District overview
At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
11,073
NCES CCD 2024–25, where reported
Open schools
19
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Student–teacher ratio
18:1
Calculated from NCES 2024–25 enrollment and teacher FTE
Spending per pupil
$11,425
Current expenditure · FY 2023 F-33
Instruction per pupil
$7,336
Calculated from FY 2023 F-33
Grades served
PK–13
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
District interpretation
What the numbers say about Pender County Schools
Pender County Schools operates 19 current public-school records serving grades PK–13 in Burgaw, North Carolina. NCES reports 11,073 students and 616.68 classroom teacher FTE for 2024–25.
By reported enrollment, the district ranks 34 of 331 North Carolina districts with data. That position describes scale only—it does not say whether individual schools are a good fit for a particular student.
FY 2023 finance records show $11,425 in current expenditure per pupil and $7,336 per pupil assigned to instruction. This places reported current spending 180 of 318 districts in North Carolina. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and district responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Student context
Needs schools plan for
- English learners
- 5.4%
- Students with disabilities (IDEA)
- 12.5%
- Classroom teachers (FTE)
- 616.68
- Current expenditure (FY 2023)
- $125,005,000
Context measures describe who a district serves and its resources. They are not negative rating inputs.
Pender County Schools location
Burgaw, North Carolina · 34.5530, -77.9406. This is the NCES EDGE district-office point, not an attendance boundary.
Open exact point in OpenStreetMap →Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White64.8%
- Hispanic17.9%
- Black10.6%
- Asian0.5%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial5.7%
Race/ethnicity: NCES CCD 2024–25 where reported, otherwise CRDC 2021–22. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Interactive campus directory
Explore schools in Pender County Schools
19 current directory entries
Filter by school level or name, then sort by enrollment or reported student–teacher ratio.
Showing 19 of 19 schools
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burgaw Middle | Middle | 06–08 | 236 | 10.3:1 |
| C.F. Pope Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 530 | 16.2:1 |
| Cape Fear Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 533 | 14.5:1 |
| Cape Fear Middle | Middle | 06–08 | 430 | 13.4:1 |
| Heide Trask High | High | 09–12 | 732 | 21.9:1 |
| Malpass Corner Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 513 | 17.6:1 |
| North Topsail Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 529 | 15.9:1 |
| Pender Early College High | High | 09–13 | 215 | 50.8:1 |
| Pender High | High | 09–12 | 648 | 22.2:1 |
| Pender Innovative Learning Academy | Other | KG–12 | 38 | 4.9:1 |
| Penderlea Elementary | Elementary | PK–08 | 468 | 14.2:1 |
| Rocky Point Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 403 | 13.8:1 |
| South Topsail Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 618 | 16.1:1 |
| Surf City Elementary | Elementary | PK–05 | 857 | 16.8:1 |
| Surf City Middle | Middle | 06–08 | 752 | 18.5:1 |
| Topsail Annandale Elementary School | Elementary | PK–04 | 580 | 17:1 |
| Topsail High | High | 09–12 | 1,945 | 29.1:1 |
| Topsail Middle | Middle | 05–08 | 837 | 18.7:1 |
| West Pender Middle | Middle | 06–08 | 209 | 12.3:1 |