Fike High

Fike High is a public high school in Wilson, NC, serving about 1,028 students in grades 9–12 as part of the Wilson County Schools district. Nearly all students (98.8%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Fike's state ranking has slipped dramatically over the past decade, from the 59th percentile with a 3-star rating in 2015-16 to the 25th percentile with a 1-star rating in 2025-26, making it one of the lower-performing traditional high schools in North Carolina.

Academically, Fike's End-of-Course test results are mostly below state averages. In 2025-26, only 25% of students scored proficient in Math I, compared to 42.1% statewide, and English II proficiency was 51% versus 64.6% statewide. Math III is a relative bright spot at 61.9%, though still below the state rate. The graduation rate has never reached 80% in the last five years, sitting at 78.9% in 2025-26, roughly 10 points behind the state average. Chronic absenteeism has improved to 25%, but that still means one in four students misses too much school. Notably, Fike's gifted and English learner students perform relatively well compared to those same groups statewide, while special education and male students show the lowest relative outcomes.

What makes Fike's situation stand out is how it compares to nearby schools with similar poverty levels. Southern Nash High and Nash Central High in Nash County both serve almost the same percentage of low-income students, yet they rank in the 52nd and 58th percentiles statewide and outperform Fike on every major subject test by double digits in some cases. Within Wilson County, the district's specialty schools — such as Wilson Early College Academy — rank near the top of the state, while the three traditional high schools all sit in the bottom quarter. This gap suggests Fike has significant room for improvement even given the real economic challenges facing its students.