Pasquotank County High

Pasquotank County High is a traditional public high school in Elizabeth City, NC, serving 653 students in grades 9–12. Pasquotank County High has shown real progress over the past few years, rising from a 0-star rating in 2021-2022 to a 2-star rating in 2025-2026. The graduation rate has climbed from just 55.8% to 81.5%, and chronic absenteeism has dropped from over 50% to 30.9%. Even so, the school still trails both the district and state averages on these measures. Notably, while its overall ranking is in the bottom third statewide, the school earns strong marks for specific groups: English Language Learners rank in the 87th percentile and special education students in the 76th percentile, suggesting those students receive effective support.

Academically, results vary widely by subject. On 2025-2026 EOC exams, English II proficiency reached 57.1% and Math III 63.1%, both within about 6–8 points of the state average. However, Math I proficiency is a glaring weak spot at just 26.9%—about 15 points below the state average. This pattern has persisted for years, indicating that many students stumble in their first high school math course, while those who advance to higher-level math perform much closer to their peers. Compared to Northeastern High, the other traditional high school in Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, Pasquotank has similar poverty levels but ranks far lower overall. Yet Pasquotank actually outperforms Northeastern in Math I by over 11 points, despite falling behind in Biology and Math III.

Looking at neighboring schools, Pasquotank's tested achievement is broadly competitive with Perquimans County High, which serves a similarly high-poverty population. Pasquotank posts higher English II and Biology proficiency, but Perquimans has an 11-point higher graduation rate and lower chronic absenteeism. That gap—not test scores—is Pasquotank's biggest challenge, with one in three students still chronically absent. On a positive note, the school has cut chronic absenteeism nearly in half from its peak and continues to climb from a very low baseline. For families, this is a school that is clearly improving, with notable strengths in supporting ELL and special education students, but still working to close persistent gaps in math readiness, attendance, and graduation.