Points of Pride 

5 National Board Certified Teachers 

First Habitat for Humanity high school chapter in the nation                               

Awarded the Apple New Connections Grant in 1999 

Home of the Polaris yearbook and school newspaper, The Round Table. Both have been nationally recognized!! 

State Champions in Football 

State Champions in Track 

Girls Basketball - Regional Title Champions 2005, Final Four 2006. 

Two award winning show choirs in National Competitions with Superior ratings: Knight Sounds & Blues in the Knight. 

Voted in the top 5% of the nation’s best high schools by Newsweek for 2004,  2005 and 2006. 

The School 

               Northern High School is located in northern Durham at 117 Tom Wilkinson Road. Northern opened in 1955. 225 certified teachers facilitate the learning of 1,633 students who reside both in the northern rural area of Durham County, as well as northern suburban and urban sections of the city.  We have a diverse multicultural population. Northern’s student population is 50% African-American, 41% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% Multiracial, and 2% Asian. Northern not only serves a diverse population ethnically, but also academically and with special needs. Northern serves students with a variety of exceptionalities, such as autism, Learning Disabled, Behaviorally Educationally Disabled, Educable Mentally Disabled, Students with English as a Second Language or Limited English Proficiency, and physically challenged students. 

               As in all North Carolina public schools, students design a four-year education plan prior to entering high school and then enroll in the college/university preparatory, college technical preparatory, or career preparatory programs.  The average class size for the five core content areas is 23.7 students per class.  The student-to-teacher ratio for the entire school is 15:1.  

               Northern’s goal is to set high expectations for all students and to prepare them to learn and think in a rapidly changing world. Northern employs a wide variety of academic learning strategies to address a variety of learning styles and needs. Northern High School was voted in the top 5% of the nation’s best high schools by Newsweek for 2004 and 2005, which is based on number of AP test taken. 

System and Location 

               Durham County lies at the center of the Triangle, between Chapel Hill (Orange County) to the west, and Raleigh (Wake County) to the southeast.  The district, Durham Public Schools, encompasses all public schools in Durham County, North Carolina.  It serves 32,000 students in 46 schools including 28 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, and 7 high schools.  Student may choose to attend both magnet and year-round schools.  At the high school level, the system provides a variety of career pathway options for students who have specific career interests.               

The Community

               Durham is an extremely diverse and dynamic community.  The Research Triangle area is undergoing a period of significant economic and demographic growth and change.  From a small number just a decade ago, Latinos now make up 15.7% of Durham Public Schools’ students.  The Triangle boasts one of the best job markets in the country, and Durham has been cited in numerous publications as one of the best places to live and work in the United States.Durham County is home to around 243,000 residents.  From north to south, the county includes rural, suburban, and urban areas.  Duke University, North Carolina Central University, and Durham Technical Community College reside in Durham, and it is just a short trip to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in Raleigh.  The area is also home to a major international airport, and two medical research institutions.