Olympic High School

Olympic High School is a large comprehensive public high school in southwest Charlotte, NC, serving approximately 1,483 students in grades 9–12 within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The school currently ranks in the 26th percentile of North Carolina high schools (493rd of 662), a clear step down from its roughly average standing in 2018–19, though recent trends show some areas of improvement.

Olympic's academic results trail both its district and state averages in every tested subject. End-of-course proficiency rates show Biology at 44.1% (state: 58.5%), English II at 53.9% (state: 64.6%), Math I at 36.0% (state: 42.1%), and Math III at 52.6% (state: 68.9%). The graduation rate of 81.2% also lags the CMS average of 87.9% and the state's 88.8%. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern: 39.3% of students are chronically absent, compared to 26.8% across the district and 24.2% statewide. On a more positive note, the school has made meaningful progress recently — English II proficiency has climbed from 40.5% to 53.9% since 2022–23, and the graduation rate has risen from a low of 70.6% two years ago.

Comparisons to nearby schools are revealing. Phillip O Berry Academy of Technology, just 6.6 miles away, serves an almost identical student population in terms of economic disadvantage yet achieves dramatically stronger outcomes, including a 94.4% graduation rate, 20.7% chronic absenteeism, and proficiency rates 20 to 30 points higher in most subjects. Palisades High School and South Mecklenburg High School also outperform Olympic in testing and graduation metrics. Still, Olympic is not the lowest-performing school in its immediate area; it outranks Harding University High School and West Mecklenburg High School. Bright spots include a strong recent showing for English Language Learners, who rank at the 65th percentile statewide, while gifted and talented students rank at the 13th percentile — a gap worth investigating.