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 8 public preschools serving 4,586 students in Pender County Schools. This district's average pre testing ranking is 8/10, which is in the top 30% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Pender County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 60% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 51% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 35% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public preschool average of 59% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
18 Schools
994 Schools
# Students
11,022 Students
464,055 Students
# Teachers
680 Teachers
33,275 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
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
n/a
4%
% Hispanic
17%
23%
% Black
11%
25%
% White
66%
41%
% 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 Preschools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Topsail Annandale Elementary School
(Math: 80% | Reading: 72%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
17385 Us Hwy 17
Hampstead, NC 28443
(910) 270-1977
Gr: PK-4 | 587 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 11%
Rank: #22.
Surf City Elementary School
(Math: 74% | Reading: 65%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
12345-a Literacy Lane
Holly Ridge, NC 28445
(910) 928-0067
Gr: PK-5 | 850 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 20%
Rank: #33.
South Topsail Elementary School
(Math: 74% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
997 Hoover Road
Hampstead, NC 28443
(910) 270-2756
Gr: PK-5 | 610 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 23%
Rank: #44.
North Topsail Elementary School
(Math: 68% | Reading: 60%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
1310 Sloop Point Loop Road
Hampstead, NC 28443
(910) 270-0694
Gr: PK-5 | 565 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 16%
Rank: #55.
Rocky Point Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
255 Elementary School Road
Rocky Point, NC 28457
(910) 675-2309
Gr: PK-5 | 402 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 61%
Rank: #66.
C.f. Pope Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
400 North Wright Street
Burgaw, NC 28425
(910) 259-0145
Gr: PK-5 | 538 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 62%
Rank: #77.
Cape Fear Elementary School
(Math: 38% | Reading: 32%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
1882 Nc Hwy 133
Rocky Point, NC 28457
(910) 602-3767
Gr: PK-5 | 543 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 45%
Rank: #88.
Malpass Corner Elementary School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
4992 Malpass Corner Road
Burgaw, NC 28425
(910) 283-5889
Gr: PK-5 | 491 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 62%

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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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