Pender County Schools

925 Penderlea Hwy
Burgaw, NC 28425
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Pender County Schools ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 6 public middle schools serving 2,954 students in Pender County Schools. This district's average middle testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public middle schools in North Carolina.
Public Middle Schools in Pender County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 51% (versus the North Carolina public middle school average of 48%), and reading proficiency score of 50% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 34% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public middle school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
18 Schools
880 Schools
# Students
11,022 Students
493,642 Students
# Teachers
680 Teachers
31,617 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Pender County Schools, 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.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#130 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)
(21-22)
55%
51%
51%
50%
67%
63%
(21-22)
94%
86%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.53
0.71
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
n/a
4%
% Hispanic
17%
20%
% Black
11%
25%
% White
66%
44%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $9,791 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,191. The school district revenue/student has declined by 13% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $9,454 is less than the state median of $11,616. The school district spending/student has declined by 13% over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$108 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$104 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$9,791
$11,191
Spending / Student
$9,454
$11,616

Best Pender County Schools Public Middle Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Topsail Middle School
(Math: 69% | Reading: 64%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
17445 Us Hwy 17
Hampstead, NC 28443
(910) 270-2612
Gr: 5-8 | 855 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 17%
Rank: #22.
Surf City Middle School
(Math: 64% | Reading: 62%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
12345-b Literacy Lane
Hampstead, NC 28443
(910) 928-0087
Gr: 6-8 | 750 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 17%
Rank: #33.
Penderlea Elementary School
(Math: 43% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
11 Garden Road
Willard, NC 28478
(910) 285-2761
Gr: K-8 | 484 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 48%
Rank: #44.
Cape Fear Middle School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1886 Nc Hwy 133
Rocky Point, NC 28457
(910) 602-3334
Gr: 6-8 | 449 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 54%
Rank: #55.
Burgaw Middle School
(Math: 21% | Reading: 30%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
500 South Wright Street
Burgaw, NC 28425
(910) 259-0149
Gr: 6-8 | 228 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 64%
Rank: #66.
West Pender Middle School
(Math: 20-24% | Reading: 20-24%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
10750 Nc Hwy 53 West
Burgaw, NC 28425
(910) 283-5626
Gr: 6-8 | 188 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 69%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 18 schools
  • Grades: PK-13
  • Enrollment: 11,022 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 34%
  • : 94% (Top 1% in NC)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 55% (Top 50%)
  • : 51% (Top 50%)
  • : 67% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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