West Bladen High

West Bladen High serves about 720 students in grades 9–12 in Bladenboro, North Carolina, as part of Bladen County Schools. The school's state ranking has dropped sharply, falling from the 45th percentile (2 stars) in 2023-24 to the 21st percentile (1 star) in 2025-26, now ranking 522nd out of 662 high schools. West Bladen trails both its district and the state on every end-of-course test, including Biology (42.9% proficient vs. 58.5% statewide), English II (41.1% vs. 64.6%), Math I (28.9% vs. 42.1%), and Math III (60.9% vs. 68.9%).

Among nearby traditional high schools, West Bladen now ranks lowest, behind East Bladen High, Saint Pauls High, and Lumberton Senior High. The largest subject gap is in Math III, where West Bladen’s 60.9% proficiency rate trails East Bladen’s 83.1% by a wide margin—even though West Bladen frequently outperforms East Bladen in Biology and English II. Chronic absenteeism is another concern, jumping from 27.6% to 42% in a single year, well above the state rate of 24.2%. The student-teacher ratio is also high at 22.7 to 1, meaning fewer teachers per student than at nearby schools.

There are some encouraging signs. The graduation rate reached 93.2% in the most recent year, above both the district and state averages, though it was just 79.4% the year before, so that volatility is worth watching. West Bladen has also shown it can produce competitive results in Biology and English II in recent years. However, nearly every student subgroup now ranks below the 30th percentile statewide, and the sharp decline from just two years ago suggests a systemic issue that deserves attention.