High Schools in Pender County Schools

Summary:

The Pender County Schools district in North Carolina is home to four high schools serving grades 9-12. The data analysis reveals significant differences in performance and characteristics among these schools, with Pender Early College High standing out as the top-performing school in the district.

Pender Early College High consistently ranks among the top 30 high schools in North Carolina, with exceptional test scores and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. In contrast, Heide Trask High and Pender High appear to be the lower-performing schools, with significantly lower test scores compared to the district and state averages, and they are ranked in the bottom half of North Carolina high schools.

The data also reveals notable differences in free and reduced lunch rates, with Heide Trask High and Pender High having very high rates, indicating a high percentage of students from low-income families. Pender Early College High, on the other hand, has a much lower free and reduced lunch rate. The variation in spending per student across the schools is also noteworthy, with Pender Early College High and Topsail High spending less per student compared to the other two schools.

District Detail

925 Penderlea Hwy
Burgaw, NC 28425

(910) 259-2187

SchoolDigger Rank:
115^th of 242 North Carolina districts

See the 2025 North Carolina District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-13
Students: 11,073

Primary Schools: 9
Middle Schools: 5
High Schools: 4
Alternative Schools: 1

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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pender High	Public	9-12	5380 NC Hwy 53 W	Burgaw	28425	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 259-0162	648	29	22.1	98.5%	265 (40.9%)	201 (31.0%)	151 (23.3%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.7%)	13.9	576^th of 641 public high schools	10.1%		17.5	534^th of 640 public high schools	16.6%	42	28.2	29.2	6.6	47.0	$10,022	$530	$9,492
Topsail High	Public	9-12	245 St. Johns Church Road	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-2755	1,945	67	29.0	23.5%	1,603 (82.4%)	60 (3.1%)	148 (7.6%)	15 (0.8%)	6 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	110 (5.7%)	79.4	136^th of 641 public high schools	78.8%		76.8	145^th of 640 public high schools	77.3%	9	75.2	77.5	56.7	83.6	$8,065	$589	$7,476
Heide Trask High	Public	9-12	14328 NC Hwy 210	Rocky Point	28457	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 602-6810	732	33	21.8	99.6%	300 (41.0%)	111 (15.2%)	281 (38.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.9%)	18.8	530^th of 641 public high schools	17.3%		33.3	420^th of 640 public high schools	34.4%	110	23.0	47.6	21.2	42.2	$10,484	$771	$9,712
Pender Early College High	Public	9-12	100 East Industrial Drive	Burgaw	28425	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 362-7925	215	4	50.8	98.6%	140 (65.1%)	10 (4.7%)	50 (23.3%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.6%)	94.3	30^th of 641 public high schools	95.3%		95.5	22^nd of 640 public high schools	96.6%	8	91.1	98.2	90.9	94.9	$7,865	$425	$7,440

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
New Hanover County Schools	14.11 mi	43	78^th
NCDPS Juvenile Education Services	15.7 mi	10
Columbus County Schools	15.72 mi	12	177^th
STEM Education for a Global Society-SEGS	15.85 mi	1
Classical Charter Schools of Leland	16.06 mi	1	32^nd

See the top NC North Carolina districts

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.