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R J Reynolds High

Q: Is R J Reynolds High a good school?

R J Reynolds High ranks 492 nd of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Q: How many students attend R J Reynolds High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,759 students attended R J Reynolds High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of R J Reynolds High?

Students at R J Reynolds High are 35% African American, 32% White, 25% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into R J Reynolds High?

R J Reynolds High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Brunson Elementary Elementary : Cook Literacy Model School Elementary : Moore Magnet Elementary Elementary : South Fork Elementary Elementary : Whitaker Elementary Middle : Wiley Magnet Middle

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

492^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 26% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

R J Reynolds High is a large traditional public high school in Winston-Salem, NC, serving about 1,759 students in grades 9–12 as part of the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district. The school currently ranks 492nd of 662 North Carolina high schools (26th percentile) with a 1-star rating, a substantial decline from its 3-star performance in the mid-2010s, when it ranked near the 60th percentile. R J Reynolds High serves a very high-poverty student population and posts an 82.8% graduation rate, below the district’s 86.3% and the state’s 88.8%. Attendance is a major concern: 54.0% of students are chronically absent, more than double the state average (24.2%) and well above the district’s 33.6%.

Compared with the other comprehensive high schools near it, R J Reynolds High is the strongest performer, though the overall bar in this group is low. It outranks Mount Tabor High School (23rd percentile), Parkland High (7th), Carver High (3rd), and Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy (6th). It sits just below J F Kennedy High (27th) and far behind Early College of Forsyth County (89th). English II proficiency (58.4%) matches the district average, but math is a serious weakness: only 27.6% of students passed Math I and 52.4% passed Math III, compared with state rates of 42.1% and 68.9%. Math I proficiency has improved from an extremely low 10.6%, but it remains well below the state average.

Attendance appears to be the most pressing underlying challenge. J F Kennedy High serves a similarly high-poverty population yet reports a much lower chronic absenteeism rate (35.8%), a higher graduation rate (90.0%), and stronger math scores. R J Reynolds High has improved from a post-pandemic absenteeism peak of 78.2%, but more than half of its students still miss enough school to be considered academically at risk. The school also operates with a higher student-teacher ratio (17.7 to 1) than J F Kennedy High (14.1), Carver High (14.8), and Parkland High (14.8). With graduation rates falling and math and attendance gaps persisting, these fundamentals deserve focused attention.

1,759

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,101

Per pupil spending ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

301 N Hawthorne Road
Winston Salem, NC 27104-3201

(336) 703-4145

District: Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Feeder schools for R J Reynolds High:

Elementary:	Brunson Elementary
	Cook Literacy Model School
	Moore Magnet Elementary
	South Fork Elementary
	More...
	Whitaker Elementary
Middle:	Wiley Magnet Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

34.8%

White:

32.1%

Hispanic:

24.6%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare R J Reynolds High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 59th 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 (83% vs 89%)

!High chronic absenteeism (54% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg50%

North Carolina avg60%

492^nd of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 33 pts since 2016

From top 41% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 12High Schools in the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

159^th of 246Winston Salem / Forsyth County 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	28.2	492 of 662	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.2	432 of 641	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.7	434 of 640	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.6	455 of 626	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.0	428 of 621	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.7	342 of 594	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.5	237 of 514	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.0	186 of 469	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.0	204 of 476	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	42.7	209 of 507	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.4	198 of 531	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	31.4	265 of 451	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	35.5	271 of 505	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	29.3	377 of 502	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	39.2	368 of 506	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	35.9	374 of 499	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	43.7	306 of 490	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	42.8	304 of 477	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	44.8	276 of 453	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	48.0	249 of 431	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.9	398 of 450	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.9	370 of 440	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.6	360 of 437	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	372 of 434	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	359 of 430	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.0	151 of 364	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.2	138 of 369	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.5	161 of 359	55.2%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	9.2	96 of 103	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.5	101 of 106	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	83 of 101	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.8	85 of 98	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.5	88 of 91	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.9	76 of 83	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.3	77 of 89	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.2	55 of 77	28.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	38.1	172 of 330	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.5	218 of 364	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	18.8	328 of 349	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.5	240 of 289	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.3	208 of 273	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.4	242 of 262	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	32.1	150 of 226	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.1	117 of 156	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.6	108 of 124	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.5	101 of 173	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.5	110 of 147	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.3	469 of 629	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.7	429 of 610	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.0	404 of 602	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.6	425 of 588	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.2	426 of 594	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.3	249 of 475	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.6	201 of 475	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.5	175 of 449	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.3	314 of 407	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	59.3	208 of 412	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.0	310 of 403	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.3	295 of 403	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	57.2	206 of 398	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.2	176 of 337	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.0	229 of 325	29.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.0	405 of 474	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.5	387 of 462	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	388 of 454	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.7	386 of 449	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.3	409 of 436	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	30.6	245 of 370	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.0	205 of 354	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.2	163 of 340	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.4	556 of 620	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.9	523 of 606	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	525 of 613	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.7	509 of 597	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.0	461 of 544	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.1	299 of 432	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.6	258 of 446	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.9	246 of 424	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.9	509 of 624	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.4	445 of 601	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.9	452 of 607	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.5	471 of 602	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.8	415 of 585	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.8	277 of 481	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.3	277 of 488	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.6	240 of 463	48.2%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.5	214 of 265	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	49.0	134 of 253	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.0	140 of 261	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.4	140 of 249	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.8	163 of 226	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	72.6	41 of 199	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	56.3	79 of 195	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.5	108 of 185	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.6	287 of 372	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.8	251 of 352	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.7	203 of 349	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.4	200 of 551	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.5	194 of 542	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.1	207 of 553	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	227 of 537	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.4	167 of 534	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.4	99 of 439	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	70.4	84 of 444	81.1%	★★★★☆
2018	85.4	34 of 427	92.0%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)64th percentile+38 vs school

Disabled (2022)48th percentile+17 vs school

Female (2026)25th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)23rd percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2026)23rd percentile-3 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)19th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)18th percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)17th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)15th percentile-11 vs school

African American (2026)12th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)10th percentile-15 vs school

Asian (2026)7th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English II58%-6 vs state

Math III52%-17 vs state

Biology44%-14 vs state

Math I28%-14 vs state

4.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, March 6, 2016

As a mom, and now a grandmother, or Reynolds students, I can wholeheartedly say that Reynolds has an abundance of great teachers and administrators. I like the diversity of the student body, and find it can give students who are from more affluent families a better understanding of challenges faced by other families; hopefully, they develop character and commitment to working for a stronger, more equitable society for all Americans.

The new Principal, Ms. Alexander, is a strong leader and I predict even better days ahead for Reynolds. Close Quote

by a teacher
Monday, August 13, 2012

I was on the staff at Reynolds for 28 years. The test scores reflect a diverse population of students that range from the wealthiest students in the city to some of the poorest. The wealthier students have top scores on AP and SAT tests. The other students have a great support network that helps them improve their abilities. A wide array of activities, from art to theater to music and sports gives students many opportunities to excel. The supportive faculty and administration, not to mention the extremely supportive parent groups, make this an excellent school. The PTA raises in excess of $80,000 dollars a year with only one phone fund raiser a year. That money goes to computers, library books and other school needs based on faculty input. Close Quote

Schools Near R J Reynolds 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
R J Reynolds High	Public, Magnet	9-12	301 N Hawthorne Road	Winston Salem	27104	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(336) 703-4145	1,759	99	17.7	—	565 (32.1%)	613 (34.8%)	432 (24.6%)	56 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	92 (5.2%)	28.2	492^nd of 662 public high schools	25.7%		32.2	432^nd of 641 public high schools	32.6%	60	44.5	58.4	27.6	52.4								$8,101	$446	$7,655
Carter High School	Public	11-12	851 Highland Court	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-4119	123	15	8.1	97.6%	44 (35.8%)	44 (35.8%)	28 (22.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.9%)								(n/a)												$31,027	$5,025	$26,002
J F Kennedy High	Public, Virtual, Magnet	9-12	890 E 11th Street	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	(336) 703-4143	332	24	14.1	—	50 (15.1%)	95 (28.6%)	167 (50.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.4%)	29.7	481^st of 662 public high schools	27.3%		26.5	482^nd of 641 public high schools	24.8%	1	40.3	40.0	43.1	66.0								$14,798	$1,646	$13,152
Career Center	Public	9-12	910 Highland Court	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 727-8181	0	49	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Early College of Forsyth County	Public	9-12	2100 Silas Creek Prky	Winston Salem	27103	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 757-3290	306	14	21.3	34.0%	90 (29.4%)	64 (20.9%)	108 (35.3%)	21 (6.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (6.9%)	90.3	73^rd of 662 public high schools	89.0%		89.5	80^th of 641 public high schools	87.5%	7	98.5	97.4	66.7	88.9								$6,298	$197	$6,101
Middle College of Forsyth County	Public	11-12	2100 Silas Creek Parkway	Winston Salem	27103	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 734-7437	121	5	25.9	47.1%	35 (28.9%)	32 (26.4%)	41 (33.9%)	5 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.6%)								(n/a)				54.2								$11,250	$199	$11,051
Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy	Public, Magnet	6-12	1215 North Cameron Avenue	Winston Salem	27101	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(336) 703-6732	369	35	10.6	—	5 (1.4%)	185 (50.1%)	168 (45.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (2.7%)	5.7	625^th of 662 public high schools	5.6%		14.3	568^th of 641 public high schools	11.4%	57	16.2	38.2	538.2	21.9	18.2	11.0	15.5	21.8	33.3	26.3	25.5	$14,063	$2,100	$11,962
Main Street Academy	Public	6-12	2700 S. Main Street	Winston Salem	27127	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 703-4185	63	17	3.6	95.2%	3 (4.8%)	41 (65.1%)	13 (20.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.5%)								(n/a)		6.7	537.2			534.5	< 5%		543.2	543.7	335.2	$36,283	$2,804	$33,478
Parkland High	Public, Magnet	9-12	1600 Brewer Road	Winston Salem	27127	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(336) 771-4700	1,569	106	14.8	—	115 (7.3%)	587 (37.4%)	800 (51.0%)	8 (0.5%)	5 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	51 (3.3%)	6.5	618^th of 662 public high schools	6.6%		11.8	589^th of 641 public high schools	8.1%	29	25.1	34.4	9.2	31.0								$9,527	$1,008	$8,519
Mount Tabor High School	Public	9-12	342 Petree Road	Winston Salem	27106	Forsyth County	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 703-6700	1,426	81	17.6	—	416 (29.2%)	553 (38.8%)	358 (25.1%)	32 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	63 (4.4%)	26.1	510^th of 662 public high schools	23.0%		29	464^th of 641 public high schools	27.6%	46	46.6	54.5	17.5	55.8								$8,336	$579	$7,757

Frequently Asked Questions about R J Reynolds High

Is R J Reynolds High a good school?

R J Reynolds High ranks 492^nd of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is R J Reynolds High in?

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

What is the racial makeup of R J Reynolds High?

Students at R J Reynolds High are 35% African American, 32% White, 25% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools feed into R J Reynolds High?

R J Reynolds High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Brunson Elementary
Elementary : Cook Literacy Model School
Elementary : Moore Magnet Elementary
Elementary : South Fork Elementary
Elementary : Whitaker Elementary
Middle : Wiley Magnet Middle

How many students attend R J Reynolds High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,759 students attended R J Reynolds High.

Rate R J Reynolds High!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2026

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.