West Lake Preparatory Academy

West Lake Preparatory Academy is listed by the National Center for Education Statistics as a school serving multiple grade levels in Denver, North Carolina. There are 402 students enrolled, covering kindergarten through 9. That puts enrollment 45% below the 731-student average for combined schools in North Carolina.

West Lake Preparatory Academy operates as its own local education agency.

At West Lake Preparatory Academy, 51% of students are White. The remaining students are 22% Hispanic, 19% Black, and 7% multiracial. Census figures show Lincoln County is about 83% White. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, West Lake Preparatory Academy scores 65%.

The student-to-teacher ratio is 54.3:1. The school has 7.4 full-time-equivalent teachers. The gap from the 16.1:1 average for combined schools in North Carolina is 38.3 students per teacher. In all, 54% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The gap from the 66% average for public schools in Lincoln County is 12 points.

In the wider Lincoln County area, median household income comes to about $80,016, roughly 28% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 9%. Lincoln County counts 25 public schools with about 14,428 students.

About 0.4 miles separate West Lake Preparatory Academy from the closest public school, St James Elementary. A five-mile radius around the school includes 6 other public schools.

The school's federal locale classification is Rural: Fringe. Federal records list West Lake Preparatory Academy as a charter school.

Enrollment was 182 in 2020-21 and 402 in 2024-25. Large swings like this can come from changes to the grades a school serves. The ratio was 10.1:1 in 2020-21 and 54.3:1 in 2024-25.

This page collects posts and questions about West Lake Preparatory Academy, such as open houses, carpools, and field trips. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.