South Lakes Elementary School opened in August 2020 in the lovely Fuquay-Varina community. Even though we started a brand-new school during the times of challenges and opportunities presented during the Covid Pandemic, we were thrilled and honored to create a new school family in the Southern Area of Wake County! We have grown from around 500 students to 800 over the course of four years, so this part of Wake County is definitely the place to be!   Our success today is a credit to the resilience and commitment of our staff, school families and our school community!  

After only our third year, 2022-2023, our students had the second-highest academic growth of ALL elementary schools in WCPSS, and we look forward to continued positive growth every year. Our exceptional staff and committed parents/guardians make a difference!  Once you enroll at SLES, please sign up to volunteer and become active in supporting the progress of all of our students. We need your side-by-side involvement at the class and school level.

Our PTA is also an incredible partner for South Lakes Elementary!  Join our PTA & find ways to share your work of heart. Our PTA sponsors many during and after-school events and can always use an extra hand and heart.  

Our goal for South Lakes Elementary is to create a school community that has a family feel. We want this to be a “home away from home,” where everyone is valued and we become stronger together. We look forward to your joining our family!   

 Welcome home! We're glad you are here!

Here we are family; 

Here we achieve our dreams; 

Here we make a difference;

Here is where YOU belong!

HERE has significance for us, as it defines the four pillars of our School Development Plan for 2020-21. As a school community, we will be creating practices, processes and procedures that support our plans to provide the following for all stakeholders in our school community:   

High Expectations for all students & staff 

Enthusiasm that is shared and visible for all we do

Restorative Practices, particularly Circle Keeping, to create and sustain a strong sense of family & community; SLES will be a place where everyone belongs

Engagement; everyone in our school family should feel fully engaged in South Lakes Elementary

From Day 1 & every day forward, we want every child who comes to South Lakes Elementary School to feel they are seen and have a place to belong!  

Welcome home! We're glad you are here!