Southern Wake Academy, 5108 Old Powell Road: grades 6-12, 506 students in 2024-25, a C (57) state grade.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, its enrollment process, lottery, staff and athletics pages, its 2026-27 calendar and bell schedules; the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2024-25 report card data and 2025-26 school assessment workbook; and the federal NCES school directory.
Southern Wake Academy is a tuition-free public charter school for grades 6 to 12. It is not part of the Wake County Public School System: it has no attendance zone, and students are admitted by application and lottery. The school says its campus sits “on the Holly Springs - Fuquay-Varina border just off of NC-55” on its website. It has a Holly Springs mailing address, but the U.S. Census Bureau’s geocoder places the campus inside Fuquay-Varina’s town limits. Families provide transportation, according to the school’s lottery page.
Who to call
- Main office: 919-567-9955, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday; closed Fridays
- Applications: the school’s apply page
- School website: swake.org
| Address | 5108 Old Powell Road, Holly Springs, NC 27540 |
| Phone | 919-567-9955 |
| Grades | 6 to 12 |
| Operator | Public charter school (not WCPSS) |
| State school code | 92P000 |
Principal
The school’s staff page lists Dr. Darrell Cotton as head of school, April Goff as school principal and Shawn Dayton as assistant principal.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: an average daily membership of 506 students in the 2024-25 school year, down from 537 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
- Federal count: 553 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 44 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 13 students per teacher.
State report card
North Carolina grades every public school A to F. The grade is based 80% on student achievement and 20% on academic growth, according to the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report. For a high school, achievement includes end-of-course tests, the ACT or WorkKeys, NC Math 3 and the four-year graduation rate.
| School year | Grade and score | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | C (57) | Not met |
| 2023-24 | D (52) | Not met |
The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data. From the state’s 2025-26 school assessment workbook:
- At grade level or above, all state tests: 37.1% (statewide, all tests: 59.2%)
- College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 18.5%
- Growth: did not meet expected growth
- Reading, grades 3 to 8: 49.4% at grade level or above; math: 29.6%
- ACT composite of 17 or higher, 11th graders: 52.4% (statewide: 54.5%)
- ACT or WorkKeys benchmark, 12th graders: 43.1%
- Four-year graduation rate: 79.6% (statewide: 89%)
The full report card, with class sizes, teacher data and school safety figures, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.
Admission
The school says it is accepting applications in grades 6 to 12 for 2026-27 and that all applicants are placed on a waiting list by grade and order of receipt, with offers sent as seats open, according to its enrollment process page. Siblings of enrolled students and children of staff and board members get preference. Any student who lives in North Carolina may apply, and applicants for 11th or 12th grade must show their high school transcripts if selected, according to the lottery page. Applications do not roll over from one year to the next.
District attendance zones do not apply. To find the WCPSS school an address is zoned for instead, use the district’s base school lookup.
Calendar and bell times
Classes run 8 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. for both the middle and high school on a regular day, according to the school’s 2026-27 bell schedules (PDF). Southern Wake sets its own calendar. Coming dates on its 2026-27 academic calendar (PDF):
- Friday, Oct. 16: end of the first quarter and portfolio day
- Oct. 19-20: fall break, school closed
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: holiday, school closed
- Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving, school closed
- Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break; students return Tuesday, Jan. 5
Sports
Southern Wake Academy is a 1A school in the NCHSAA’s 1A Conference 3 for the 2025-29 alignment, with Ascend Leadership, Central Carolina Academy, Chatham Charter, Clover Garden, River Mill Academy and Woods Charter, according to the approved realignment. The school’s athletics page lists coed cross country and track; men’s baseball, basketball, golf and soccer; women’s basketball, golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball; and cheerleading.
More
- The school’s own website
- Every public school in Holly Springs, with zones and report cards
- Our Holly Springs schools guide for district calendars, enrollment dates and the school board
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Southern Wake Academy serve?
Southern Wake Academy serves sixth through 12th grade. It is a tuition-free public charter school, not part of WCPSS.
What is Southern Wake Academy’s school grade?
Southern Wake Academy earned a C, with a score of 57, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 37.1% of its state tests were at grade level or above and it did not meet its growth target.
How do I get into Southern Wake Academy?
Apply online through the school’s lottery system. Applicants go on a waiting list by grade and order of receipt, and siblings of enrolled students get preference. Any North Carolina student may apply.
What time does Southern Wake Academy start?
Classes run 8 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. on a regular day, according to the school’s 2026-27 bell schedules.
What conference is Southern Wake Academy in?
Southern Wake Academy is a 1A school in the NCHSAA’s 1A Conference 3 for the 2025-29 alignment, with Ascend Leadership, Central Carolina Academy, Chatham Charter, Clover Garden, River Mill Academy and Woods Charter.
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