Summary:
Spring Lake, North Carolina is served by a single traditional public high school, Overhills High, which enrolls roughly 1,981 students in grades 9–12 and belongs to Harnett County Schools. Because there is only one high school in the city, this summary focuses on how Overhills High compares to its district and state, offering parents the most useful context for understanding the school’s performance.
Overhills High is a local leader despite its mid-to-low state ranking. The school’s overall percentile improved from 27th in 2024–2025 to 32nd in 2025–2026, and it now holds a 2-star rating. On every End-of-Course test, Overhills outperforms its district average, but it remains below the North Carolina average. For example, 56.5% of students are proficient in Biology and 58.6% in English II, compared to district rates of 49.6% and 55.2%, respectively. Math I is the clear weak spot: only 32.0% of students are proficient, well below the state’s 42.1%. Math III also shows a large gap to the state, with 53.5% proficiency versus 68.9% statewide. The graduation rate of 87.4% is nearly identical to the district (87.5%) and close to the state average (88.8%).
Parents should note both the encouraging momentum and the challenges ahead. Overhills made strong year-over-year gains in every subject, with Biology jumping by 15.6 percentage points and English II by 10.3 points — a significant bright spot. However, chronic absenteeism is a real concern: 32.2% of students are chronically absent, which is 8.0 percentage points above the state rate and 5.3 points above the district. More than half of the student body (50.9%) qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student-to-teacher ratio is high at 26.7:1. Even with these resource and economic pressures, Overhills is one of the stronger schools within Harnett County and has shown clear recent improvement, making it a school worth watching — especially for families prioritizing academics and attendance support.
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