Summary:
Zip code 27012 is served by exactly one public high school, West Forsyth High, part of the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district, and the school provides a comprehensive education for students in grades 9 through 12.
West Forsyth High is a large school with about 2,145 students and a student-teacher ratio of 18.5 to 1. It is a standout performer within its district, consistently exceeding district averages across every End-of-Course subject tested. In 2025-2026, 73.9% of students were proficient in English II, 74.7% in Math III, 64.5% in Biology, and 46.2% in Math I — each of those figures is well above the district proficiency rates, with the largest gap being a 20-point advantage in Math I. The school’s graduation rate is an impressive 94.7%, far outpacing the district rate of 86.3% and the state rate of 88.8%. The school has maintained a steady 3-star rating, although its statewide rank has slipped from 203rd to 260th over the past few years, suggesting that other schools are improving at a faster pace.
The most notable concern is chronic absenteeism. About one in three students (33.8%) is chronically absent, which is essentially the same as the district average but nearly 10 percentage points higher than the state rate of 24.2%. Despite this, academic outcomes remain strong, especially in literacy and advanced math. Math I is the most challenging area, though it showed a dramatic one-year improvement from 31% to 46.2% proficiency. Roughly 38% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a moderate-income student body. Because this is the only high school in the 27012 zip code, there are no nearby public alternatives, making West Forsyth High a critically important institution for local families seeking a high-performing, large comprehensive school.
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