Wake Schools Have Most Students in N.C.

Raleigh, N.C. — The Wake County school system is officially the largest in the state, officials said Thursday, announcing that enrollment has surged past 134,000 students.

The district reported 134,002 students enrolled on the 20th day of the 2007-08 school year, which is almost 6,000 more than last year. The growth pushed Wake County past Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as the largest in North Carolina. The Charlotte district reported 20th day enrollment of 132,281.

The Wake County enrollment growth is the third-largest in the district's history. In 2005, enrollment grew by 7,568, and in 2004, it grew by 6,439.

Earlier projections called for an increase of 8,000 students this year. School district and Wake County planners who develop the projections will review the data and revise projections for the future, officials said.

Since the official 20th-day numbers were reported to the state, another 600 students have enrolled in area schools, with about two-thirds of them in year-round schools, officials said.

The district has 65,690 elementary school students, 29,975 middle school students and 38,347 high school students. Last year, the district had 62,395 students in elementary schools, 29,031 in middle schools and 36,646 in high schools.

The largest high schools are Wakefield High School, with 2,626 students, Enloe High School, with 2,583 students, and Leesville Road High School, with 2,493 students.

The largest middle schools are West Lake Middle School, with 1,362 students, Wakefield Middle School, with 1,336 students, Holly Ridge Middle School, with 1,232 students, Heritage Middle School, with 1,219 students, and Davis Drive Middle School, with 1,210 students. West Lake and Heritage are year-round schools, while the others are traditional-calendar schools.

The largest elementary schools are Durant Road Elementary School, with 1,091 students, Davis Drive Elementary School, with 1,035 students, West Lake Elementary School, with 1,031 students, and Wildwood Forest Elementary School, with 1,025 students. Durant Road and West Lake are year-round schools, while the others are traditional-calendar schools.