Sanderson High, Raleigh: zone, report card and calendar

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; Wake County property records; 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.

Sanderson High is a Wake County Public School System high school at 5500 Dixon Drive, Raleigh. In our Oct. 12 check of 1,010 homes spread across Raleigh city limits, drawn from Wake County property records and run through the district’s base school lookup, 161 were assigned to Sanderson High, mostly in ZIP codes 27615, 27609 and 27612.

Who to call

• Front office: 919-881-4800, 5500 Dixon Drive
• School website: sandersonhs.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

Principal

Principal Tara Drouhard, according to the school’s website.

Enrollment and teachers

• State count: an average daily membership of 1,595 students in the 2024-25 school year, down from 1,603 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
• Federal count: 1,661 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 95 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 17 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.

The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data. The state released 2025-26 test results in September 2026; from its 2025-26 school assessment workbook:

• At grade level or above, all end-of-course tests: 56.5% (statewide: 59.6%)
• College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 40.4%
• Growth: exceeded expected growth
• ACT composite of 17 or higher, 11th graders: 58.3% (statewide: 54.5%)
• ACT or WorkKeys benchmark, 12th graders: 67.6%
• Four-year graduation rate: 88% (statewide: 89%)

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 city 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.

Proposed changes for 2027-28: The district’s draft 2027-28 enrollment plan would move some students now assigned to Millbrook Magnet High to Leesville Road, Sanderson or Wakefield High; the district lists using available space at Sanderson among the reasons. The plan is a draft: the Board of Education holds a public hearing Tuesday, Oct. 20, and is scheduled to vote Nov. 17, according to the district’s enrollment proposal page. Check an address with the proposal lookup.

Calendar and bell times

Sanderson 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

Sanderson is a 7A school in the NCHSAA’s 6A/7A Conference D for the 2025-29 alignment, with Cardinal Gibbons, Cary, Holly Springs, Felton Grove and Middle Creek, according to the approved realignment.

The Spartans’ 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, football, golf, gymnastics, indoor track, lacrosse, soccer, softball, stunt, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling
• Coed: competitive cheerleading, sideline cheerleading, swimming, track and wrestling

Fall schedules and results are in our Friday night football guide and on our scoreboard.

More

• The school’s own website and the district’s enrollment page
• Every public school in Raleigh, with zones and report cards
• Our Raleigh schools guide for district calendars, enrollment dates and the school board

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Sanderson High serve?

Sanderson High serves ninth grade through 12th grade.

What is Sanderson High’s school grade?

Sanderson High earned a C, with a score of 62, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 56.5% of its state tests were at grade level or above and it exceeded its growth target.

What time does Sanderson High start?

The school day runs 7:25 a.m. to 2:18 p.m., according to the school’s website.

What conference is Sanderson High in?

Sanderson is a 7A school in the NCHSAA’s 6A/7A Conference D for the 2025-29 alignment, with Cardinal Gibbons, Cary, Holly Springs, Felton Grove and Middle Creek.

How do I know if my address is zoned for Sanderson High?

Enter the address in the Wake County Public School System’s base school lookup, or call Student Assignment at 919-431-7333. Zones do not follow city limits.