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Burns High

Q: Is Burns High a good school?

Burns High ranks 239 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

239^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 64% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Burns High is a traditional public high school in Lawndale, North Carolina, serving 928 students in grades 9-12 as part of Cleveland County Schools. The school recently achieved its highest state ranking ever, placing 239th out of 662 North Carolina high schools (64th percentile, 3 stars) — a significant jump from the previous year's 390th place finish. Burns posts a graduation rate of 87.9%, above the district rate of 85.5% but just below the state rate of 88.8%. Chronic absenteeism has also fallen dramatically, from 41.1% three years ago to 23.5%, now essentially at the state average.

Academically, Burns stands out most for its Biology End-of-Course results, with 91.1% of students proficient — far above the state average of 58.5% and the district average of 65.5%. That puts Burns well ahead of nearby Crest High (70.9%), Kings Mountain High (60.5%), and Shelby High (52.4%). English II proficiency (64.1%) is the highest among the area's traditional high schools, and Math III is strong at 75.7%. Math I (58.3%) is above the state average but trails several local peers. It's worth noting these scores represent a large one-year gain — Biology jumped from 40.8% the year before — so it will be important to see if the results hold in future years.

Burns serves a very high-need population, with over 99% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, yet its economically disadvantaged students perform at the 67th percentile statewide. That is notably better than Shelby High, a similar nearby school with nearly identical poverty levels, where Burns outperforms Shelby by wide margins in every subject. The main challenge is special education, where students rank at the 37th percentile — improved from the 11th percentile two years ago, but still the school's weakest area. Overall, Burns clusters with Crest High and Kings Mountain High at the upper-middle tier of local schools, while Cleveland ECHS, the county's early college high school, remains in a much higher tier.

928

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,886

Per pupil spending ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

307 E Stagecoach Trail
Lawndale, NC 28090-9535

(704) 476-8335

District: Cleveland County Schools

Feeder schools for Burns High:

Elementary:	Casar Elementary
	Fallston Elementary
	Union Elementary
	Washington Elementary
Middle:	Burns Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.5%

African American:

16.8%

Hispanic:

10.2%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Burns High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 54th percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (69% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the North Carolina median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg65%

North Carolina avg60%

239^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 36%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From top 46% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5High Schools in the Cleveland County Schools

82^nd of 246Cleveland County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.3	239 of 662	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.3	390 of 641	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.3	308 of 640	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.5	375 of 626	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.0	279 of 621	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.2	324 of 594	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.7	310 of 514	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.0	297 of 469	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	32.7	295 of 476	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	40.0	234 of 507	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	37.8	277 of 531	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	37.2	229 of 451	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.9	251 of 505	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	44.2	279 of 502	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	60.7	176 of 506	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	52.3	266 of 499	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	40.5	335 of 490	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	39.8	325 of 477	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	44.5	279 of 453	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.3	302 of 431	29.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.1	182 of 450	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.6	247 of 440	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.9	196 of 437	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.0	287 of 434	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.1	147 of 430	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.1	139 of 364	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.3	202 of 369	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.9	168 of 359	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	33.0	221 of 334	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	12.7	357 of 364	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	303 of 349	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.2	209 of 629	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.6	347 of 610	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.3	268 of 602	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.3	356 of 588	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.4	248 of 594	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.1	220 of 475	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.8	297 of 475	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.5	299 of 449	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.0	162 of 407	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.8	249 of 412	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.4	216 of 403	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.4	311 of 403	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	59.2	194 of 398	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.9	187 of 337	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.4	263 of 325	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	64.5	29 of 100	71.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.3	170 of 474	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.9	184 of 462	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.4	128 of 454	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	30.0	320 of 449	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	59.2	132 of 436	69.7%	★★★★☆
2021	36.1	211 of 370	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.2	264 of 354	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	54.4	117 of 340	65.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.7	202 of 620	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.8	350 of 606	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.7	258 of 613	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.8	353 of 597	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.4	240 of 544	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.1	152 of 432	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.4	234 of 446	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.9	215 of 424	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	244 of 624	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.5	395 of 601	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.1	334 of 607	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.8	375 of 602	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.1	300 of 585	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.9	247 of 481	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.9	313 of 488	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.2	314 of 463	32.2%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	52.1	115 of 253	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.6	210 of 261	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.0	110 of 199	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	7.1	182 of 185	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.2	235 of 372	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.8	310 of 349	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.9	249 of 551	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	26.1	432 of 542	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.6	359 of 553	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.3	407 of 537	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.9	327 of 534	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.3	269 of 439	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.1	343 of 444	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.6	378 of 427	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)67th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)67th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)64th percentile~ school

Male (2026)61st percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)60th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)60th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)55th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)55th percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2026)37th percentile-27 vs school

Disabled (2021)34th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Biology91%+33 vs state

Math III76%+7 vs state

English II64%~ state avg

Math I58%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Burns High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)		EOG Reading (2026)		EOG Science (2026)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Burns High	Public	9-12	307 E Stagecoach Trail	Lawndale	28090	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8335	928	58	15.9	—	626 (67.5%)	156 (16.8%)	95 (10.2%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (5.0%)	62.3	239^th of 662 public high schools	63.9%		38.3	390^th of 641 public high schools	39.2%	151	91.1	64.1	58.3	75.7						$9,886	$976	$8,911
Turning Point Academy	Public	6-12	409 West Sumter Street	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8399	142	12	11.8	97.9%	65 (45.8%)	59 (41.5%)	7 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.7%)	0.4	662^nd of 662 public high schools	0.0%					(n/a)	339.0	10.3	537.0	5.4	10.0	7.7	20.0	15.4	15.4	$21,288	$1,682	$19,606
Cherryville High	Public	9-12	313 Ridge Avenue	Cherryville	28021	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9605	484	33	14.6	—	349 (72.1%)	56 (11.6%)	60 (12.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	52.2	318^th of 662 public high schools	52.0%		46	330^th of 641 public high schools	48.5%	12	56.2	59.3	65.7	67.3						$10,928	$967	$9,961
West Lincoln High	Public	9-12	172 Shoal Rd	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 736-9453	731	45	16.1	—	612 (83.7%)	9 (1.2%)	78 (10.7%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.7%)	53	306^th of 662 public high schools	53.8%		58.1	242^nd of 641 public high schools	62.2%	64	62.3	60.2	48.1	77.8						$8,213	$515	$7,699
Cleveland ECHS	Public	9-12	1800 E Marion St	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8232	225	11	20.2	—	128 (56.9%)	35 (15.6%)	45 (20.0%)	5 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.3%)	91.9	55^th of 662 public high schools	91.7%		90.8	69^th of 641 public high schools	89.2%	14	94.3	96.2	91.4	94.9						$7,781	$522	$7,258
Shelby High	Public	9-12	230 E Dixon Boulevard	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8325	792	51	15.4	—	231 (29.2%)	417 (52.7%)	79 (10.0%)	10 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (6.8%)	31.7	467^th of 662 public high schools	29.5%		15.5	557^th of 641 public high schools	13.1%	90	52.4	54.0	31.0	57.9						$9,492	$690	$8,802
Crest High	Public	9-12	800 Old Boiling Springs Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8331	1,098	58	18.8	—	671 (61.1%)	254 (23.1%)	91 (8.3%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	76 (6.9%)	64.2	226^th of 662 public high schools	65.9%		42.2	361^st of 641 public high schools	43.7%	135	70.9	62.3	64.5	80.5						$8,650	$808	$7,842
Kings Mountain High	Public	9-12	500 Phifer Road	Kings Mountain	28086	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8330	1,305	72	18.1	—	771 (59.1%)	297 (22.8%)	119 (9.1%)	17 (1.3%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	98 (7.5%)	60.4	251^st of 662 public high schools	62.1%		52.3	278^th of 641 public high schools	56.6%	27	60.5	61.3	63.8	82.3						$9,036	$654	$8,382
Lincolnton High	Public	9-12	803 N Aspen St	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 735-3089	797	47	16.9	—	350 (43.9%)	138 (17.3%)	235 (29.5%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (8.2%)	39.4	407^th of 662 public high schools	38.5%		47.2	328^th of 641 public high schools	48.8%	79	40.9	57.1	40.5	75.4						$9,236	$894	$8,342
Fred T Foard High	Public	9-12	3407 Plateau Road	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 462-1496	930	43	21.8	46.9%	684 (73.5%)	30 (3.2%)	98 (10.5%)	48 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	67 (7.2%)	53.1	303^rd of 662 public high schools	54.2%		52.6	274^th of 641 public high schools	57.3%	29	63.5	62.7	63.7	61.1						$8,769	$744	$8,025

Frequently Asked Questions about Burns High

How many students attend Burns High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 928 students attended Burns High.

Is Burns High a good school?

Burns High ranks 239^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Burns High?

Students at Burns High are 67% White, 17% African American, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Burns High in?

Cleveland County Schools

What schools feed into Burns High?

Burns High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Casar Elementary
Elementary : Fallston Elementary
Elementary : Union Elementary
Elementary : Washington Elementary
Middle : Burns Middle

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.