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Phoenix Academy High

Public Grades 9-12

634^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 4% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Phoenix Academy High is a very small public high school in Chapel Hill, NC, serving 27 students in grades 9–12 and operating within the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district—one of North Carolina's highest-ranked districts. Yet this school's outcomes could hardly be more different from its district peers. In 2025-26, Phoenix Academy ranked 634th out of 662 North Carolina high schools (4th percentile), while East Chapel Hill High, Chapel Hill High, and Carrboro High all ranked in the 51st–73rd percentiles—just a few miles away.

Academic proficiency at Phoenix is dramatically below district and state averages. Only 21.4% of students passed Biology, 18.2% passed English II, and 11.1% passed Math III, compared with district averages of roughly 75–80% in those subjects. The graduation rate is 74.2%, far under the district's 93.8% and the state's 88.8%. Chronic absenteeism is also a serious concern: 50% of students missed enough school to be considered chronically absent in 2024-25, more than double the state average and well above the district's 19.2%.

Context matters here. Phoenix serves a much more economically disadvantaged population than neighboring high schools—about 89% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch—and the school spends intensively on support, with roughly $46,250 per pupil and an unusually small 2.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That pattern resembles other small alternative schools in the region, such as Partnership Academy in Hillsborough. However, nearby schools like J D Clement Early College High School and Durham School of Technology serve student populations with nearly universal poverty (around 99% free/reduced lunch) while achieving far stronger results. Phoenix's small enrollment makes year-to-year numbers volatile, but the pattern of low achievement and low graduation has persisted for more than a decade. For parents, the most pressing issue may be attendance: it is difficult for any school, no matter how well-funded, to succeed when half of its students are regularly missing class.

Students ?

2.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$46,250

Per pupil spending ?

88.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

750 S Merritt Mill Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

(919) 918-2300

District: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

29.6%

African American:

29.6%

Hispanic:

29.6%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Phoenix Academy High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 3rd percentile in 2011 → 4th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 3 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (17% vs 60% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (74% vs 89%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg72%

North Carolina avg60%

634^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 4%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3High Schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

28^th of 246Chapel Hill-Carrboro City 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	4.3	634 of 662	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.5	567 of 641	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.6	552 of 621	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	5.9	475 of 514	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.0	439 of 469	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	1.8	486 of 507	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.1	469 of 531	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	8.8	458 of 505	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	0.3	489 of 502	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	1.6	490 of 506	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	4.6	585 of 594	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	4.3	611 of 620	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	12.6	538 of 585	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2022)8th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2022)2nd percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)1st percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Biology21%-37 vs state

Math I20%-22 vs state

English II18%-46 vs state

Math III11%-58 vs state

★

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Schools Near Phoenix Academy 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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Phoenix Academy High	Public	9-12	750 S Merritt Mill Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 918-2300	27	10	2.7	88.9%	8 (29.6%)	8 (29.6%)	8 (29.6%)	1 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (7.4%)	4.3	634^th of 662 public high schools	4.2%		14.5	567^th of 641 public high schools	11.5%	67	21.4	18.2	20.0	11.1	$46,250	$370	$45,881
Carrboro High	Public	9-12	201 Rock Haven Rd	Carrboro	27510	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 918-2200	885	64	13.7	30.4%	441 (49.8%)	82 (9.3%)	272 (30.7%)	43 (4.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (5.1%)	50.8	323^rd of 662 public high schools	51.2%		51.8	282^nd of 641 public high schools	56.0%	41	60.9	72.2	31.6	68.5	$13,304	$311	$12,993
Chapel Hill High	Public	9-12	9217 Seawell School Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 929-2106	1,608	101	15.9	22.2%	821 (51.1%)	174 (10.8%)	316 (19.7%)	190 (11.8%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (6.5%)	71.7	180^th of 662 public high schools	72.8%		75.3	154^th of 641 public high schools	76.0%	26	83.7	83.0	46.2	75.7	$11,533	$502	$11,031
East Chapel Hill High	Public	9-12	500 Weaver Dairy Rd	Chapel Hill	27514	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 969-2482	1,419	87	16.3	22.2%	660 (46.5%)	158 (11.1%)	188 (13.2%)	294 (20.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	119 (8.4%)	70.5	185^th of 662 public high schools	72.1%		77.3	144^th of 641 public high schools	77.5%	41	76.4	83.2	29.9	82.2	$11,539	$386	$11,153
C E Jordan High	Public	9-12	6806 Garrett Road	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-3912	2,189	105	20.9	99.9%	628 (28.7%)	653 (29.8%)	660 (30.2%)	90 (4.1%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	154 (7.0%)	44.4	373^rd of 662 public high schools	43.7%		45.9	331^st of 641 public high schools	48.4%	42	54.4	62.4	36.0	71.2	$9,868	$693	$9,175
Durham School of Technology	Public	9-12	3727 Fayetteville St	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-9183	219	16	13.5	98.6%	13 (5.9%)	146 (66.7%)	49 (22.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.0%)	69.9	188^th of 662 public high schools	71.6%		78.9	139^th of 641 public high schools	78.3%	49	77.8	81.3	54.8	75.4	$8,663	$236	$8,427
Hillside High	Public, Magnet	9-12	3727 Fayetteville St	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3925	1,433	82	17.3	99.8%	27 (1.9%)	859 (59.9%)	460 (32.1%)	19 (1.3%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	62 (4.3%)	19.6	556^th of 662 public high schools	16.0%		15.3	558^th of 641 public high schools	12.9%	2	43.6	46.3	25.6	43.9	$11,407	$967	$10,441
J D Clement Early College High School	Public	9-12	1801 Fayetteville Street	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2696	380	14	26.2	99.2%	16 (4.2%)	214 (56.3%)	119 (31.3%)	12 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.7%)	90.5	69^th of 662 public high schools	89.6%		94.8	26^th of 641 public high schools	95.9%	43	92.2	91.8	79.5	98.8	$8,162	$393	$7,769
Research Triangle High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3106 East NC Highway 54	Durham	27713	Durham County	Research Triangle High School	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 998-6757	572	43	13.3		201 (35.1%)	90 (15.7%)	84 (14.7%)	126 (22.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (12.2%)	68.9	194^th of 662 public high schools	70.7%		78	142^nd of 641 public high schools	77.8%	52	70.2	87.2	41.5	78.5
Cedar Ridge High	Public	9-12	1125 New Grady Brown Sch Rd	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 245-4000	1,148	47	24.2	47.2%	528 (46.0%)	117 (10.2%)	411 (35.8%)	20 (1.7%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (5.9%)	50.2	327^th of 662 public high schools	50.6%		54.2	268^th of 641 public high schools	58.2%	59	60.7	70.9	34.3	69.6	$10,912	$399	$10,512

Frequently Asked Questions about Phoenix Academy High

How many students attend Phoenix Academy High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 27 students attended Phoenix Academy High.

What is the racial makeup of Phoenix Academy High?

Students at Phoenix Academy High are 30% White, 30% African American, 30% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What district is Phoenix Academy High in?

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

Is Phoenix Academy High a good school?

Phoenix Academy High ranks in the bottom 4.2% of North Carolina high schools.

Rate Phoenix Academy 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.