Sanderson High School (North Carolina)
| Jesse O. Sanderson High School | |
|---|---|
Sanderson High School, December 2014 | |
| Location | |
5500 Dixon Drive 27609 United States | |
| Coordinates | 35°51′38″N 78°38′49″W / 35.8604281°N 78.6469478°W |
| Information | |
| Founded | 1968 |
| CEEB code | 343213 |
| Principal | Tara Drouhard[1] |
| Teaching staff | 91.05 (FTE)[2] |
| Enrollment | 1,648 (2024–2025)[2] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 18.10[2] |
| Schedule type | 2x4 Block |
| Colors | Royal blue, scarlet, and white |
| Mascot | Spartan |
| Yearbook | The Lakonikos |
| Website | wcpss |
Jesse O. Sanderson High School (commonly known as Sanderson High School), is a co-educational 9–12 public high school located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States in the Wake County Public School System. The school was founded in 1968. It is named after a former superintendent of Raleigh public schools, Jesse O. Sanderson. Sanderson runs on a 2x4 block schedule; it was one of the first schools in the area to do so. It is known for its performing arts, athletic, and community outreach programs.
Clubs
Sanderson's student government has received recognition for their participation in the Sanderson community. It is one of the only four high schools in the state and 131 in the country to earn the National Association of Student Councils Gold Council of Excellence in 2010.[3]
Performing arts
Sanderson Theatre Ensemble In 2018, Sanderson High School performed the play “26 Pebbles” by Eric Ulloa, a play about the Sandy Hook shooting, for the North Carolina Theatre Conference.[4]
Sanderson Sandpipers The director of the Sanderson Sandpipers, Allison Taylor. Former director Marshall Butler jr. has been recognized as an outstanding music educator by the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra.[5] Marshall Butler retired at the end of the 2015–16 school year.
Athletics
| Sanderson Spartans | |
|---|---|
| School | Jesse O. Sanderson High School |
| NCHSAA | Division 7A[6] |
| Conference | Triangle Six |
| Location | Raleigh, NC |
| Nickname | Spartans |
| Colors | Royal Blue, Scarlet, and White |
| Website | Sanderson Athletics Dept. |
Cheerleading
Sanderson's cheerleading squad were the 2005 Super Varsity state champions and 2005 Carolina Cup champions.[7]
Men's Cross Country
Sanderson's men's cross-country team won the 2009 NCHSAA 4A state championship.[8]
Men's Soccer
Sanderson's men's soccer team has won eleven NCHSAA soccer state championships.[9] They also once held the national record for most consecutive games without a loss at 103, which is still the state record. Since the early 1980s, they have also produced a number of Division 1 players.
Women's Soccer
Sanderson's women's soccer team were the 1991 NCHSAA state champions.[10]
Men's Swimming
The men's swim team has won four NCHSAA state championships.[11]
Women's Swimming
The women's swim team has won five NCHSAA state championships.[12]
Volleyball
Sanderson volleyball was won two NCHSAA state championships.[13]
Wrestling
The wrestling team won the 1983 NCHSAA state tournament championship.[14]
Administration
As of August 2019, Gretta Dula is the principal of Sanderson High School.[15] Dula replaced Gregory Decker who served as the school's principal for over ten years, and was credited with raising the schools graduation rates while principal. Catty Moore, Decker's predecessor, served in the position for seven years between 2000 and 2008,[16] and would later go on to become the superintendent of the Wake County Public School System in 2018.[17]
| Year | Graduation Rate | +/- |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 78.6% | N/A |
| 2007 | 76.1% | -2.5 |
| 2008 | 77.5% | +1.4 |
| 2009 | 76.7% | -0.8 |
| 2010 | 75% | -1.7 |
| 2011 | 77.5% | +2.7 |
| 2012 | 78.6% | +1.1 |
| 2013 | 78.2% | -0.4 |
| 2014 | 82.8% | +4.6 |
| 2015 | 81.4%[18] | -1.4 |
| 2016 | 89.1%[19] | +7.7 |
| 2017 | 86.9% | -2.2 |
| 2018 | 84.5% | -2.4 |
| 2019 | 86.0% | +1.5 |
| 2020 | 87.3% | +1.3 |
| 2021 | 88.7% | +1.4 |
| 2022 | 81.7% | -7.0 |
| 2023 | 82.9%[20] | +1.2 |
Demographic & economic background
| Race | Number of Students | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian | 4 | 0.02% |
| Asian | 63 | 3.1% |
| Black | 505 | 25.5% |
| Hispanic | 310 | 15.7% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islands | 5 | 0.02% |
| Two or More | 55 | 2.7% |
| White | 1031 | 52.2% |
| Total (2015–16) | 1973 | 100% |
As of 2012, 28% of the students receive free lunch, 4% receive reduced-price lunch, and 68% receive no lunch benefits.
Notable alumni
- Tom Fetzer (1973), former Mayor of Raleigh and former chair of the North Carolina Republican Party[21]
- Steve Dobrogosz (1974), pianist and composer
- Steve Kenney (1974), NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles; Offensive linesman at Clemson University
- David Sedaris (1975), noted author and humorist
- Jeb Bishop, American jazz trombone player[22]
- Amy Sedaris (1980), author, humorist and actress; creator and star of the "Strangers with Candy" television series on Comedy Central and the 2006 major motion picture release of the same title
- Jeff Williams (1981), Chief Operating Officer of Apple Inc[23]
- Paul Friedrich (1985), cartoon artist[24]
- Clark Brisson (1987), All-American soccer player at the University of South Carolina; Played eight years in the National Professional Soccer League; Currently assistant coach at the University of New Haven[25]
- Melanie Wade Goodwin (1988), member of the North Carolina General Assembly
- David Fox (1989), swimmer at North Carolina State University; 1996 Olympic gold medalist
- Caleb Norkus (1997), former professional soccer player who played for such teams as The Carolina Railhawks, Richmond Kickers, and Puerto Rico Islanders; also played for the U.S men's national team in 1995
- Darryl Partin (2006), former professional basketball player[26]
- Annie E. Clark (2007), women's and civil rights activist
- Matt James (2010), former college football player for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the first black Bachelor lead on season 25 of The Bachelor[27]
- Ryan Jeffers (2016), MLB player for the Minnesota Twins[28]
- Alim McNeill (2018), NFL defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions
References
- ^ "SHS Administration / Meet Our Principal". Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Sanderson High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 23, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Sanderson Band".
- ^ Barr, Sarah (October 20, 2014). "Sanderson High School choir teacher wins N.C. Symphony award for music educators". Retrieved December 8, 2014.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ 2025-2029 Classification by 2024 ADM Numbers. NCHSAA. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ All-Time Cheerleading Invitational Division Winners and Champion. NCHSAA. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "2009 NCHSAA Cross Country State Championships Results" (PDF). North Carolina High School Athletic Association. NCHSAA. November 7, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ "Sanderson Athletics Hall Of Fame… Bob Catapano". NCHSAA. 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ Women's Soccer - NCHSAA. NCHSAA. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ Men's Team State Champions. NCHSAA. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ Women’s Team State Champions. NCHSAA. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ State Championship Results and MVP’s. NCHSAA. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ Men’s Wrestling Individual Tournament State Championships and History. NCHSAA. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "Search :: WRAL.com".
- ^ "The Office of the Superintendent". Wake County Public School System. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Walkenhorst, Emily; Owens, Adam (February 9, 2023). "Wake schools superintendent announces retirement". WRAL. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ "4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate Report: 2011-12 Entering 9th Graders Graduating in 2014-15 or Earlier". accrpt.ncpublicschools.org. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ^ "Wake County sees gains in school passing and graduation rates". Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ^ "Cohort Graduation Rate". Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ Eamon, Tom (2014). The Making of a Southern Democracy: North Carolina Politics from Kerr Scott to Pat Mccrory. UNC Press Books. p. 173. ISBN 978-1-4696-0697-2.
- ^ Lawerence, Jordan. (Feb 13, 2013). Native North Carolinian Jeb Bishop brings his jazz résumé back home. INDY Week. Retrieved Mar 6, 2020.
- ^ WNCN Staff (December 17, 2015). "New No. 2 at Apple grew up in Raleigh, went to NC State". WNCN. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ "Paul Friedrich finds his audience". www.waltermagazine.com. February 29, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- ^ "Clark Brisson from Sanderson High School - Classmates".
- ^ Darryl Partin - Men's Basketball - Boston University. GoTerriers.com. Retrieved Aug 13, 2020.
- ^ Cain, Brooke (January 4, 2021). "Meet, pray, love: Raleigh 'Bachelor' Matt James has a unique start to his season". The News and Observer. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
- ^ "Sanderson baseball unseats Heritage from first | News & Observer News & Observer". Archived from the original on April 25, 2015.
External links