Fairmont High

Fairmont High, in Fairmont, NC, is a comprehensive public high school within the Public Schools of Robeson County, serving roughly 780 students in grades 9–12. The school serves an almost universally low-income population: 99.6% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, the highest rate among nearby schools. After spending several years in the bottom 6th percentile of North Carolina high schools, Fairmont has moved decisively upward. It now ranks 434th of 662 schools (34th percentile, 2 stars) in 2025–26, placing it just behind Lumberton Senior High (37th percentile), ahead of Purnell Swett High (28th percentile), and well above West Columbus High (14th percentile).

The clearest academic strength is mathematics. Fairmont's Math I proficiency rate of 53.8% exceeds the state average (42.1%) and is dramatically higher than Purnell Swett and West Columbus. Its Math III proficiency of 76.8% is the best of any nearby comprehensive high school, topping Lumberton by nearly 7 points. But English II (43.4%) and Biology (38.3%) remain roughly 20 points below state averages. The school posted extraordinary one-year proficiency gains in every tested subject—from +6.8 points in English II to +27.9 points in Math I. These gains lifted the school to its best statewide ranking in a decade, though whether they can be sustained will be confirmed by the next data cycle.

Chronic absenteeism is the largest barrier to continued improvement. At 48.8%, Fairmont's rate is nearly double the state average of 24.2%, though it is better than Lumberton (54.1%) and Purnell Swett (62.6%). The graduation rate of 84.6% trails the district (89.2%) and state (88.8%) but has improved steadily since 2021–22. Fairmont combines relatively favorable resources—a 13.4-to-1 student-teacher ratio and higher per-pupil spending than any neighboring school—with broad-based subgroup gains across Hispanic, African American, Native American, and low-income students. For parents, the bottom line is this: Fairmont remains below the state median, but it is no longer the bottom-tier school it was two years ago.