Southern School of Energy and Sustainability, 800 Clayton Road: grades 9 to 12, 1,321 students in 2024-25 and a D (49) state grade.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, Durham Public Schools’ Growing Together school site, 2026-27 zone and region map, calendars and bell schedule, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 assessment data and report card data, the federal NCES school directory and the NCHSAA’s 2025-29 realignment.

Southern School of Energy and Sustainability is a Durham Public Schools high school for grades 9 to 12 at 800 Clayton Road. It is the zoned high school for its own attendance area in the district’s East region. It also has a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) focus, and the district lists it as the STEM choice for families in every region, according to the district’s 2026-27 zone and region map.

Who to call
Address 800 Clayton Road, Durham, NC 27703
Phone 919-560-3968
Grades 9 to 12
Run by Durham Public Schools
DPS region East
Program STEM
Calendar Traditional
Mascot Spartans
State school code 320368

Principal

Principal Brandon Hodges, according to the school’s website.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 1,321 students in the 2024-25 school year, up from 1,298 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 1,352 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 75 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 18 students per teacher.

State report card

North Carolina gives every public school an A to F School Performance Grade, based 80% on achievement on state tests and other measures and 20% on academic growth, according to the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report.

School year Grade (score) Growth
2024-25 D (49) Met
2023-24 D (46) Not met

The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data.

From the state’s 2025-26 school assessment data:

  • At grade level or above, all state tests: 27.9% (state: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 11.8% (state: 37.5%)
  • ACT composite of 17 or higher, 11th graders: 24.3% (state: 54.5%)
  • Four-year graduation rate: 78.1% (state: 89%)
  • Growth: did not meet expected growth

The full report card, with attendance, teacher and course data, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.

Attendance zone and feeder schools

Every Durham Public Schools address is assigned a base elementary, middle and high school, and the zones do not follow the city limits. Check an address in the district’s school locator or the city-county Durham Public School Locator; the zones themselves are on the district’s 2026-27 map service.

The middle school that lists Southern School of Energy and Sustainability as its next step on the district’s Growing Together site is Neal Middle, and the elementary schools that feed into it are Bethesda Elementary, Glenn Elementary, Merrick-Moore Elementary and Spring Valley Elementary.

Families outside the zone can apply for the school’s choice program through the district’s magnet lottery. For 2026-27 the window ran Jan. 5 to 5 p.m. Jan. 30; the lottery page explains the process, and the district’s school choices page lists the programs.

We found no approved rezoning for this school: the district’s 2027-28 zone map, last updated in September, matches the 2026-27 zones.

DPS holds its Showcase of Schools, with every school represented, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Northern High School, 4622 N. Roxboro Road, according to the district.

Calendar and bell times

Southern School of Energy and Sustainability follows the district’s traditional calendar. Coming dates from the 2026-27 district calendars:

  • Monday, Nov. 2, and Tuesday, Nov. 3: teacher workdays, no school for students
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day holiday
  • Nov. 23-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break
  • Monday, Jan. 18, and Tuesday, Jan. 19: MLK Day holiday, then a teacher workday
  • March 22-26: spring break
  • Wednesday, June 9: last day of school, an early release day

Bell times: 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., according to the district’s bell schedule.

Sports and activities

Southern Durham is a 7A school in the NCHSAA’s 6A/7A Conference E for the 2025-29 alignment, with Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill, Hillside, Northern Durham and Riverside, according to the approved realignment.

The Spartans’ teams and schedules are on the school’s athletics website.

Fall schedules and results are in our Friday night football guide and on our scoreboard.

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Frequently asked questions

What grades does Southern School of Energy and Sustainability serve?

Southern School of Energy and Sustainability serves grades 9 to 12, according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

What is Southern School of Energy and Sustainability’s school grade?

Southern School of Energy and Sustainability earned a D, with a score of 49, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 27.9% of its state tests were at grade level or above.

How do I know if my address is zoned for Southern School of Energy and Sustainability?

Enter the address in the district’s school locator on its Growing Together site, or call the DPS Office of Student Assignment at 919-560-2059.

What time does Southern School of Energy and Sustainability start?

The school day runs 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., according to the district’s bell schedule.

What conference is Southern School of Energy and Sustainability in?

Southern Durham is a 7A school in the NCHSAA’s 6A/7A Conference E for the 2025-29 alignment, with Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill, Hillside, Northern Durham and Riverside.