School Summary

Southern Wayne High School is located in southern Wayne County just north of Mt. Olive in Dudley, North Carolina. Southern Wayne has a feeder pattern comprised of two Elementary Schools (Carver, Brogden Primary), two Middle Schools (Brogden Middle, Mount Olive Middle), and one K-8 school (Grantham). Southern Wayne's student body is comprised of students and families from three distinct communities (Mount Olive, Brogden, Grantham). Each community is a rural community as Wayne County has a primarily agricultural economy.

Southern Wayne High School was built in 1965 as the second school in Wayne County to consolidate several smaller community high schools. Those schools were; Grantham High School, Brogden High School, Mount Olive High School, and Seven Springs High School. Southern Wayne's first graduating class crossed the stage in May of 1966. At present, Southern Wayne is comprised of four grade levels with a student population of over 1,000. There are over 135 professionals on staff (30.3% of staff are Southern Wayne graduates) with course offerings ranging from Agriculture to Marketing, as well as a strong foundation in the core instructional areas. The school has several after school and club activities to offer to its students. There are 30 athletic teams that eligible students may tryout for. The schools campus is very large and covers over 50 acres. There are seven wings to the school building including a second floor. Southern Wayne has a very large gym facility, two weight rooms, several athletic fields, two green houses, two computer labs, science laboratories, Business labs, a well equipped Media Center, four Vocational labs, and a band room. The school operates twelve buses and has two Assistant Principals and one Principal.

Top 10 Strengths of Southern Wayne High School According to the Effective Schools Survey

1. Learning is seen as the most important reason for attending school.

2. Teachers hold consistently high expectations for students.

3. Teachers treat students fairly, consistently, and with respect.

4. All extracurricular activities are available to all students without discrimination on the basis of sex, national origin, race, or handicapping condition. 

5. The principal effectively runs meetings which have a clear agenda and where discussion is limited to relevant topics. 

6. Standards for achievement are set so that they are challenging, attainable, and consistently maintained.

7. When educational issues arise, student learning considerations are the most important criteria used in decision making.

8. The principal provides support to teachers on student discipline.

9. Achievement expectations are communicated to all students.

10. Students are treated in ways which emphasize success and potential rather than focusing on failures and shortcomings.