Is Heritage High a good school?

Heritage High ranks 241 st of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Heritage High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,817 students attended Heritage High.

What is the racial makeup of Heritage High?

Students at Heritage High are 54% White, 21% Hispanic, 16% African American, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Heritage High?

Heritage High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Heritage Elementary

Heritage High

Summary:

Heritage High is a public high school located in Wake Forest, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,811 students. The school is part of the Wake County Schools district, which is ranked 59 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Heritage High has a relatively diverse student population, with 57.04% White, 16.34% African American, 18.44% Hispanic, and 3.92% Asian students. The school has consistently ranked in the top half of North Carolina high schools, but its performance has declined from a 4-star rating to a 3-star rating in recent years. Heritage High performs well in certain student subgroups, such as Multi-racial students, English Language Learners, Special Education students, and Disabled students, but struggles with the performance of Hispanic students and Low Socioeconomic Status students. The school's test scores are generally on par with or slightly below the Wake County Schools and North Carolina averages, with its strongest performance in English II.

When compared to nearby schools, Heritage High generally performs better than East Wake High and Knightdale High, but lags behind schools like Wake Early College of Health and Science, which consistently ranks among the top high schools in the state. The school's relatively high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients and its student-teacher ratio may be contributing factors to its academic challenges.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1150 Forestville Road
Wake Forest, NC 27587

(919) 570-5600

District: Wake County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
241^st of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,792

Feeder schools for Heritage High:

Elementary:

Heritage Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 18.6

Number of students: 1,817

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.4%

Hispanic:

21.3%

African American:

15.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 27.6%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Heritage High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Heritage High ranks better than 62.3% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 19^th among 32 ranked high schools in the Wake County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.85. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Heritage High is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (54.4%), Hispanic (21.3%), African American (15.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 27.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Heritage High is 18.6. 19 high schools in the Wake County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Heritage High employs 97.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Heritage High is $8,792. 19 high schools in the Wake County Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Heritage High:

SchoolDigger ranks Heritage High 241^st of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Heritage High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Wake County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Wake County Schools 59^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Heritage High

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Rank History for all students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2013	56.81	95^th	505	81.2%
2014	62.68	105^th	451	76.7%
2015	62.93	107^th	531	79.8%
2016	61.62	100^th	507	80.3%
2017	71.82	73^rd	476	84.7%
2018	78.83	61^st	469	87.0%
2019	65.77	113^th	514	78.0%
2021	61.27	197^th	594	66.8%
2022	62.78	214^th	621	65.5%
2023	64.80	194^th	626	69.0%
2024	58.85	241^st	640	62.3%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	87.34	12^th	185	93.5%
2019	68.62	48^th	195	75.4%
2021	59.30	71^st	199	64.3%
2022	71.54	45^th	226	80.1%
2023	73.89	52^nd	249	79.1%
2024	81.65	36^th	261	86.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	54.60	47^th	147	68.0%
2019	92.20	6^th	173	96.5%
2021	46.72	50^th	124	59.7%
2022	46.55	58^th	156	62.8%
2023	65.65	42^nd	226	81.4%
2024	51.36	87^th	262	66.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	71.65	48^th	349	86.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	52.96	138^th	424	67.5%
2019	51.06	132^nd	446	70.4%
2021	47.05	138^th	432	68.1%
2022	52.33	206^th	544	62.1%
2023	39.13	324^th	597	45.7%
2024	28.83	436^th	613	28.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	51.14	20^th	45	55.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	77.42	68^th	449	84.9%
2019	64.55	120^th	475	74.7%
2021	64.52	109^th	475	77.1%
2022	66.46	182^nd	594	69.4%
2023	64.93	195^th	588	66.8%
2024	63.54	204^th	602	66.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	86.66	25^th	349	92.8%
2019	81.33	27^th	364	92.6%
2021	82.53	27^th	334	91.9%
2022	59.53	80^th	330	75.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	62.88	112^th	325	65.5%
2021	63.70	128^th	337	62.0%
2022	67.24	138^th	398	65.3%
2023	68.79	131^st	403	67.5%
2024	60.85	191^st	403	52.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	79.19	63^rd	463	86.4%
2019	65.34	107^th	488	78.1%
2021	56.47	140^th	481	70.9%
2022	57.49	218^th	585	62.7%
2023	63.36	198^th	602	67.1%
2024	52.66	269^th	607	55.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	58.57	37^th	77	51.9%
2019	43.46	55^th	89	38.2%
2021	37.13	62^nd	83	25.3%
2022	57.25	48^th	91	47.3%
2023	49.05	58^th	98	40.8%
2024	46.03	63^rd	101	37.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	69.15	60^th	359	83.3%
2019	67.66	51^st	369	86.2%
2021	60.94	72^nd	364	80.2%
2022	67.26	97^th	430	77.4%
2023	59.07	124^th	434	71.4%
2024	51.22	156^th	437	64.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	56.20	107^th	340	68.5%
2019	49.30	118^th	354	66.7%
2021	40.37	173^rd	370	53.2%
2022	41.12	228^th	436	47.7%
2023	47.88	199^th	449	55.7%
2024	32.30	300^th	454	33.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	82.67	48^th	427	88.8%
2019	69.16	87^th	444	80.4%
2021	62.63	123^rd	439	72.0%
2022	63.16	193^rd	534	63.9%
2023	69.38	166^th	537	69.1%
2024	65.69	198^th	553	64.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Heritage High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2011	391	227	19	138	4	0	35	814
2012	636	376	33	206	10	0	71	1332
2013	954	491	49	223	16	0	91	1824
2014	973	450	61	221	20	4	87	1816
2015	1016	470	69	265	12	2	76	1910
2016	1065	438	64	238	10	2	74	1891
2017	1123	393	63	257	8	1	69	1914
2018	1173	348	57	266	8	0	63	1915
2019	1137	361	57	266	5	0	66	1892
2020	1131	331	52	324	5	0	58	1901
2021	1118	335	60	332	5	0	71	1921
2022	1111	317	67	348	3	2	73	1921
2023	1033	296	71	334	1	2	74	1811
2024	988	286	80	387	2	3	71	1817

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Heritage High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	814	48.0	16.9	34.5
2012	1332	73.2	18.1	31.5
2013	1824	96.5	18.8	26.9
2014	1816	102.0	17.8	26.3
2015	1910	108.0	17.6	25.9
2016	1891	104.0	18.1	23
2017	1914	104.0	18.4	22.8
2018	1915	104.4	18.3	19.2
2019	1892	104.5	18.0	19.1
2020	1901	101.2	18.7	19.6
2021	1921	103.3	18.5	17.2
2022	1921	106.8	17.9	13.1
2023	1811	99.9	18.1	25.1
2024	1817	97.5	18.6	27.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Heritage High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	814	48.0	16.9	34.5
2012	1332	73.2	18.1	31.5
2013	1824	96.5	18.8	26.9
2014	1816	102.0	17.8	26.3
2015	1910	108.0	17.6	25.9
2016	1891	104.0	18.1	23
2017	1914	104.0	18.4	22.8
2018	1915	104.4	18.3	19.2
2019	1892	104.5	18.0	19.1
2020	1901	101.2	18.7	19.6
2021	1921	103.3	18.5	17.2
2022	1921	106.8	17.9	13.1
2023	1811	99.9	18.1	25.1
2024	1817	97.5	18.6	27.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Heritage High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$487 (5.5%)	$8,305 (94.5%)	$8,792

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Heritage High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 113^th of 514 High schools	Ranks 194^th of 626 High schools	9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Heritage High)	74	62.9	11.1%
End of Course Biology (Wake County Schools)	66.1	62	4.1%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Heritage High)	73.8	76	2.2%
End of Course English II (Wake County Schools)	68.6	71.4	2.8%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Heritage High)	46	42.9	3.1%
End of Course Math I (Wake County Schools)	34.6	33	1.6%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Heritage High)	51.1	64.7	13.6%
End of Course Math III (Wake County Schools)	53.5	71.4	17.9%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1892	1811	4.3%
African American	361	296	18%
American Indian	5	1	80%
Asian	57	71	24.6%
Hispanic	266	334	25.6%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	1137	1033	9.1%
Two or More Races	66	74	12.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	19.1%	25.1%	6%

Schools Near Heritage High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Heritage High	Public	9-12	1150 Forestville Road	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 570-5600	1,817	98	18.6	27.6%	988 (54.4%)	286 (15.7%)	387 (21.3%)	80 (4.4%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	71 (3.9%)	58.9	241^st of 640 public high schools	62.3%		64.8	194^th of 626 public high schools	69.0%	47	58.2	70.4	47.8	61.9	$8,792	$487	$8,305
Wake Forest High School	Public	9-12	420 West Stadium Drive	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 554-8611	2,075	111	18.7	30.3%	1,118 (53.9%)	468 (22.6%)	334 (16.1%)	65 (3.1%)	3 (0.1%)	5 (0.2%)	82 (4.0%)	60.5	232^nd of 640 public high schools	63.8%		63.3	208^th of 626 public high schools	66.8%	24	62.8	67.0	41.0	69.8	$8,011	$375	$7,637
North Wake College and Career Academy	Public	9-12	931 Durham Rd	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8650	365	20	18.3	34.8%	122 (33.4%)	132 (36.2%)	75 (20.5%)	13 (3.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.0%)	84.4	115^th of 640 public high schools	82.0%		89.5	74^th of 626 public high schools	88.2%	41	79.1	80.7	81.6	80.0	$13,377	$439	$12,939
Wakefield High	Public	9-12	2200 Wakefield Pines Drive	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 562-3600	2,105	109	19.3	35.9%	962 (45.7%)	571 (27.1%)	401 (19.0%)	100 (4.8%)	5 (0.2%)	5 (0.2%)	61 (2.9%)	63.9	211^th of 640 public high schools	67.0%		62.3	212^th of 626 public high schools	66.1%	1	69.3	73.9	26.3	71.5	$8,642	$337	$8,306
Rolesville High	Public	9-12	1099 East Young St	Rolesville	27571	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 554-6303	2,319	126	18.3	51.5%	622 (26.8%)	827 (35.7%)	675 (29.1%)	111 (4.8%)	5 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	76 (3.3%)	29.5	453^rd of 640 public high schools	29.2%		27	461^st of 626 public high schools	26.4%	8	26.7	61.3	21.2	48.6	$8,260	$382	$7,877
Millbrook High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2201 Spring Forest Rd	Raleigh	27615	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 850-8787	2,455	137	17.9	37.6%	1,134 (46.2%)	630 (25.7%)	515 (21.0%)	77 (3.1%)	7 (0.3%)	3 (0.1%)	89 (3.6%)	45.3	330^th of 640 public high schools	48.4%		50.5	285^th of 626 public high schools	54.5%	45	59.5	66.1	26.1	46.3	$8,648	$382	$8,265
Knightdale High	Public	9-12	100 Bryan Chalk Lane	Knightdale	27545	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 217-5350	1,725	103	16.7	67.2%	195 (11.3%)	795 (46.1%)	632 (36.6%)	44 (2.6%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	54 (3.1%)	13.3	565^th of 640 public high schools	11.7%		15.4	539^th of 626 public high schools	13.9%	26	16.3	43.4	20.0	27.6	$9,100	$534	$8,566
Sanderson High	Public	9-12	5500 Dixon Drive	Raleigh	27609	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 881-4800	1,661	96	17.3	43.7%	780 (47.0%)	394 (23.7%)	368 (22.2%)	45 (2.7%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	67 (4.0%)	42.1	357^th of 640 public high schools	44.2%		41.8	337^th of 626 public high schools	46.2%	20	47.8	63.5	26.6	55.3	$8,965	$528	$8,437
Franklinton High	Public	9-12	910 Cedar Creek Road	Franklinton	27525	Franklin County	Franklin County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 494-2332	1,218	66	18.4	54.6%	463 (38.0%)	420 (34.5%)	247 (20.3%)	12 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (6.2%)	36	399^th of 640 public high schools	37.7%		41.3	342^nd of 626 public high schools	45.4%	57	43.9	54.5	37.4	49.2	$8,675	$527	$8,148
East Wake High	Public	9-12	5101 Rolesville Rd	Wendell	27591	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 365-2625	1,708	91	18.7	66.6%	286 (16.7%)	738 (43.2%)	595 (34.8%)	26 (1.5%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	60 (3.5%)	38.4	380^th of 640 public high schools	40.6%		36	388^th of 626 public high schools	38.0%	8	40.9	57.4	28.5	62.7	$11,170	$530	$10,640

Heritage High

Heritage High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Wake County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Heritage High

Rank History for all students at Heritage High

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Heritage High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Heritage High

Rank History for Special Education students at Heritage High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Heritage High

Rank History for Homeless students at Heritage High

Rank History for Female students at Heritage High

Rank History for Disabled students at Heritage High

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Heritage High

Rank History for Male students at Heritage High

Rank History for Asian students at Heritage High

Rank History for African American students at Heritage High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Heritage High

Rank History for White students at Heritage High

Enrollment information for Heritage High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Heritage High

Student/Teacher Ratio Heritage High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Heritage High

Impact of COVID-19 on Heritage High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Heritage High

Frequently Asked Questions about Heritage High

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