Top Rankings
Pender County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 10%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 5 public high schools serving 3,530 students in Pender County Schools School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public high schools in North Carolina.
Public High Schools in Pender County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 54% (versus the North Carolina public high school average of 58%), and reading proficiency score of 57% (versus the 58% statewide average).
Public High School in Pender County School School District have a Graduation Rate of 94%, which is more than the North Carolina average of 85%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Topsail High School, with 97% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in North Carolina or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 34% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public high school average of 55% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
19 Schools
761 Schools
# Students
11,070 Students
565,764 Students
# Teachers
685 Teachers
33,453 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1
District Rank
Pender County Schools School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 94% has increased from 89% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#130 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
55%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
51%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
67%
63%
Graduation Rate
94%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.53
0.70
# American Indian Students
37 Students
5,772 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
58 Students
21,293 Students
% Asian Students
n/a
4%
# Hispanic Students
1,888 Students
115,235 Students
% Hispanic Students
17%
20%
# Black Students
1,187 Students
138,700 Students
% Black Students
11%
24%
# White Students
7,261 Students
254,801 Students
% White Students
66%
45%
# Hawaiian Students
10 Students
765 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
634 Students
30,969 Students
% of Two or more races Students
6%
6%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
243
491
# Students in K Grade:
689
6,922
# Students in 1st Grade:
760
6,949
# Students in 2nd Grade:
855
7,207
# Students in 3rd Grade:
831
7,125
# Students in 4th Grade:
848
7,196
# Students in 5th Grade:
849
7,763
# Students in 6th Grade:
808
11,146
# Students in 7th Grade:
843
12,024
# Students in 8th Grade:
832
12,284
# Students in 9th Grade:
880
137,976
# Students in 10th Grade:
963
126,349
# Students in 11th Grade:
907
117,582
# Students in 12th Grade:
762
104,750
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $9,748 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has declined by 13% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $9,413 is less than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has declined by 13% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$108 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$104 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$9,748
$11,187
Spending / Student
$9,413
$11,612
Best Pender County Schools School District Public High Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Pender Early College High School
(Math: ≥80% | Reading: ≥90%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
100 East Industrial Drive
Burgaw, NC 28425
(910) 362-7925
Burgaw, NC 28425
(910) 362-7925
Grades: 9-13
| 188 students
Rank: #22.
Topsail High School
(Math: 70% | Reading: 75%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
245 St. Johns Church Road
Hampstead, NC 28443
(910) 270-2755
Hampstead, NC 28443
(910) 270-2755
Grades: 9-12
| 1,888 students
Rank: #33.
Pender High School
(Math: 40-59% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
5380 Nc Hwy 53 W
Burgaw, NC 28425
(910) 259-0162
Burgaw, NC 28425
(910) 259-0162
Grades: 9-12
| 672 students
Rank: #44.
Heide Trask High School
(Math: 30-39% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
14328 Nc Hwy 210
Rocky Point, NC 28457
(910) 602-6810
Rocky Point, NC 28457
(910) 602-6810
Grades: 9-12
| 734 students
Rank: #55.
Pender Innovative Learning Academy
Alternative School
(Math: 20-24% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
1886 Nc Hwy 133
Rocky Point, NC 28457
(910) 789-6073
Rocky Point, NC 28457
(910) 789-6073
Grades: K-12
| 48 students
Recent Articles
Year-Round Or Traditional Schedule?
Which is more appropriate for your child? A year-round attendance schedule or traditional schedule? We look at the pros and cons.
Why You Should Encourage Your Child to Join a Sports Team
Participating in team sports has a great many benefits for children, there is no doubt. In this article you will learn what those benefits are.
White Students are Now the Minority in U.S. Public Schools
Increasing birth rates among immigrant families from Asia and Central and South America, combined with lower birth rates among white families, means that for the first time in history, public school students in the United States are majority-minority. This shift in demographics poses difficulties for schools as they work to accommodate children of varying language abilities and socio-economic backgrounds.
