Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Surf City

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
B+

Pender County Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 6 towns

Serves Surf City, Burgaw, Topsail Beach, St. Helena, Atkinson and Watha, and parts of Wallace.

Surf City’s School Grade B+ better than 68% of North Carolina school districts

Students
11,073
Schools
19
Spent per student
$12,360
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
18:1
Free or reduced lunch
70%
Debt
$56.9M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Pender County Schools

  • Its letter, B+: results better than 67% of North Carolina districts
  • Graduation rate 8 pts above the state
  • Spends 5% less per student than the NC average
  • 18 students per teacher
  • Enrollment up 15.8% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $56.9M, about $5,136 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B+: better than 67% of the 325 North Carolina school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math above the state, 2021–22
B
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
A
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
B+Surf City 5,142B+Burgaw 3,903Topsail Beach 503St. Helena 434Atkinson 357Watha 226

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Surf City. Grade by grade →

PK–5Surf City ElementaryThis district
6–8Surf City MiddleThis district
9–124 high schoolsThis district

Test scores vs. NC

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency55%
State average 50.8% · 5,001 students tested
Reading / language arts51%
State average 49.9% · 5,485 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)94%
State average 86.5% · 823 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$12,360 per student · 5% below NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 63%Support & administration 33%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 22%State 60%Federal 18%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
9,560’20
10,332’21
10,941’22
11,075’23
11,073’24

Up 15.8% since 2020–21.

Students
White 65%Hispanic 18%Black 11%Two or more races 6%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

19 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with North Carolina’s other public schools.

Surf City Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Hampstead
A−
857 students17:1
South Topsail Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Hampstead
A−
618 students16:1
Topsail Annandale Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Hampstead
A
580 students17:1
Cape Fear Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Rocky Point
C+
533 students14:1
C.F. Pope Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Burgaw
C−
530 students16:1
North Topsail Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Hampstead
A
529 students16:1
Malpass Corner Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Burgaw
C−
513 students18:1
Rocky Point Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Rocky Point
C+
403 students14:1
Penderlea Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–8 · Willard
C
468 students14:1
Pender Innovative Learning Academy
Other · Grades K–12 · Rocky Point
38 students5:1
Topsail Middle
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Hampstead
A−
837 students19:1
Surf City Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Hampstead
B+
752 students18:1
Cape Fear Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Rocky Point
C
430 students13:1
Burgaw Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Burgaw
C−
236 students10:1
West Pender Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Burgaw
C−
209 students12:1
Topsail High
High · Grades 9–12 · Hampstead
A
1,945 students29:1
Heide Trask High
High · Grades 9–12 · Rocky Point
B−
732 students22:1
Pender High
High · Grades 9–12 · Burgaw
C+
648 students22:1
Pender Early College High
High · Grades 9–13 · Burgaw
A+
215 students

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Onslow County SchoolsNorth Topsail Beach
$12,029per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within North Carolina.