Summary:
Zip code 28425, which serves the Burgaw, North Carolina area, contains two public high schools—Pender High and Pender Early College High—both offering grades 9–12 through the Pender County Schools district and both serving high-poverty populations, with roughly 98.5% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Despite these similarities, the schools sit at opposite ends of the state rankings. Pender Early College High earns a 5-star rating and ranks 18th out of 662 North Carolina high schools in 2025–2026, placing it in the top 3% statewide. Pender High, meanwhile, ranks 597th out of 662, falling into the bottom 10% with a 0-star rating.
State End-of-Course testing shows a dramatic divide. At Pender Early College High, proficiency is near perfect: 100% in Math III and 94.7% to 98.3% in Biology, English II, and Math I, far exceeding district and state averages. At Pender High, only 19.8% of students are proficient in Biology, 25.5% in Math I, 33.8% in Math III, and 43.7% in English II—all well below state averages. Interestingly, Pender High still graduates 92.6% of its students, above the state's 88.8% graduation rate, despite the low test proficiency.
Resources do not explain the gap. Pender High spends more than $2,000 more per student than Pender Early College High yet performs far worse, suggesting that school structure and instructional approach may matter more than spending alone. Chronic absenteeism may be a contributing factor at Pender High, where the rate is 28.4%, exceeding the district rate of 24.5% and the state rate of 24.2%. For parents, these two schools illustrate that high-poverty schools can produce vastly different results. Pender Early College High is a standout success story, while Pender High shows real academic challenges that prospective families will want to explore further.
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