Southern Wake Academy, southern Wake County’s only public charter high school, will open its doors in the fall in a new location with other changes and much to build upon for the future. SWA’s new facility is the former Southern Wake Montessori School location at 5108 Old Powell Road, Holly Springs. The facility is located between Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina, approximately one-half mile off of NC Highway 55. The facility is an 11,000 square foot building that will be home to the school with expansion within the 10-plus acre site to follow within the coming school years.

SWA is a public, tuition-free high school that serves students in Grades 9-12. While most of the school’s students live in or near Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina, the school also serves students from Cary, Garner, Raleigh, and Apex as well as other students from Johnston, Chatham, and Lee Counties. In June 2010, SWA boasted its largest graduating class of 27 seniors, most of whom will attend area colleges in the fall. Several scholarship students will be attending Campbell University, Meredith College, and Peace College, while others plan to attend the local community college.

The 2009-2010 school year was highly successful for SWA students, as they exceeded the state’s expectation on all End-of-Course (EOC) Tests, achieving High Growth as a school and being recognized as a School of Progress by the NC Department of Public Instruction. The school met all Adequate Yearly Progress requirements of the federal “No Child Left Behind” law and looks forward to continuing its success into the new school year. One additional area of the year’s academic success is that 100 percent of SWA’s freshmen (9th Graders) met or exceeded the EOC state standard in English I.

SWA is currently recruiting first-time 9th grade students who plan to attend college after high school graduation; the school has space at the other grade levels as well at the present time.

SWA offers the North Carolina Standard Course of Study to meet all graduation requirements by the State of North Carolina and the admission requirements for all of the North Carolina University System institutions as well as private colleges. In addition to the regular level of courses offered in the past, the school will be adding honors level courses in many of the traditional academic areas. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, the school will teach both block (i.e., semester-length) and year-long courses to meet increased graduation requirements by the state.

The immediate focus of the school is to complete one facility renovation project prior to the opening day for SWA students on 19 August 2010 and to have the building ready for the next Open House date of 27 July 2010, 6:45 – 8:00 p.m. At that time the school will host prospective students and families, with a primary focus upon new 9th Grade students who wish to attend school in a very small school environment of approximately 100 students.

Parents may download the school’s application from the school’s website: www.southernwakeacademy.org or may contact the school via telephone: 919-567-9955.