High Schools - esp. Apex, Green Hope (Cary: home, neighborhoods) - Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary - North Carolina (NC) -The Triangle Area - City-Data Forum

AmyK · 10-21-2006, 02:29 PM

Hi -- Thanks, everyone for all the great info and opinions I'm finding here! I would appreciate hearing any opinions/advice/personal experiences that will help us decide which public high school is going to be the best fit for our kids. Especially interested in Apex High and Green Hope High -- they are at the top of our list right now. I've done a lot of research online, but really want to hear what people think from their own experience. Thank you.

just_sayin' · 10-21-2006, 02:37 PM

Well, my oldest son is a senior at Apex High. He likes it and it is one of the best schools in Wake County IMO. If you want to be sure that your kids go to Apex High, I'd suggest buying in one of the older neighborhoods very close to the school. The newer neighborhoods on the outskirts of Apex, and pretty much everything west of Highway 55 (aka East and West williams streets) are now assigned to the new Panther Creek high up in Morrisvile/Cary. My daughter is a freshman at Panther Creek high because we live in western Apex, where they just reassigned to PC this year. I don't really know much about green hope other than it's nickname is "green dope" (I'm sure you can figure out where that came from for yourself) and that it has one of the most expensive student parking lots in the country; $240 a spot.

Beffrey2 · 10-21-2006, 02:53 PM

Wow! You guys have to pay to park in the student parking lot these days? Wow, that stinks!

It also stinks that your kids can't go to the same school. But I guess thats what happens when growth is out of control.

AmyK · 10-21-2006, 03:03 PM

Thank you, i'minformed. Do you think MacGregor West would be a good neighborhood? It worried me a little that it was in a different city (Cary address) even though it is very close to Apex High. Maybe the address is not a big deal when they are planning reassignments. My kids will be starting 10th and 11th grade next year, so I believe we'll only have to worry about being reassigned for the first year -- I've heard they don't usually make you move schools in 11th and 12th grade.

just_sayin' · 10-21-2006, 05:56 PM

Macgregor Downs (which includes Macgregor west), goes to Apex High. If you want to be extra sure, go to www.wcpss.net There, you can type in any address in wake county and it will tell you the elementary, middle, and high school that the address is assigned to. You are right that they don't make juniors and seniors switch schools when they reassign areas to different schools. That is why when our node was reassigned to Panther Creek from Apex, my son, who was going to be a senior, didn't have to go to Panther Creek, but my daughter, a freshman, did.

Tracy_Santrock · 10-22-2006, 09:40 AM

MacGregor West is a wonderful neighborhood in what we call the inner beltline of Cary. One of my friends that plays tennis at the Country Club is on the neighborhood Board of Directors so she tends to keep me up to date on the all of the neighborhood buzz. This neighborhood has great schools and has consistently appreciated at one of the highest rates in the area.

My daughter is currently a Sophmore in High School so I'm also concerned about the high school placements. For your reference, this link provides you with the high school ratings. Green Hope is the only High School in the area now that is considered to be an Honors School of Excellence.
http://www.wcpss.net/test-scores/nc-abcs/2005/high.html (broken link)
I still believe Apex High would also a terrific choice for your family.

jmeraleigh · 10-22-2006, 10:07 AM

Apex has really good schools, I recently found out that the middle school does not have any after school care. I had a buyer in town that does not feel comfortable with her daughter being at home alone, so she crossed Apex schools off her list because of that. If anyone knows differently, please let me know.

rsm79 · 01-24-2007, 06:13 PM

Hi Amy K,
Unfortunately I speak from experience regarding illegal drug use at Green Hope High. My 17-year old grew up in Cary and no fewer than six of his core friends who still attend Green Hope have been arrested for possession of mj or underage drinking. My son is now in residential rehab.

Apex high is the better choice.

jgmarie · 01-24-2007, 06:31 PM

HI AmyK~
My son started Apex today (semester starting was one day delayed because of school closing last week) 11th grade. So, right now I can not comment on too much.
It's a big school, 2,200+ kids, so I would think any school that size will have there share of drug & other problems. But, the front staff was really good & seem to have their act together--I really liked my son's counselor.

They had no parking spots left this semester.

My son's English class is very large, which is a concern for me.

Imformed....we have the same situation, our 9th grader has to go to Panther Creek. I'm not sure whether I"m going to like them split up & dealing with 2 different schools........we'll see as time goes on.

just_sayin' · 01-24-2007, 07:01 PM

Yes, Mrs. Tomlinson, (the one with the short blonde hair) is very friendly. I hope dearly that your son does not have the infamous "Ms. Murray" as his junior english teacher...lol..that's who my son had and he said she was the hardest teacher ever...barely scraped out with a C...which was his first C since the 6th grade unforuntely.