Four area schools make state 'best' list
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on December 10, 2014 1:46 PM
Four area schools have made lists of the best high schools in North Carolina by Niche K-12, which reviews more than 120,000 K-12 schools.
An online ranking and statistical forum founded in 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University, Niche has been used to help people find the best places to live, visit and raise a family.
Survey scores used in rankings represent a composite score of several survey questions and are measured, at least in part, by the parents and students who go to the schools. Niche ranks public and private schools and district based on dozens of statistics and 27 million opinions from 300,000 students and parents.
The four Wayne County schools made the Top 100 list of best private high schools and best high schools for the state, with two in each category.
Wayne Country Day School was among the Top 10 in the state on the private school list. It came in at No. 7 on the list, which included Durham Academy, Cary Academy and The Fayetteville Academy in the first three spots, respectively. Nearby Arendell Parrott Academy in Kinston was also in the Top 10, at No. 8.
WCDS, which has 253 students in grade PK and K-12, received good reviews for its recent remodeling which brought in new technology, as well as a "very serious" honor code and family feel of everyone "working together to help each person achieve their goals."
Wayne Christian School was also among the top 100 private schools, receiving a ranking of No. 85. The school has a similar make-up, serving PK and K-12. It currently has 534 students.
On the list of best public high schools in the state, Wayne County Public Schools' two newest high schools made the grade.
No. 34 was Wayne Early Middle College High School, which opened in the fall of 2006. Located on the Wayne Community College campus, it currently has 255 students in grades 9-12 and has been frequently recognized for its 100 percent graduation rate.
Wayne School of Engineering, which opened in the fall of 2007, has expanded from a high school component to include middle school. Housed at Goldsboro High School, it presently has 325 students. It was No. 59 on the list.