West Mecklenburg High School
West Mecklenburg High School, better known as West Meck, is a public high school within the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System that services the central western area of Mecklenburg County. Located at 7400 Tuckaseegee Road, Charlotte, NC 28214, the school is fed by the surrounding neighborhoods of Coulwood West, Pawtuckett, and Moores Chapel among others. Established in 1951, it is home to 1,211 students and 75 faculty. The school’s mascot is the Hawks.
Location
West Mecklenburg directly services the neighborhood of Coulwood West, Pawtuckett, and Moores Chapel. These submarkets are in the central western region of Mecklenburg County and border school district lines with Hopewell, West Charlotte, Harding, and Olympic. This area is mostly rural and has seen some new development in recent years. It is also home to the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and White Water Rafting Center. As of 2023, the median household income for the area’s ZIP of 28214 was $76,033. The median sales price for the area was $336,667 in September 2023. The largest shopping area is the Charlotte Premium Outlets which has become a popular shopping destination for many Charlotteans. The West Mecklenburg area is accessed via I-485, I-85, West Blvd, and the Andrew Jackson Highway.
Academics
West Meck services grades 9-12 and is generally considered a below-average school for academics in the Charlotte area. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI), 69.6% of all 2023 graduates finished school within 4 years. This is just behind the NC State average of 86%. Greatschools found that 76% of graduates also went on to attend public university for at least 2 years. This puts West Meck in an interesting spot in terms of college readiness, as most of those who did graduate continued to excel in higher education programs. The school also offers 10 AP courses, 1 STEM program, 1 art course, and 2 music courses. Test scores for Math, Biology, and English were all behind state averages, the largest of which was in English where students scored 30% below their state counterparts. As of 2023, there are 75 teachers at West Meck, resulting in a Student / Teacher Ratio of 16-1.
Test Scores
West Mecklenburg High School did not submit SAT results to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) in 2023. This is likely because the school had less than the required 10 students to take the proctored exam.
Average ACT Test Scores: 2022-2023
West Meck prepared its students poorly for the Aptitude and Critical Thinking test (ACT). Average 2023 scores for English, Math, Reading, and Science were all below those of their CMS, State, and National counterparts. The largest disadvantage was in English, where West Meck students were outscored by their CMS counterparts by 45.7% on average.
4-Graduation Rate
Graduation Rate: 2018-2023
The 4-Year Graduation Rate at West Mecklenburg High School has hovered in the mid-to-low 70’s since 2018. The school was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and as a result, experienced its largest dip in graduation the following school year. Still, taking this outlier out of consideration, the overall trend at West Mecklenburg High School is alarming. The school lags behind its CMS and State counterparts significantly in terms of 4-year graduation, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.
Food Assistance Programs
West Mecklenburg High School and all CMS schools provide meals for underprivileged students via the CMS School Nutrition Services system. This service provides both breakfast and lunch options to students across Mecklenburg County. According to Mecklenburg County Public Health, approximately 15% of households are food insecure, so this program is a welcome addition to West Meck’s cafeteria.
How to Enroll
If you are interested in enrolling at West Mecklenburg High School, there are a few things you need:
Use the CMS Geoportal to confirm your place of residence is within the appropriate school district here.
Compile documents necessary for enrollment. These requirements can be found here.
Download and complete the enrollment packet. Can be found on the far right side of the page here.
Submit your application to the school. This is required to be done in person and typically by appointment.
