Best Public Schools in Castle Hayne, NC

Summary:

The city of Castle Hayne, North Carolina is home to 4 schools, including 1 elementary school, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools. The schools in this area serve a student population that faces significant economic challenges, with very high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients across all campuses.

Among the standout schools in Castle Hayne are SEA-Technical High School and Wilmington Early College High. These two high schools have consistently ranked among the top schools in New Hanover County Schools, with SEA-Technical earning a 4-star rating and Wilmington Early College High earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. Both schools have impressive test scores, significantly exceeding the district and state averages in key subject areas like Math I, Math III, and English II.

In contrast, the middle school, Holly Shelter Middle, has test scores that are generally below the district and state averages, particularly in 6th and 7th grade math and reading. The elementary school, Castle Hayne Elementary, has stronger test scores, with 3rd-5th grade math scores exceeding the district and state averages. However, the school's rankings have declined in recent years, which may warrant further investigation.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wilmington Early College High	Public	9-12	4500 Blue Clay Rd	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 362-7789	270	13	20.6	98.9%	146 (54.1%)	57 (21.1%)	48 (17.8%)	8 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.1%)	84.2	114^th of 641 public high schools	82.2%		88.3	95^th of 640 public high schools	85.2%	19	62.5	86.0	70.0	96.9															$8,673	$273	$8,400
Castle Hayne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3925 Roger Haynes Drive	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 602-4970	531	37	14.5	99.4%	261 (49.2%)	101 (19.0%)	121 (22.8%)	6 (1.1%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.0%)	70	396^th of 1490 public elementary schools	73.4%		72.6	364^th of 1505 public elementary schools	75.8%	32					73.4	65.9	74.4				43.0	67.1	59.8				72.0		$10,690	$1,150	$9,540
Holly Shelter Middle	Public	6-8	3921 Roger Haynes Dr	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 602-4046	801	53	15.0	99.1%	377 (47.1%)	160 (20.0%)	191 (23.8%)	19 (2.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.2%)	60	285^th of 773 public middle schools	63.1%		68.2	221^st of 793 public middle schools	72.1%	64								53.3	54.1	58.5				49.0	55.2	62.0		70.9	$10,215	$1,188	$9,026
SEA-Technical	Public	9-12	5301 Sidbury Road	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 530-6300	227	17	13.6	98.7%	144 (63.4%)	26 (11.5%)	38 (16.7%)	5 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.2%)	89.1	86^th of 641 public high schools	86.6%		87	104^th of 640 public high schools	83.8%	18	75.0	83.3	85.7	98.4															$13,361	$253	$13,108

Cities Near Castle Hayne

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wilmington	2.39 mi	45	220^th
Rocky Point	5.55 mi	5	329^th
Leland	8.42 mi	5	203^rd
Wrightsville Beach	9.96 mi	1	2^nd
Hampstead	11.87 mi	7	42^nd

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.