Apex Online High School
An independent online school serving grades 9-12 in Apex, NC. Not a district program. Not a charter lottery. A school-issued diploma that moves when the student does.
Online high school courses for Apex students, grades 9-12
Every course is self-paced and taught by certified teachers. Browse the full high school course catalog or ask a counselor to match courses to your student’s existing credits.
The foundation year. Core academics, electives, and the credits that start the diploma path.
- Biology
- Algebra 1
- U.S. History
- Art History
- English 1
- Physical Education / Life Management
- Elective (foreign language, fine art, CTE)
Core academics deepen. Geometry, Chemistry, English II, and college-readiness coursework.
The year colleges look at hardest. Algebra II, U.S. History, English III, SAT/ACT prep built in.
- Pre-Calculus
- U.S. Government
- English 3
- Economics
- Foreign Language II
- Elective or honors course
Graduation path, senior project, college-prep English, economics and government.
Is there an accredited online high school in Apex, NC that is not a Wake County Schools program?
Yes. This is an independent online school, not a Wake County Public School System program, not a charter lottery, and not a district-run virtual option. Families in Apex enroll directly without a district referral, without a boundary requirement, and without a school year calendar. The school operates under the North Carolina independent school statute and issues its own diploma and official transcript. A counselor maps existing credits and walks through the Notice of Intent filing the same week a family decides to enroll.
Who families here bring to us
This is a fast-growing suburb inside Wake County, and its growth comes with pressures the public school calendar was not designed to absorb.
The travel sports athlete whose tournament schedule runs through the school week. The working teen who holds a part-time job to help the household. The student whose anxiety grew into school refusal after a rough freshman year at the local high school. The family that relocated here from another state mid-semester and needs credits accepted now, not in six months.
The NCES reports tens of thousands of documented safety incidents in schools each year, and many families in this area arrive here because the building itself stopped feeling like a safe place. Others arrive because the lottery for magnet and charter programs left them without the fit they needed. Whatever the reason, the path in is the same: speak with a counselor, map the existing credits, pick a start date.
“Travel ball runs every weekend October through June. The bell schedule isn’t built for that.
The competitive athlete
“She stopped going to school. The building was the problem, not the learning.
The anxious student
“We moved from Ohio in February. Getting his credits accepted took four months we didn’t have.
The relocated family
“He’s 17 and works 30 hours a week. School has to fit around the job.
The working teen
An independent school, not a public virtual program
Wake County Public School System runs its own online and blended options, and families sometimes confuse those with what this school offers. WCPSS programs are district-run: they require enrollment through the district, they follow the district’s academic calendar, and the diploma they issue comes from the district. This school is different in every respect.
The academic calendar is the student’s calendar.
High School of America is a recognized independent school. Enrollment does not go through Wake County Public School System or any district portal. The diploma and official transcript come from the school. Colleges, employers, military branches, and the NC Division of Non-Public Education recognize independent school diplomas without a district stamp.
Families who enroll file a Notice of Intent with the state and are done with the district’s paperwork. A counselor walks through every step on the first call. Ready to start? Enroll today or call (888) 242-4262.
A schedule built around what students actually do here
This town has more youth sports participation per capita than most North Carolina communities its size. The Research Triangle’s tech employment base means parents work irregular and travel-heavy schedules. And a community that grew by 40 percent in a decade pulls families from other states mid-year, mid-semester, mid-season.
Every course is asynchronous, with no live attendance, no synchronized class period, no makeup policy tied to a Tuesday morning slot. A student who competes in travel soccer on Saturday and Sunday completes schoolwork on weeknights at the pace that fits training. A student recovering from a health setback works through the course when energy allows. A student who already logged 35 hours this week at a job finishes coursework on Sunday morning.
The school day is whatever the student’s life allows. The diploma requirement stays the same.
Up and down the state
Same diploma, same teachers, wherever the family lands. Where Apex families look next.
Earn your high school diploma online in Apex
High School of America issues a recognized independent school diploma to every student who completes the credit requirements. The diploma comes with an official transcript formatted for college applications, employer verification, and military service branch review. Students who complete coursework in the spring can participate in a graduation ceremony. Students who finish mid-year receive their diploma and transcript as soon as the final credit clears.
Colleges and universities across the country accept applicants with independent school diplomas. Military branches accept the transcript for enlistment. The NCAA recognizes independent school coursework for student-athletes. Students here have used this diploma to enroll at NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, Meredith College, and community colleges across the state. Questions? Call (888) 242-4262 or enroll directly.
For the working teen, the athlete, the student who needed a different pace, this is the credential that says they finished.
Transferring credits into this online high school from any school
Families come to this school from local public schools, from out-of-state transfers, from homeschool programs, and occasionally from other online schools that didn’t work out. Every enrollment starts with a credit evaluation. A counselor reviews the existing transcript and maps every credit earned against the diploma requirements before the first course is selected.
Families do not start over. A student who completed two years at the local high school carries those credits into this program. A student who moved from a Georgia school system last month brings that transcript. A student who did a year of homeschool with recorded grades transfers those credits too. The evaluation is at no charge and happens before enrollment, so the family knows exactly where the student stands and how far they have to go.
After enrollment, the credit transfer process takes one to two weeks. Credits accepted.
- Day 1Submit existing transcript to the counselor
- Days 1-3Counselor maps every credit, identifies gaps
- Days 3-7Course selection based on remaining requirements
- Week 2Student begins coursework with an accepted credit record
What students need to graduate
North Carolina sets minimum graduation requirements under state law. This school’s diploma program satisfies those requirements and exceeds them in several areas. A counselor maps each student’s path to graduation individually: what credits they already hold, what courses remain, and the realistic timeline to completion.
Students who need to catch up (who fell behind credits during a difficult school year, or who transferred from a system that counted credits differently) get a credit recovery plan. Students who are ahead and want to finish in less than four years get an accelerated path. The high school diploma issued at graduation is a recognized, school-issued credential that travels wherever the student goes next.
For families considering the independent school path under North Carolina law, the Notice of Intent to operate a home school is filed once with the state. A counselor handles the walkthrough on the enrollment call, and the NOI is at no charge to file.
The diploma and official transcript are school-issued documents, not district documents. They carry the school’s seal and the student’s complete academic record. Every college application, military enlistment, employer background check, and NCAA eligibility review that the student encounters after graduation starts with those two documents. The counselor coordinates the transcript request so the student is never waiting on paperwork when a deadline is close. Enroll today and a counselor maps your student’s graduation timeline on the first call.
Send your transcript, a counselor maps every credit
Upload your student’s current transcript and a counselor maps every credit earned against the diploma requirements. You will know exactly where the student stands and what comes next before the first course begins.
No lottery. No district approval. Enroll any month.
Public school enrollment in the area closes in the spring. This one doesn’t. A student can start in September, January, or any Monday of the year. Speak with a counselor today.