William Amos Hough High School
William Amos Hough High School, better known as Hough, is a public high school within the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System that services the northern area of Mecklenburg County. Located at 12420 Bailey Road, Cornelius, NC 28031, the school is fed by the surrounding neighborhoods of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville. Established in 2010, it is home to 2,470 students and 117 faculty. The school’s mascot is the Huskies.
Location
William Amos Hough directly services the neighborhoods of Cornelius, Davidson, Hopewell, and parts of Huntersville. These submarkets are in the northern central region of Mecklenburg County and border school district lines with Hopewell and North Mecklenburg. There has been steady growth and development throughout these neighborhoods in recent years, and both Davidson and Huntersville were voted two of the best places to live in North Carolina by Rocket Homes. As of 2023, the median household income for the area’s ZIP of 28031 was $104,915. The median sales price for the area was $503,500 in September 2023. Downtown Davidson as well as downtown Cornelius offer countless shopping opportunities. Davidson College is also intermixed within the town of Davidson and attracts many visitors throughout the school year. These neighborhoods are accessed via I-77, Sam Furr Rd, W. Catawba Ave, and Old Statesville Rd.
Academics
Hough 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), 93.4% of all 2023 graduates finished school within 4 years. This is just behind the NC State average of 86%. Greatschools found that 96% of graduates also went on to attend public university for at least 2 years. This puts Hough in a great spot in terms of college readiness, as almost all of those who graduate continue to excel in higher education programs. The school also offers 30 AP courses, 1 STEM program, 1 art course, and 1 world language course. Test scores for English, Math, and Biology were all ahead of state averages, the largest advantage being in English 2 where Hough students outperformed the State average by 26%. As of 2023, there are 117 teachers at Hough, resulting in a Student / Teacher Ratio of 21-1.
Test Scores
Average SAT Test Scores: 2022-2023
Hough High School students were prepared for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in 2023. According to the NC DPI, students performed in line with their CMS counterparts. However, Hough students did come in above average on both the State and National level, beating scores by an average of 3.3% and 15.4% respectively. This information points to the school being about average for the CMS system for SAT preparation. It also indicates Hough students are better prepared for the exam than their State and National counterparts. The SAT participation rate for the school was 49.70%.
Average ACT Test Scores: 2022-2023
Hough prepared its students well for the Aptitude and Critical Thinking test (ACT). Average 2023 scores for English, Math, Reading, and Science were all above those of their CMS, State, and National counterparts. The largest advantage was in English, where Hough students were outscored by their CMS counterparts by 18.9% on average.
4-Graduation Rate
Graduation Rate: 2018-2023
The 4-Year Graduation Rate at William Amos Hough High School has hovered in the mid-to-low 90’s since 2018. There have been slight fluctuations as the school trudged through the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the graduation trend has stayed relatively consistent. This is an outlier in the CMS system, as a majority of schools struggled to maintain consistent graduation numbers through the epidemic. This data backs the notion that Hough handled COVID and its aftermath with relative success.
Food Assistance Programs
William Amos Hough 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 Hough’s cafeteria.
How to Enroll
If you are interested in enrolling at William Amos Hough 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.
