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South Garner High

Q: Is South Garner High a good school?

South Garner High ranks 390 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

390^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 41% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

South Garner High is a large neighborhood high school in Garner, NC, serving 1,835 students in grades 9–12 as part of Wake County Schools, a district that ranks among the stronger districts in the state overall. The school itself, however, has slipped to 390th out of 662 North Carolina high schools — the 41st percentile with a 2-star rating — a step down from the 3-star ranking it earned in the prior two years, when it sat near the 51st–52nd percentile.

Academically, South Garner is uneven. Math is a genuine strength: Math I proficiency (43.8%) tops both the Wake County average (36.6%) and the state average (42.1%), while Math III proficiency (76.5%) matches the district and outpaces North Carolina overall. Biology (46.7%) and English II (53.4%), by contrast, lag Wake County by more than 20 percentage points. The graduation rate has also declined to 85.5% — below the state average of 88.8% and Wake County's 91.3%. The most striking red flag is attendance: at 44.3%, chronic absenteeism is more than double the Wake County rate of 20.5%.

South Garner shines in serving students who often struggle most academically, ranking in the 87th percentile statewide for special education students and the 81st for English language learners — both 4-star ratings. Compared with nearby traditional high schools, South Garner ranks higher than Garner High (390th vs. 475th) with far stronger math scores, though its absenteeism exceeds Garner High's 37.7%. Similar attendance challenges exist at Southeast Raleigh High, while Cleveland High in Johnston County outranks South Garner with absenteeism of only 24.6%. Small specialized schools like Wake Early College of Health and Science post far higher scores, but they are not a fair benchmark for a large neighborhood high school where 61.5% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch. Attendance appears to be the biggest lever: if more students get to class consistently, the school's solid math results and strong special education and English learner support suggest meaningful improvement is possible.

1,835

Students ?

17.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,505

Per pupil spending ?

61.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8228 Hebron Church Rd
Garner, NC 27529

(919) 694-7711

District: Wake County Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

47.5%

Hispanic:

33.8%

White:

12.5%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare South Garner High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 39th percentile in 2021 → 41st in 2026

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 24% North Carolina)

!Biology scores 12 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg60%

390^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 2 pts since 2021

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 20High Schools in the Wake County Schools

60^th of 246Wake 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	42.0	390 of 662	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.9	317 of 641	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.0	305 of 640	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.9	336 of 626	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.6	300 of 621	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.3	360 of 594	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.9	157 of 450	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.1	114 of 440	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	62.0	110 of 437	74.8%	★★★★☆
2023	56.5	136 of 434	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.0	106 of 430	75.3%	★★★★☆
2021	51.5	110 of 364	69.8%	★★★★☆
2019	43.3	154 of 369	58.3%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.9	73 of 103	29.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.1	57 of 106	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.5	47 of 101	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.2	63 of 98	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	65.5	59 of 330	82.1%	★★★★☆
2021	40.1	177 of 334	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.8	176 of 364	51.6%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.2	54 of 289	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	68.3	36 of 273	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	72.8	29 of 262	88.9%	★★★★☆
2023	56.0	61 of 226	73.0%	★★★★☆
2022	58.0	42 of 156	73.1%	★★★★☆
2021	65.2	21 of 124	83.1%	★★★★☆
2019	32.6	125 of 173	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.0	386 of 629	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.0	257 of 610	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.6	295 of 602	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.3	322 of 588	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.0	276 of 594	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.9	266 of 475	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.0	363 of 475	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.8	164 of 407	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.9	138 of 412	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.0	70 of 403	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	75.5	77 of 398	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	65.3	119 of 337	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.6	167 of 325	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.9	231 of 474	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.1	201 of 462	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.0	158 of 454	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.5	219 of 449	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.0	157 of 436	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.8	143 of 370	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.7	219 of 354	38.1%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.3	25 of 47	46.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.7	6 of 39	84.6%	★★★★☆
2024	73.5	7 of 47	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	67.1	10 of 45	77.8%	★★★★☆
2022	60.5	6 of 34	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	25.7	38 of 44	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.6	317 of 620	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.9	241 of 606	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.0	249 of 613	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.8	302 of 597	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.0	176 of 544	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.5	170 of 432	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.5	285 of 446	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.5	371 of 624	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.4	354 of 601	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	300 of 607	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.4	355 of 602	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.9	297 of 585	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.2	269 of 481	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.2	346 of 488	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	166 of 265	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	67.8	64 of 253	74.7%	★★★★☆
2024	40.9	158 of 261	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	70.2	56 of 249	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	26.3	181 of 226	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	77.4	27 of 199	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	14.3	184 of 195	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.7	48 of 372	87.1%	★★★★☆
2025	65.3	61 of 352	82.7%	★★★★☆
2024	57.9	94 of 349	73.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	233 of 551	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	75.9	138 of 542	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	71.4	165 of 553	70.2%	★★★★☆
2023	66.3	181 of 537	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.8	151 of 534	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	57.8	141 of 439	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.7	321 of 444	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)87th percentile+46 vs school

Disabled (2022)82nd percentile+30 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)81st percentile+40 vs school

African American (2026)65th percentile+24 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)60th percentile+19 vs school

White (2026)58th percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)51st percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile+8 vs school

Homeless (2026)47th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)41st percentile~ school

Female (2026)39th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)37th percentile-4 vs school

Asian (2026)29th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III76%+8 vs state

English II53%-11 vs state

Biology47%-12 vs state

Math I44%~ state avg

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, September 11, 2019

The principal is amazing! The teachers my daughter has this year are amazing. Some of the parents who are emotional drivers are not amazing and make it a bit dangerous to drive. But the school itself is truly fantastic. I am VERY picky about schools. I had been homeschooling. But this school is dedicated to teaching and developing these kids and they are creative in how they do it. The have techniques and ideas that get these kids thinking differently and encouraging them to make decisions for themselves while expanding their minds making learning fun and not just a boring mundane school day. Each day is different and I am so glad we decided to send my daughter there. That principal...man I need his energy. I have never met a principal so involved with the students and the whole staff seem to support the students as well as families. This is not your typical public high school. Now if we can only teach the parents how to take turns in car pool and not drive like bafoons, it may save a life. Hey parents, did you ever think that we have student drivers around the school and their safety comes first? Close Quote

Schools Near South Garner 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/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
South Garner High	Public	9-12	8228 Hebron Church Rd	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 694-7711	1,835	105	17.4	61.5%	230 (12.5%)	872 (47.5%)	620 (33.8%)	54 (2.9%)	2 (0.1%)	5 (0.3%)	52 (2.8%)	42	390^th of 662 public high schools	41.1%		47.9	317^th of 641 public high schools	50.5%	73	46.7	53.4	43.8	76.5								$10,505	$368	$10,137
Garner High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2101 Spring Drive	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 662-2379	1,670	107	15.5	54.7%	473 (28.3%)	551 (33.0%)	559 (33.5%)	23 (1.4%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (3.7%)	30.7	475^th of 662 public high schools	28.2%		38.9	384^th of 641 public high schools	40.1%	91	48.1	58.7	20.3	59.8								$8,960	$511	$8,449
Southeast Raleigh High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2600 Rock Quarry Road	Raleigh	27610	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 856-2800	1,438	103	13.9	99.8%	72 (5.0%)	767 (53.3%)	516 (35.9%)	24 (1.7%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (3.8%)	26.3	506^th of 662 public high schools	23.6%		12.7	581^st of 641 public high schools	9.4%	75	27.6	46.6	46.3	60.6								$10,076	$731	$9,346
Clayton High	Public	9-12	600 S Fayetteville St	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-4064	1,929	82	23.4	99.6%	722 (37.4%)	568 (29.4%)	502 (26.0%)	25 (1.3%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	106 (5.5%)	47.5	345^th of 662 public high schools	47.9%		43.4	347^th of 641 public high schools	45.9%	2	59.8	65.2	45.2	64.3								$7,541	$374	$7,166
Longleaf School of the Arts	Public, Charter	9-12	322 Chapanoke Road	Raleigh	27603	Wake County	Longleaf School of the Arts	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 896-8164	405	32	12.6		254 (62.7%)	74 (18.3%)	48 (11.9%)	8 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.9%)	65.6	215^th of 662 public high schools	67.5%		73	164^th of 641 public high schools	74.4%	51	78.0	93.3	35.4	68.8
Central Wake High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1425 Rock Quarry Road	Raleigh	27610	Wake County	Central Wake Charter High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 521-5067	293	8	37.4		24 (8.2%)	130 (44.4%)	129 (44.0%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.4%)	5.6	626^th of 662 public high schools	5.4%		6.8	612^th of 641 public high schools	4.5%	14	5.1	37.5	13.3	22.7
Vernon Malone College and Career Academy	Public	9-12	2200 S Wilmington St	Raleigh	27603	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 856-8119	348	22	15.8	45.1%	90 (25.9%)	136 (39.1%)	90 (25.9%)	11 (3.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.2%)	78.1	149^th of 662 public high schools	77.5%		78.1	141^st of 641 public high schools	78.0%	8	83.3	91.8	55.6	79.7								$12,204	$705	$11,499
Cleveland High	Public	9-12	1892 Polenta Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 934-2455	1,889	80	23.5	98.7%	933 (49.4%)	369 (19.5%)	464 (24.6%)	28 (1.5%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	91 (4.8%)	55.6	283^rd of 662 public high schools	57.3%		52.4	277^th of 641 public high schools	56.8%	6	51.2	66.6	65.7	78.0								$7,646	$466	$7,180
Wake Early College of Health and Science	Public	9-12	2901 Holston Lane	Raleigh	27610	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 212-5800	317	14	22.8	34.1%	91 (28.7%)	85 (26.8%)	58 (18.3%)	70 (22.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.1%)	92	52^nd of 662 public high schools	92.1%		95.5	15^th of 641 public high schools	97.7%	37	94.5	98.6	73.5	100.0								$9,117	$232	$8,885
Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy	Public	6-12	567 East Hargett St	Raleigh	27601	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 664-5644	262	21	12.7	35.1%	75 (28.6%)	116 (44.3%)	42 (16.0%)	20 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.4%)	93.4	22^nd of 662 public high schools	96.7%		95.2	22^nd of 641 public high schools	96.6%		96.0	99.9		100.0	87.0	86.8	90.6	87.0	86.8	90.6	93.8	$12,691	$443	$12,248

Frequently Asked Questions about South Garner High

How many students attend South Garner High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,835 students attended South Garner High.

What district is South Garner High in?

Wake County Schools

Is South Garner High a good school?

South Garner High ranks 390^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of South Garner High?

Students at South Garner High are 48% African American, 34% Hispanic, 13% White, 3% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

Rate South Garner High!

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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.