Freedom High School opened for its students in the 1973-1974 school year. It had an open classroom floor plan. There are now 'half walls' separating classes so that one class can no longer see into another, though students are still able to hear other classes. The majority of academic classes are now taught in a separate, "two story" building with full walls between each classroom.
U.S. News and World Reports states that Freedom has a student body that is 35% minority and 50% economically disadvantaged. Freedom has 64 full time teachers for a student to teacher ratio of approximately 19:1. Freedom has a 93% graduation rate.
Athletics/Extracurricular
Freedom High School currently competes at the 3A level in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, although previously they competed as a 4A school. Freedom is a member of the Northwestern 3A/4A conference for all sports. The school mascot is the Patriot and the colors are Red, White and Blue. Freedom offers football, soccer, cross country, basketball, swimming, wrestling, lacrosse, baseball, tennis, track and field and golf for males and volleyball, golf, cross country, basketball, swimming, softball, soccer and tennis for females. Freedom has been NCHSAA state champions once each in boys golf and volleyball-both as a 4A school. . Freedom has won five state championships in girls basketball the first four of which were as a 4A school, while the last was 3A with the Lady Patriots also going undefeated for the 2015-16 season. Freedom has also won four boys basketball state championships, with the first two as a 4A school and the last two as a 3A. Freedom has a large football stadium with an estimated seating capacity of 10,000. Track and Field events are held in the stadium, but both men's and women's soccer and lacrosse matches are held at the Morganton soccer complex just across the Catawba river. Freedom also has a large gym for wrestling, volleyball and basketball with an estimated seating capacity of 2,500. In 2014 Freedom High was named an NCHSAA "Exemplary School" for its athletics and extracurricular activities.
