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Panther Creek High School is a public high school located at 6770 McCrimmon Parkway in Cary, North Carolina, United States. As part of the Wake County Public School System, the school operates on a 4x4 block schedule like other public high schools in the region.

History

Panther Creek High School was established in 2006. Rodney Nelson was the school's first principal, serving until his retirement in 2014. He was replaced by Nicholas Polsinelli who was named North Carolina PTA Principal of the Year in 2017.

The school's main building is a three-story design that includes 274,658 square feet. There are also five modular classroom buildings. The campus consists of 93 acres. The school's main building has that same design and walls as Knightdale High School.

Student population

As of the 2021-2022 school year, Panther Creek had an enrollment of 2,470 students. Of those students, 51% were female and 49% were male. In addition, 35.9% of the students are White, 35.5% Asian, 14.9% Black, 7.3% Hispanic, 4.1% two or more races, 0.2% American Indian, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. The total minority enrollment is 64.1%.

10% of the student body is economically disadvantaged, with 7% eligible for the free lunch program and 3% eligible for the reduced-price lunch program.

The graduation rate is 98%.

Faculty

As of the 2021-2022 school year, there are 120.34 full-time equivalent teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 20.53:1. 97% of the teachers have three or more years of experience and are certified., In addition, the faculty includes one counselor for every 283 students or a ratio of 283:1.

The current principal is Gregory Decker, who succeeded Nicholas Polsinelli.

Academics

Curriculum

Panther Creek High School includes grades 9 through 12. The school offers Advance Placement® courses with the student participation rate being 81%. Of that number 65% pass at least one AP® exam. Students can also take virtual courses not available at Panther Creek or chose dual enrollment at local colleges and universities.

80% of the students take the SAT, with an average score of 1,246. However 78% of the school's graduates pursue either college or vocational training.

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranks Panther Creek #2 in Wake County, #18 in North Carolina, and #614 nationally. Niche gives the school an A+ score and a rank of #5 amongst public schools in North Carolina.

Student life

Athletics

Panther Creek is a member of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and the Southwest Wake Athletic Conference with a 4A Classification.

The school has the following co-ed sports teams: varsity cheerleading, junior varsity cheerleading, cross country, indoor track, swimming, and track. Sport teams for women include varsity basketball, junior varsity basketball, golf, gymnastics, varsity lacrosse, junior varsity lacrosse, varsity soccer, junior varsity soccer, varsity softball, junior varsity softball, stunt, varsity tennis, varsity volleyball, and junior varsity volleyball. Men's sport teams include varsity baseball, junior varsity baseball, varsity basketball, junior varsity basketball, varsity football, junior varsity football, golf, varsity lacrosse, junior varsity lacrosse, varsity soccer, junior varsity soccer, varsity tennis, and wrestling.

Clubs and organizations

Panther Creek has a marching band, a concert band, and two indoor ensembles. The school also has numerous choral groups, including a Chamber Choir, a Mixed Chorus, and a Treble Choir. Various organizations such as National Honor Society, Technology Student Association, FBLA, Science National Honor Society, and Key Club International have chapters at Panther Creek too.

Mascot and colors

The school's mascot is the Catamount. The school's colors are Columbia blue, black, and silver.

Publications

The student yearbook is The Prowler.

Notable alumni

• Isaiah Johnson, NFL defensive back
• Gabe Latigue, professional soccer player
• Josh Maciejewski, Major League Baseball pitcher
• Earnest Ross, professional basketball player
• Ryan Spaulding, professional soccer player
• Carson Vinson, college football offensive tackle for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs

References

1. ^ "Panther Creek High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
2. ^ "Panther Creek High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
3. ^ "About Our School / PCHS Facts". www.wcpss.net. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
4. Zietlow, Alex (April 24, 2019). "Meet Rodney Nelson: a local principal whose legacy is still felt". Media Hub. University of North Carolina. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
5. ^ Gargan, Henry (June 1, 2017). "After a year of grieving, Wake County educator is named state's best principal". News & Observer. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
6. Hui, T. Keung (April 24, 2019). "Two Wake high schools are losing their principals, but Green Hope High has a new leader". News & Observer. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
7. ^ "Panther Creek High School". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
8. ^ "Explore Panther Creek High in Cary, NC". GreatSchools.org. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
9. "Explore Panther Creek High School". Niche. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
10. ^ "Sports Teams". Wake County Athletics. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
11. "Info – Panther Creek Band". Retrieved July 20, 2022.
12. "Panther Creek Chorus Home". panthercreekchorus.com. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
13. "Panther Creek High School / Homepage". www.wcpss.net. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
14. Isaiah Johnson Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
15. Gabe Latigue Elon Men's Soccer. elonphoenix.com. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
17. Earnest Ross, Panther Creek, Small Forward - 247Sports. 247sports.com. Retrieved Mar 5, 2020.
18. North Carolina FC - #20 Ryan Spaulding. North Carolina FC. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
19. Mosley, Kyle (November 21, 2024). "Carson Vinson Becomes First HBCU Player Selected For 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 7, 2024.

• Buildings and structures in Cary, North Carolina
• Public high schools in North Carolina
• Wake County Public School System
• High schools in Wake County, North Carolina
• 2006 establishments in North Carolina
• Educational institutions established in 2006