ school

Male (2026)7th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)3rd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)2nd percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science54%-14 vs state

Reading50%-6 vs state

English II46%-19 vs state

Biology33%-25 vs state

Mathematics30%-26 vs state

Math III29%-40 vs state

Math I11%-31 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southern Wake Academy

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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
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%)	10.7	600^th of 662 public high schools	9.4%		27	481^st of 641 public high schools	25.0%	119	33.3	45.8	10.9	29.2	38.9	32.2	22.6	41.7	55.9	49.2	54.1
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%)	68.6	198^th of 662 public high schools	70.1%		57.2	250^th of 641 public high schools	61.0%	52	74.7	77.6	35.1	83.3								$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%)	83.3	120^th of 662 public high schools	81.9%		82.6	124^th of 641 public high schools	80.7%	4	87.5	86.5	65.2	88.1								$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%)	55.8	281^st of 662 public high schools	57.6%		62	219^th of 641 public high schools	65.8%	62	68.0	73.4	38.1	68.8								$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%)	62	242^nd of 662 public high schools	63.4%		58.2	240^th of 641 public high schools	62.6%	2	74.4	79.8	31.5	71.7
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	105^th of 662 public high schools	84.1%		85.6	106^th of 641 public high schools	83.5%	1	90.3	91.1	59.5	89.5								$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%)	69.4	190^th of 662 public high schools	71.3%		69.9	175^th of 641 public high schools	72.7%	15	76.4	85.9	38.8	76.7								$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%)	28.3	489^th of 662 public high schools	26.1%		23.4	503^rd of 641 public high schools	21.5%	14	52.0	52.2	32.3	50.8								$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%)	93.1	31^st of 662 public high schools	95.3%		96.4	6^th of 641 public high schools	99.1%	25	362.2	564.9	95.0	100.0								$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%)	76.3	156^th of 662 public high schools	76.4%		92.5	56^th of 641 public high schools	91.3%	100	70.0	94.1	66.7	80.0								$9,819	$232	$9,587

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Wake Academy

Is Southern Wake Academy a good school?

Southern Wake Academy ranks in the bottom 9.4% of North Carolina high schools.

What district is Southern Wake Academy in?

Southern Wake Academy

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.

How many students attend Southern Wake Academy?

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

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 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.