Gray Stone Day School

Posted: September 12, 2025

This school is perfect for those trying to reach a higher academic level in the system! Most of the teachers WILL help you but you NEED to ask them for it. They can’t help things they don’t know. Social environment is on par with those overseas. The kids here are very nice to newcomers and yeah they like to play around a lot but they are also very friendly people. Also PLEASE add a volleyball team for the men’s sports. The increase in popularity of the sport for the mens have sky rocketed and I think it’s also a good thing to perceive some of the students interests.

Posted: September 12, 2025

Posted: September 12, 2025

Posted: September 12, 2025

Posted: September 12, 2025

Posted: September 12, 2025

Posted: September 12, 2025

Posted: September 12, 2025

Posted: September 4, 2025

It is in need of more baked potato days

Posted: September 4, 2025

Posted: September 4, 2025

Posted: September 4, 2025

Posted: September 4, 2025

Posted: September 4, 2025

Posted: September 4, 2025

Posted: September 4, 2025

Posted: June 9, 2024

The lesson during classes are pretty easy to follow.There are a couple teachers that I feel overcomplicate there lessons or don’t teach at all. The teachers are very judgmental as soon as you make a mistake you’re never getting back in their good grace. The middle school principal is amazing and very encouraging to the students. The same can’t be said about the high-school principal. Who I feel shouldn’t be working with teens. Another teacher I feel should never teach teens is the sports director. It’s common knowledge around the middle and high school student specifically the girls to be weary of him. He’s know to go into the girls bathroom while the girls are still changing and stand and talk to them. Any time he substitutes for my gym class the girls would often tie their hoodies around their waist or go all the way back to their locker to grab one. Instead of doing warm ups which is a series of stretches we do every day at gym he makes us do squats, burpees, and pushups. I’m not necessarily complaining about the exercises, but when we’re doing them he always right besides a girl either staring at her or asking her to do the exercise again while the boys can put no effort and nothing will be done. The homework is difficult and time consuming. I’ve always gone to a private school so after school homework is my usual, but my friends from public school often have a hard time with the amount of homework. There’s a lot of presentations and project that have multiple step and have a time line of 4-7 days to complete. There’s homework in 5 or 6 classes depending if you have gym or health that week. The homework for one can take 30 to a hour to complete.

Posted: June 9, 2024

Posted: June 9, 2024

Posted: June 9, 2024

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Posted: June 9, 2024

Posted: June 9, 2024

Posted: June 20, 2023

Don't bother if your child has any special needs or is interested in instrumental music. The don't have any music program to speak of and don't really care if your child has trouble with the course load. Lots of mind-numbing homework the administration says "makes them get prepared for college" but not really. My daughter quit half way through her senior year due to the overwhelming amount of work expected. My son left after eighth grade because no one (teachers, counselors, or administrators) wanted to take the time to help him.
Senior admin changes and yearly course changes (one year 5 classes daily, next year 6 classes daily) makes for frustrated students. Some STEM classes (especially computer science) are poorly planned and fall far short of expectations. Lack of diversity is also a concern my daughter expressed when attending.

Posted: June 20, 2023

Posted: June 20, 2023

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Posted: June 20, 2023

Posted: May 15, 2020

The teachers do not teach the children. The teachers pull resources from the internet and "review" what they have pulled. If your child needs extra help, the teacher cannot help them because most of them are not certified teachers and are teaching subjects they have no degrees in the area.

Posted: May 15, 2020

The school has an Honor Code. The students there are pretty good students really because its tailored made. You have the board members families, siblings, and the staff children. All of the substitute teachers or elective teachers have children at the school. So, the school has set the tone. This is best part of it. Students are asked to be honest and they generally are but the character of the adults is another thing - very poor.

Posted: May 15, 2020

Principal Stack is not a good leader. He seems to be an old athlete who has somehow found his way in the education field but he probably won't be here long. He is an incompetent bully to his staff and the students.

Posted: May 15, 2020

No. If your child has a learning disability or if your child needs additional help - do not send them here. They only give one report card so any grade from the beginning of the year to the end of the year is permanent. Also, no grade improvement work is allowed and no late work in case of excused absence is allowed in a reasonable time.

Posted: May 15, 2020

The bullying is not from the students, it is from the teachers and principal. If one teacher has a mishap with you, they will all bombard your child consistently throughout the year. The principal is in on it too. ---Students make comments every now and then and get away with a lot but the true bullies are the teachers.

Posted: May 15, 2020

I waited a year to complete this because I wanted to compare it to my child's new school. --- As stated, the student body is okay. The school is a group of students who are tired of riff raff in the traditional public schools with all of the discipline issues. They are not smarter. They are better behaved "collectively" not individually. This is because they have bought into the hype - "We're at Gray Stone" and I must say - I like the heir! However, there should be some type of dress code. Students wear flip flops, short shorts and skirts, crocs, and I've even seen a few with PJs. Also, the school does not have a library. They try to have activities but they really aren't too interesting. One of the worst activities there are the sports because the school has limited transportation (one bus) so the sports team who has to travel the farthest gets the bus. All other teams - the students drive themselves and they carpool. This is very dangerous to me. The classrooms are pretty full too. They are 25:1 in the middle grades. Each teacher, Math, Science, English, Social Students have five sections of 25 totaling 125. That 18:1 ratio must be for the high school. Also, the scheduling is different and not really better. It seems the school tries to do "different" things but it is not a well thought out plan. As I stated, the teachers pile on busy work. Students don't really learn - they just keep busy. Students have Electives that they have tons of work for, but they don't earn grades for them. Speaking of grades, students do not get multiple grades. They receive one report card for the whole year. Also, the students do not perform well on the end of the year testing. I guess it's a group of people happy to be away from regular public school chaos so you take the less of two evils. I sure wish they would find the balance. It starts with real teachers and real leadership.

Posted: May 15, 2020

The sixth grade staff uses Canvas and locks homework so students will have homework everyday. A student cannot complete homework over the weekend because of this. This prevents students from being able to participate in after school activities because the homework is nothing but busy work. The teachers cut and paste and gather assignments from the internet. For example, number one of your homework can be found in a google search, number two of your homework can be found on teachers pay teachers, number three of your homework can be found in quizlet. Repeat cycle.

Posted: November 1, 2019

There is a strong moral code enforced but you would have no idea the stuff some kids get away with, at this point the “honor code” is useless

Posted: November 1, 2019

WHY DONT THEY HAVE FOOTBALL??? Overall this school is a very very mixed bag. Sports and after school events are uninteresting (I don’t think I’ve attended a single sports game in 3 years). Some teachers are great and help every student learn at their own pace. However some don’t care at all and take months to grade papers. Management seems to be unorganized leading to the worst school schedule I’ve ever had, and days were no one was informed of where they were supposed to go.

Posted: November 1, 2019

Most of the homework feels like busywork, it isn’t challenging it just takes a while.

Posted: November 1, 2019

It’s a mixed bag. Some teachers are amazing and greatly helped me (shout-out Mrs. Rutherford) but some don’t care about students and just assign busywork.

Posted: May 23, 2019

It used to do better, but recently discipline has become non-existent. Students are beginning to realize that they can do what they want with no consequence and they and their parents can complain and get their way. There is an honor code, but students are realizing it is not enforced.

Posted: May 23, 2019

High school principal has not experience/background in education and no training/qualifications as principal, so their leadership leaves a lot to be desired. Rules with an iron thumb, leading to low staff morale, negativity, and a very stressful working environment. There is no teacher support. Decisions do not always make sense and are not clearly explained. Things also change like the wind, leading to a chaotic culture and environment.

Posted: May 23, 2019

Posted: May 23, 2019

Administration doesn't like confrontation with parents and pushes a lot of things under the rug instead of dealing with them.

Posted: May 23, 2019

This used to be a fantastic school that really cared about its staff and producing productive, successful, and honorable students, but it is in a downward decline due to poor leadership. With the exception of administration, I have had a pretty positive experience at this school, though I wouldn't currently recommend it to other teachers.

Posted: May 23, 2019

Homework is expected, but sometimes quantity and quality are confused in regards to rigor. The students aren't always taught effective time management strategies and are very overwhelmed and stressed out by the amount of homework.

Posted: May 23, 2019

For the most part teachers are given freedom over their curriculum. But evaluations are not conducted and constructive feedback/guidance are not offered, so some are not as effective as they could be. There have been many teachers that were not effective at all.

Posted: March 29, 2019

It's not just busy work. If students put in the time, they will be successful.

Posted: March 29, 2019

We get the best out of our students. We require students to have strong work ethics.

Posted: March 29, 2019

The students who make it 4 years feel like they've earned their education instead of been given an education.

Posted: March 29, 2019

Administration give the leadership duties back to the teacher where it belongs. They are there for support and guidance.

Posted: March 29, 2019

We all learn different. Teachers are very accommodation to different learning styles.

Posted: March 29, 2019

The culture of the school is amazing. This is how education is supposed to be. Every school should be putting academics first on their priority list but that isn't always the case.

Posted: December 11, 2018

I haven't graduated but my experience has changed my life for the better.

Posted: December 11, 2018

Posted: December 11, 2018

Posted: December 11, 2018

Posted: December 11, 2018

Posted: December 11, 2018

We don't have an ec program, but we do have students with certain differences.

Posted: December 11, 2018

Posted: June 20, 2018

Posted: June 20, 2018

Posted: June 20, 2018

Homework is an excellent way to prepare students for test and exams.

Posted: June 20, 2018

Posted: June 20, 2018

Posted: June 20, 2018

Posted: June 20, 2018

Excellent learning experience for anyone preparing for college.

Posted: September 7, 2016

As a recent Gray Stone graduate, I feel compelled to share my experience with everyone. I came to GS from a mediocre middle school, and I definitely felt behind when I arrived. My first quarter I really struggled to not only balance these new academic expectations, but to also adjust to a workload I didn't think was possible. There were times, especially my freshman and sophomore years, I really thought about just going back to a regular public school because I knew how much easier it would be.

Fast forward to now, and I'm just beginning my junior year at Chapel Hill. I cannot even begin to express how well Gray Stone prepared me for college. I roomed with my best friend my freshman year (who chose to stay at our home high school and not go to GS), and she had a really hard time adjusting to the difficulty of the university curriculum. All of the emotions she was going through our freshman year in regards to grades, I went through in my time at GS. I have yet to walk into a class that I feel like I can't do well in. There are some where I know I'll struggle, but unlike so many people I encounter here, I realize that the struggle is a good thing. There are even a lot of concepts (especially in English and history) that we studied in depth at GS that I'm seeing again here at Chapel Hill.

Is Gray Stone right for everyone? No. Can anyone who is willing to put in the work get a great education? Absolutely. I didn't have a single teacher who I knew wasn't willing to do anything he or she could to help me do well. Sometimes it's hard to see why you're working so much harder than nearly everyone at traditional schools, but almost every alumni I speak with will agree that it pays off in the end.

Posted: August 18, 2016

Posted: August 18, 2016

Posted: August 18, 2016

Posted: August 18, 2016

Gray Stone cannot provide the diverse experiences that public high school can provide. Think about what your child may be missing before you send them there.

Posted: August 18, 2015

Posted: August 18, 2015

Posted: August 18, 2015

Posted: August 18, 2015

Perfect fit for my 2 kids after public school. First day at GSDS, my child came home so happy because for the first time EVERYONE in the group project actually helped/participated with the group project and classes were not noisy and disruptive. The curriculum is more challenging and stimulating which is what my kids need. All the students are motivated to learn and succeed which has had a positive influence on my kids. GSDS really stresses for the students to do the work themselves to prepare them for independent learning in college but they also offer a lot of tutoring and help for students who struggle. Sports are very competitive and the whole school environment feels very safe. Carpooling with other families was no problem the first year before my child could drive. The kids in the carpool enjoyed the time to socialize and discuss their classes - they encouraged each other to study more and get good grades. Gray Stone has been an all around great experience and we are so lucky to have such a great college prep school available at no cost!

Posted: August 16, 2015

Gray Stone Day School offers to us a college-preparatory learning opportunity at no cost. The relationships our children have with their teachers and peers is healthy, positive, nurturing and conducive to learning. The academic, athletic, and social development we observe in the students there is inspiring...we are grateful for the dedication of the GSDS administration and staff and wholeheartedly recommend the school to all learners!

Posted: August 16, 2015

Posted: August 16, 2015

Posted: August 16, 2015

Posted: August 14, 2015

We are very pleased with Gray Stone! We chose to drive outside of our county for the academic rigor (ranked #1 in NC, Newsweek, 2014), comprehensive athletic programs (21 sports, winning many championships) and the culture/safety (there are no locks on the lockers and so many clubs/activities to choose from). The teachers offer tutoring and advisory for additional help too. It is like a private school free of charge! .

Posted: August 14, 2015

Posted: August 14, 2015

Posted: August 14, 2015

Posted: July 25, 2014

When I learned that at Graystone the teachers were not certified, and many who were were teaching out of their area of certification (a history major teaches English, for example, and rather poorly), I got my kid out of the school. He was bullied on a daily basis after I complained about a grade to the administrator--by the teachers! Teachers do not grade most of the work they assign. They say they are rigorous, but no teacher (when asked) seems to have the same concept of what that means. Graystone does not prepare one for college, it filters away students who need help and gives degrees to the independent learners-the students who succeed without help. My son is now a senior at UNC and he strongly warns people against going to Graystone. I wish I could tell you of all of the ethical (according to the NC state board of education) violations that go on daily there--and they do not know enough to understand that their actions are unethical. Beware. You might have a good experience, but you could have a nightmare that has an adverse effect on your child.

Posted: November 26, 2013

I feel that Gray Stone isn't all it's crack up to be. The "principal" is not qualified for her job and many of the teachers are lost with no instruction of what they can and cannot do. I feel there is a hazing process for the freshman to weed them out. My child did not have any difficulty with the school, in fact made great grades. It has definitely fallen below my expectations on the academic, social and athletic needs of my child.

Posted: May 2, 2013

Gray Stone is a place where the teachers compete with each other to be difficult. They pride themselves in giving low grades. Since many colleges do not know anything about Gray Stone, it actually has hurt me trying to get into college. Most of the kids here would have scored high on the tests when they enrolled as freshmen--but they claim the scores as something they did. About a third of the students do not make it to graduation. A nearby principal told me that they target weak students and advise them to return to their home schools before it is smart to do so, causing them not to graduate on time. Teachers and administrators bully these students. There are some good teachers there, but the number of them is shrinking; most of the teachers are sarcastic bullies. They target the weak students, getting them to leave. The students make fun of the principals because they are clueless. They are also about making a profit-charging students 35 cents for a copy. They do not provide all students transportation to athletic events. They have the money for buses, but they ask students to drive other students and they don't pay for gas. I wish I had not come here.

Posted: July 29, 2012

My son is about to begin his 3rd year at Gray Stone. He loves it. It is easy to fit in there for an introverted person since the school is relatively small. He wishes for more academic challenge but feels the academic level there far exceeds other public schools in this area. Most of the teachers are excellent. Behavioral problems are not an issue here and the rules are reasonable.