617 Quarry St
Raleigh, NC 27601

This is a top caliber school. We came from a top private in this area so we can make a direct comparison. The teachers are kind and nurturing and are expert in their age group/topic. They are in a word amazing! My children have blossomed this year! They have gain so much self confidence and it is reflected in their academic and extracurricular works.Strong academic with opportunities to develop their talents through the electives. Rich arts and science curriculum! Orchestra starting in 1st grade, band in 3rd, theater, botany, coding, dance, photography, AIG and so much more. They have many activities for the whole family to foster a sense of community. We had one in which we shared a meal then break into small group to get to know each other while the kids enjoy some time. We had our “Hunter around the world” that was a total success.Very active PTA working hard to better the school. Very inclusive environment. I like that they always find a way for all kids to be able to participate in all that is happening at school whether it is a coat drive for the friends that need one, holiday basket, parents donating extra to ensure that all kids have the grade level shirt or go on a trip. The parents through the PTA make sure that our high caliber teachers feel appreciated.The principal and assistant principal know the kids, are approachable and seem to enjoy their job. They make themselves available promptly to meet with parents when requested.Very pleasant office staff.All are welcome here. We love the school.

Ligon has continued to be an overall disappointing experience for us with our child who is in 7th grade now. While there are some incredible teachers (including Mr. Wilson in Math, Mr. Huisking in Social Studies, and Mrs. Camarero in Spanish), the administration seems to have very little investment in the students and their families. Our interactions with the principal, assistant principal, AIG coordinators, and testing coordinator have all been incredibly negative and even downright hostile on numerous occasions. The school does not appear to value collaboration with the families as a general rule, although there are some individual teachers who excel at this. There are no longer AIG courses offered (despite the fact that Ligon is somehow still considered to be an AIG magnet school), and instead the AIG coordinators just have a few pull-out sessions with the AIG students each semester. Our child did not have a Science teacher for much of the first semester, and then the teacher who eventually assumed the role was a complete letdown in terms of his ability to motivate the students to learn as well as his overall approach. Our child’s Math teacher from last year was excellent, but she opted to leave after only a short tenure at Ligon because of the environment. We have kept our child enrolled at the school because of the friendships made (middle school can be quite an adjustment, and it would be difficult to change schools) and the positive educational experiences at the hands of a few outstanding teachers. It’s a shame that the legacy of academic excellence that Ligon once had has completely fallen apart.

My child is a Senior and even though he is still happy to go to school, he has had teachers that have been awesome but a few that just didn’t care. Despite me trying to contact one of the teachers with no response. I know there are many students but my child is not finding the support he needs. More Equity is needed. Being minority and low income makes it harder specially to find resources. The school needs to address that.Overall, the school is challenging and has tons of clubs but if your child is not taking AP’s, honor etc. It may feel like the school in the book The white folks that teach in the hood.

This school is a terrible choice for parents and students looking for a supportive teachers. Teachers will rarely listen to or try to understand a student's point of view. The administration will ignore many student concerns without any investigation unless parents interfere. Many of the work handed is just busy work and rarely has an impact on student learning. There are some helpful teachers but there are even more cruel teachers. It's incredibly hard to fix grades that a student didn't deserve without parental interference. The courses offered are very restrictive as well.

I have had an amazing experience as a student at this school. This has made me not only ready for college but also the professional world. Throughout my four years here I was able to grow and learn through the help of the incredible students and staff. I can't wait to see what Wake STEM becomes.

While we have had a few bumps getting our boy engaged, the leadership have been great partners with looking at options. This school is a college prep school so there is not an emphasis in the Arts, but more a focus on core curriculum. We love that there are male teachers teaching our boy as they provide examples of strong role models. We love the uniforms!

All teachers are very attentive and helpful especially Principal Baker during this pandemic. We are very lucky to belong to a school who treats the children as their own.