Best High Schools in Zip Code 27540

ZIP code 27540, covering the Holly Springs area of North Carolina, is served by two high schools: Holly Springs High, a large traditional public high school in Wake County Schools serving grades 9–12, and Southern Wake Academy, a much smaller charter school serving grades 6–12. These two schools represent opposite ends of the academic spectrum, meaning families in this same community have access to dramatically different educational experiences.

On nearly every measure, Holly Springs High is the clear academic standout. It ranks 120th out of 662 North Carolina high schools (82nd percentile) with 4 stars, placing it among the top 20% of schools statewide and its district, Wake County Schools, ranks 60th of 246 districts. Its End-of-Course proficiency rates are well above both the district and state averages in every subject — Biology 87.5%, English II 86.5%, Math I 65.2%, and Math III 88.1% — and scores have been improving. By contrast, Southern Wake Academy ranks 600th of 662 high schools (9th percentile) with a 0-star rating, while its own district, Southern Wake Academy, ranks 227th of 246. Its EOC proficiency is far below state averages, with only 10.9% proficient in Math I, and its school ranking has declined sharply over the past three years.

Attendance patterns reinforce the gap. Holly Springs High has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 14.8%, well below the state's 24.2%, and a low free/reduced-price lunch eligibility rate of 13.78%. Southern Wake Academy's chronic absenteeism rate is 27.6%, its graduation rate of 79.6% falls well below the state's 88.8%, and its middle-school math scores have dropped sharply — 8th-grade math proficiency fell from 52.2% to 22.6% in one year. Notably, Southern Wake Academy has a lower student-teacher ratio (14.7) than Holly Springs High (19.6), yet performs far worse academically, a reminder that class size alone does not drive outcomes. All of this suggests students at these two schools are on very different academic paths.