Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy (WYMLA) is a public secondary school for boys in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is a part of Wake County Public School System.
It has grades 6–13, with the former Thompson School in Downtown Raleigh having most grades, except Early College students (grades 11 through 13.) Early College students will attend on the campus of Wake Tech's "Scott Northern Campus" for the 2024-25 school year, having previously (2012-2024) been at their former partner's campus at St. Augustine's University (SAU).
WYMLA opened in 2012, with Ian Solomon as the first principal,[1] with Xavier King taking over the role of principal in 2019.[2]
Originally, in 2011 the school system proposed creating single gender schools. Initially they were to be located at William Peace University, but that institution chose not to host them.[3] The ex-Thompson School held all Wake Young Men's students until St. Augustine's formed a partnership in 2013. From 2013 to 2024, alongside their partner all-girls school WYWLA, Early college students attended at SAU. In 2016 the first class graduated. After financial issues resulted in SAU's loss of accreditation in November 2023, the partnership was put into question.[4] After subsequent appeals and many meetings between WCPSS and SAU officers, the decision was made to terminate the partnership.[5] Starting in the Fall semester of 2024, Students will attend college courses through Wake Technical Community College, while district leaders establish a potential new relationship with a different University.[6] The relationship with Wake Tech is temporary, earning credits through the state's Career & College Promise (CCP), not an establishment of a new "Early College" under North Carolina's Cooperative Innovative High Schools program,[7] which they expect to establish with a future partner. The NC General Assembly passed HB 900[8] intending to expedite that process, and maintain the status of "Early College" for the leadership academies.[9] As of June 2024, the Superintendent and School board have state that the process has narrowed the future partner choice down to Shaw University and North Carolina State University, with a decision to be reached before the mid-July WCPSS board meeting.[10]
In 2016 it allowed students to play sports at other schools if the sports are not offered at WYLMA, but that year a board member proposed changing the rule.[11] Students are still allowed to participate at nearby High Schools.