Apex High, 1501 Laura Duncan Road, Apex: grades 9-12, 2,410 students in 2024-25, a B (79) state grade.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website; the Wake County Public School System’s enrollment and calendar pages, base school lookup and draft 2027-28 enrollment plan; the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2024-25 report card data and 2025-26 school assessment workbook; the federal NCES school directory; and the NCHSAA’s 2025-29 realignment.
Apex High is a Wake County Public School System high school at 1501 Laura Duncan Road, Apex. The campus is in Apex, outside Cary town limits, but its attendance zone takes in homes in south Cary around McDole Circle and Napoleon Court. In our Oct. 12 check of 986 home addresses spread across Cary in the district’s base school lookup, 21 were assigned to Apex High. The Laura Duncan Road campus opened in 1975 to bring together students from the white high school on Moore Street and the Black consolidated school, according to Apex Middle’s history page.
Who to call
- Front office: 919-387-2208, 1501 Laura Duncan Road
- School website: apexhs.wcpss.net
- Enrolling a new student: WCPSS enrollment page; Student Assignment 919-431-7333
- Which school is my address zoned for? the district’s base school lookup
- Buses: WCPSS Transportation 919-805-3030
| Address | 1501 Laura Duncan Road, Apex, NC 27502 |
| Phone | 919-387-2208 |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| District | Wake County Public School System |
| Mascot | Cougars |
| Calendar | Traditional |
| State school code | 920316 |
Principal
Principal Christopher Lineberry, according to the school’s website.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: an average daily membership of 2,410 students in the 2024-25 school year, up from 2,390 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
- Federal count: 2,434 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 126 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 19 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 | B (79) | Met |
| 2023-24 | B (82) | Exceeded |
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 end-of-course tests: 74.3% (statewide, all tests: 59.2%)
- College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 53.2%
- Growth: met expected growth
- ACT composite of 17 or higher, 11th graders: 73.9% (statewide: 54.5%)
- ACT or WorkKeys benchmark, 12th graders: 78.8%
- Four-year graduation rate: above 95% (statewide: 89%); the state masks figures above 95%
The full report card, with class sizes, teacher data and school safety figures, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.
Attendance zone
WCPSS assigns every address a base elementary, middle and high school. Enter an address in the district’s base school lookup to see all three, or browse the base attendance area map. Zones do not follow town limits or mailing addresses. We did not find a published feeder list on the district’s enrollment pages, so we do not name feeder schools here; Student Assignment, 919-431-7333, can confirm an address.
The list of proposed base area changes in the district’s draft 2027-28 enrollment plan, which the Board of Education is scheduled to vote on Nov. 17, does not name Apex High. Check an address with the proposal lookup.
Calendar and bell times
Apex High follows the district’s traditional calendar. Coming dates on the 2026-27 traditional calendar (PDF):
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: teacher workday, no school for students
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day holiday
- Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
- Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break
Bell times: 7:25 a.m. to 2:18 p.m., according to the bell schedule posted on the school’s website.
Sports and activities
Apex is an 8A school in the NCHSAA’s 8A Conference 2 for the 2025-29 alignment, with Apex Friendship, Green Hope, Green Level, Jordan, Panther Creek and Willow Spring, according to the approved realignment.
The Cougars’ athletics website lists these teams:
- Boys: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, indoor track, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and wrestling
- Girls: basketball, competitive cheerleading, cross country, flag football, golf, gymnastics, indoor track, lacrosse, soccer, softball, stunt, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling
Fall schedules and results are in our Friday night football guide and on our scoreboard.
The school’s about page lists Honors, Advanced Placement and CTE completer courses. Its Academy of Information Technology (AOIT), a National Academy Foundation program, teaches computer science, programming, database administration and web design.
More
- The school’s own website and the district’s enrollment page
- Every public school in Cary, with zones and report cards
- Our Cary schools guide for district calendars, enrollment dates and the school board
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Apex High serve?
Apex High serves ninth through 12th grade.
What is Apex High’s school grade?
Apex High earned a B, with a score of 79, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 74.3% of its state tests were at grade level or above and it met its growth target.
What time does Apex High start?
The school day runs 7:25 a.m. to 2:18 p.m., according to the school’s website.
What conference is Apex High in?
Apex is an 8A school in the NCHSAA’s 8A Conference 2 for the 2025-29 alignment, with Apex Friendship, Green Hope, Green Level, Jordan, Panther Creek and Willow Spring.
Have your say