Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy, 303 Ashe Ave.: grades 6-13, 329 students in 2024-25, an A (91) state grade.
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.
Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy is a Wake County Public School System school for sixth grade through a fifth year of high school at 303 Ashe Ave., Raleigh. Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy has no base attendance zone: students across Wake County apply for a seat through the district’s application process, according to the district’s enrollment page. Its homepage lists an early college program with a college transfer pathway and partner Shaw University.
Who to call
- Front office: 919-508-9088, 303 Ashe Ave.
- School website: wywla.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
| Address | 303 Ashe Ave., Raleigh, NC 27606 |
| Phone | 919-508-9088 |
| Grades | 6 to 12, plus a fifth (13th) year |
| District | Wake County Public School System |
| Calendar | Leadership academies calendar |
| State school code | 920586 |
Principal
Principal Mariah Walker, according to the school’s website.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: an average daily membership of 329 students in the 2024-25 school year, down from 352 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
- Federal count: 358 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 21 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 this school, achievement includes the state’s end-of-grade and end-of-course tests and, for its high school grades, the ACT or WorkKeys, NC Math 3 and the graduation rate.
| School year | Grade and score | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | A (91) | Exceeded |
| 2023-24 | A (91) | Exceeded |
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 state tests: 93.7% (statewide: 59.2%)
- College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 75.7%
- Growth: exceeded expected growth
- Reading, grades 3 to 8: 94.3% at grade level or above; math: 92.5%
- ACT composite of 17 or higher, 11th graders: more than 95% (statewide: 54.5%)
- ACT or WorkKeys benchmark, 12th graders: 88.9%
- Four-year graduation rate: more than 95% (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, but Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy is an application school with no base zone. Applications for magnet, year-round and early college seats are made through the district’s enrollment page; to see the base schools for an address, use the base school lookup.
The list of proposed base area changes in the district’s draft 2027-28 enrollment plan, which the Board of Education is scheduled to vote on Nov. 17, does not name Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy. Check an address with the proposal lookup.
Calendar and bell times
Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy follows the calendar the district sets for the two Wake leadership academies. Coming dates on the 2026-27 Wake Leadership Academies calendar (PDF):
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: teacher workday
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day holiday
- Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
- Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break
- Monday, Jan. 4: teacher workday
Bell times: 7:35 a.m. to 2:10 p.m., according to the bell schedule posted on the school’s website.
Sports and activities
Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy is not listed on the NCHSAA’s 2025-29 realignment. Area high school results are on our scoreboard and in our Friday night football guide.
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 Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy serve?
Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy serves sixth grade through 12th grade, with a fifth year in which students can finish college coursework.
What is Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy’s school grade?
Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy earned an A, with a score of 91, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 93.7% of its state tests were at grade level or above and it exceeded its growth target.
What time does Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy start?
The school day runs 7:35 a.m. to 2:10 p.m., according to the school’s website.
How do students get into Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy?
It has no base attendance zone. Students apply for a seat through the Wake County Public School System’s application process; the district’s enrollment page has the dates and details.
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