Apex High

1501 Laura Duncan Road

School District

Wake County
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

School Map for Wake County School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by student on December 06, 2024

Senior here, overall, the school is fine. Math teachers were awesome, theres a lot of clubs that you can join but pretty much just an average school. Bathrooms are gross, with girl's arts hallway bathroom having a hole in the wall for about a year now. (There is also a horrible sewage smell in the area after the building closes, around 5pm or so, but I don't know if thats been fixed already, probably not considering it took 9 entire months to replace a broken window in the 4th floor hallway...). Everyone is given chromebooks, free of charge, which is nice, especially for those who don't own a computer at home. Just an average school, not much to sing about but there are definitely worse schools in the area (Apex Friendship, for example, I have heard some nightmare stuff with overcrowding there). New school does mean that we've got a lot of new items and great access to general resources, such as a chicken coop, great theatre program, carpentry/woodworking class and even a car mechanics class. It's somewhat diverse and there are some disabled students with a variety of disabilities and they seem to be having fun (they're really sweet, give some great hugs and it brings a smile to my face when I see them).Like I said, generally fine school and while I would choose it over other schools in the area, I would be in tears if I had to go elsewhere. (Final note, students being exited about what they're learning depends entirely on the class. In my AP Calculus class, everyone seemed rather interested to learn while nobody cares about learning in my Economics and Personal Finance class, especially due to it being a mandatory class.)
Submitted by other on November 16, 2023

Down graded badly, right now it’s a chaos
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2023

I am right enjoying studying in this school, I thought high school was going to be difficult for me, but this school was really fun to be in. There is no discrimination here, you have amazing teachers who teach really well and are willing to help you at all times, you have so many choices to choose from for your classes, it if fairly easy to learn and there are some really nice kids who you would love to be friends with in this school.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2019

Poor. I don't see many of the teachers doing their jobs to teach and keep things updated. I have had to provide tutors for my child the past 3 years since moving to this district.
Submitted by other on May 04, 2017

My experience at Apex was very lack luster. Like another person stated the teachers don't actually teach they jus read off material and don't actually care if you understand what they're saying or not. The school isn't diverse and is mainly Caucasian with a sprinkle of African American, Hispanic, and Asian.
Submitted by other on May 04, 2016

This is the best school I could possibly ever go. I am really happy about my parents choice.
Submitted by parent on November 08, 2013

I'm surprised by the negative comments from a lot of folks. We are new to the school, sophomore year, and come from Silicon Valley schools in California. The curriculum here is twice as fast (semester classes vs whole year) and my daughter has had all the help she has needed to acclimate. All of her teachers have taken time for her! Math tutoring is available EVERY day by 5 different teachers and peers. PTSA is strong and approachable. Communication with teachers and counselors has been easy and met with quick responses. Yes, the buildings are a bit old looking and yes, the school is crowded (we came from a school of 1400) but every school in Wake is dealing with this issue. Apex offers so much more for my student then what she could have received in the heart of Silicon Valley! More friends, more club opportunities and many more class options to choose from. If you don't feel the same then maybe Apex is not a good fit for your child, there are lots of other options out there and may be worth looking into. For us Apex is A+
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2013

I have had 2 kids at this school and I have tutored many other kids that go here. It has to be one of the worst high schools in Wake County. The teachers are terrible and do not know how to teach well, they do not give appropriate homework that promotes learning, they test things they have not taught, and generally don't care if students succeed. Their math curriculum is 10 times harder than other schools in the area and the teachers just read off power points and don't provide students with what they need to study for tests. So many kids fail that teachers look the other way when they cheat or gives D's to a student who hasn't learned anything just to get them through. I would not recommend this school at all.
Submitted by parent on September 24, 2013

Apex High School has many opportunities for students to try different area's of life like medical, music, technology and so on. Funding has been tough and it is in need of a revamp (I believe it is on the list) but most of the teachers and students are supportive and seem to care. I think administration is doing an excellent job with what they have and very happy to see they are supportive of the Strings Program.
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2013

Be careful with this school. If you think that you might need more than a roof and a teacher, you will want to avoid Apex High. The rating of 8/10 is extremely misleading. They do not focus on academics, the school is dirty, and they are equipped with teachers who do not take the time nor the effort to care about their students. The classrooms are quite small, the school is in slight disrepair, and the faculty are unfriendly and unhelpful. The teachers have 30+ students per class and don't have time for students after class. The grading scale is 8-point, which is either good or bad depending on what you are used to. Be wary of Apex High. It is the bare bones of a school, and it does not exist to make its students successful.
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2013

In my experience, I feel they have more students than they can handle which leave the children that may need any focused attention left ignored. My child spent his 9th grade year here and as the beginning of common core math teaching went underway he struggled desperately to get it. I brought this to the teachers attention, it was essentially ignored and the response was "it's a new teaching method he will catch on" weeks went by and I had to literally email 5 various principals until someone finally responded as his grades reflected a failing average. They scrambled to arrange a teacher meeting, she had no solutions to his concerns except to "stay after for tutoring" which he had been doing for weeks. My son had a B average in honors science, honors English, and honors history and failed first term math. There was never an intervention, he was dropped to a lower intro math and I did try to communicate with staff but found them highly unresponsive and the only way to reach them is with email that often failed to send. My son does have ADD, which was a fact treated as irrelevant to their teaching methods. My son is atypical, they can't handle the atypical.
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2013

Our son just graduated this year (2013) with a 3.93gpa, is attending ECU in the fall and was accepted to 5 other universities. He participated in the AOIT (Academy of Information Technology) program which really was beneficial in his educational progress. Couldn't be happier!
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2013

I currently have a child at Apex, and one that has already graduated. We have loved Apex in the years we have been here. I agree that the building is old, and overcrowding does exist, but that is a county wide problem, not inclusive to Apex. You cannot judge a book by it's cover, although the campus is older, there is a wonderful sense of community, with the PTSA, sports programs, drama, music, band, and other clubs. Parent involvement is evident, and the staff is always friendly and helpful. The principal is excellent, and he is also a parent at the school. Staff is always present at all functions we have attended. For the most part we have been pleased with teachers, only a few we didnt care for over the last 6+ years we have been there. I have never seen, nor have my children ever seen smoking on campus, so previous comments by students may be exaggerated. When we moved to the area we looked at all the schools in Wake County, and Apex was our top choice! They have excellent test scores, and a wonderful sense of community. Overall, Apex has been a great experience for us.
Submitted by other on May 20, 2012

Many students that graduate here go to top colleges nationwide. Some examples are Notre Dame, West Point, Duke, UNC- Chapel Hill...it's true that the top teachers teach AP/Honors classes, but doesn't that make sense?
Submitted by student on January 19, 2012

Teachers are awful, students are somewhat nice. overcrowded, discouraging, depressing environment. i am transferring next year to a different school because i am unimpressed with what i have dealt with at apex high school. people smoke everywhere on campus and it is absolutely disgusting! most of them are underage, and that is probably the only thing that is seemed to be encouraged at apex. staff does not mind if students are smoking and they don't tell them to stop if they do mind it. it has just been really disappointing here at apex and i just have to say i cannot wait to be in a better environment with people involved in sports and a better education. it may seem harsh, but apex really and truly sucks. everyone there seems to put a depressing vibe on the school. everyone seems to be in little cliques and i think that sports and better grades need to be highly encouraged at apex.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2012

As parents of a junior student, we are pleased with our child's performance starting both at Apex Middle School and now at Apex High School. Yes, 2,300 students can be challenging and buildings show their age as with any school similar in size - especially during these economic times. Recent SAT scores placed AHS near the top among all area high schools. We also try and stay abreast of EOG scores and regularly check grades on-line. We're fortunate see a distinct desire to learn, a solid command of subject matter, access to teachers, particpation in sports and a solid circle of friends who we know by name. We monitor grade performance but also talk about the "school intangibles" (drugs, drinking, etc) and their consequences. We're especially proud of his/her involvement with the two academic organizations. Challenges will always exist but staying engaged and part of the education process ensures success. We reinforce that it's his/her responsibility to take control of her education. We provide advice when asked and direction when needed. In the end, Apex High School provides the skills and helps create a desire for our student to continue his/her education beyond high school.
Submitted by parent on January 05, 2012

I was very surprized by the negative comments on Apex. I am a parent of 2 current high school kids who go there and think it is the best public high school around here. My only complaint would be the building because it is old, but it doesn't alter their education or experiences. We moved across county and wanted a diverse community and we got it! The students at Apex represent diversity in all areas: socially, economically, academically, ethnically; and it is WONDERFUL. The school represents a slice of real life.Sports are big everywhere around here, not just here. The arts department is supurb! We purposely did not select other high schools when moving here as they did not seem nearly as diverse. Our kids are high achievers and get a variety of teachers plus great opportunity for honors and AP courses.. There is no truth in what the other review mentioned with only the high achieving students getting the best teachers. I believe most teachers try to work at Apex since it is such a high regarded school. Just like any other high school, if you stay involved with your kids in school, they will do well and the teachers will work with you. As my kids say, it is a chill school!
Submitted by parent on May 28, 2011

As a whole, this school is overcrowded. They just pass the lemons.. bad teachers traded for other bad teachers. Yes there a few gems... but not enough.... the whole county is loaded with teachers that shouldn't be there. And with the recession, brought a hiring freeze. IT is really a sad situation. Overcrowded, building is in need of repairs/refurbishing... The teachers... I have not met one that I liked yet... it is an us against them culture... let's see how we can trip this kid up...so he doesn't get an A. Kids smoking all over/on campus... There is definitely tracks at this school.... the smart kids get the good teachers... the middle of the road/kids that are not overacheivers get stuck with the lemons... big time. We are in AOIT... for the sole reason of the teacher selection, I figured they all can't be lemons... well... they have their fare share as well...and most of those teachers in the information technology academy don't know anything about IT.... Hello... anyone else see the irony in that? and Board Certified means nothing in the classroom. Just because a teacher is Board Certified does not define their teaching ability...by any stretch of the imagination.
Submitted by student on April 12, 2011

I've already posted, but I just wanted to add that Apex high has a great special education program. I am a high school senior and the inclusion of handicapped kids is amazing. The two student-led clubs Living In Friendship Everyday (LIFE club) and Club Unify encourage friendship between disabled and non-disabled students and as a member of one I can say I have made great friendships and I still say "hi" to kids I've met there in the halls everyday. I want to be a special education teacher (and I am mildly learning disabled myself) so I've met the teachers from various levels and they are all amazing people especially the autism support teacher and the severe/profound teacher.
Submitted by student on March 11, 2011

not a good school. lots of problems with students, teachers are sub par. everyone is really into sports.