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Pender County Schools Schools
Pender County Schools is a public school district in North Carolina, based in Pender County (Burgaw). SchoolGrade grades 19 of its schools on actual versus projected test scores; every school below has its own page.
Pender County Schools on the map
District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file. Each marker is a graded school; click it for its grade and scores.
SchoolGrade summary for Pender County Schools
18 of 19 schools in Pender County Schools carry a SchoolGrade (1 have too little test data to grade). Grade distribution:
A: 8B: 4C: 6
Best schools in Pender County Schools
Statewide rankings: all 584 high schools in North Carolina · all 450 middle schools in North Carolina · all 1396 elementary schools in North Carolina
The ten highest SchoolGrades in the district. Grades reward actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact.
- A+ Pender Early College High (High school, greatly exceeds expectations)
- A+ Topsail Middle (Middle school, greatly exceeds expectations)
- A Topsail Annandale Elementary School (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
- A Topsail High (High school, greatly exceeds expectations)
- A North Topsail Elementary (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
- A Surf City Elementary (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
- A South Topsail Elementary (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
- A Surf City Middle (Middle school, greatly exceeds expectations)
- B+ Cape Fear Middle (Middle school, exceeds expectations)
- B Cape Fear Elementary (Elementary school, exceeds expectations)
Every school in Pender County Schools
High schools (4)
- C+ Heide Trask High, Rocky Point
- A+ Pender Early College High, Burgaw
- C+ Pender High, Burgaw
- A Topsail High, Hampstead
Middle and junior high schools (5)
- B- Burgaw Middle, Burgaw
- B+ Cape Fear Middle, Rocky Point
- A Surf City Middle, Hampstead
- A+ Topsail Middle, Hampstead
- B West Pender Middle, Burgaw
Elementary and primary schools (9)
- B Cape Fear Elementary, Rocky Point
- C Cf Pope Elementary, Burgaw
- C- Malpass Corner Elementary, Burgaw
- A North Topsail Elementary, Hampstead
- C+ Penderlea Elementary, Willard
- C+ Rocky Point Elementary, Rocky Point
- A South Topsail Elementary, Hampstead
- A Surf City Elementary, Hampstead
- A Topsail Annandale Elementary School, Hampstead
Other schools and academies (1)
- Pender Innovative Learning Academy, Rocky Point
Where Pender County Schools schools are
Cities and towns served (4)
- Hampstead (7)
- Burgaw (6)
- Rocky Point (5)
- Willard (1)
About this district
- State: Best schools in North Carolina
- County: Pender County
- Type: regular local school district
- Setting: fringe rural (NCES locale of the district office)
- Enrollment: 11,075 students with 684 full-time-equivalent teachers and 1,188 total staff FTE (NCES CCD, 2023-24)
- NCES district ID: 3703570
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model: each school's actual proficiency against the level projected for its student context. How SchoolGrade works
Nearby school districts
- New Hanover County Schools (42 schools, 23 mi)
- Duplin County Schools (13 schools, 29 mi)
- Onslow County Schools (39 schools, 30 mi)
- Bladen County Schools (13 schools, 37 mi)
- Brunswick County Schools (20 schools, 38 mi)
- Sampson County Schools (18 schools, 41 mi)
- Clinton City Schools (5 schools, 43 mi)
- Columbus County Schools (12 schools, 46 mi)
Questions about Pender County Schools
How many schools are in Pender County Schools?
SchoolGrade grades 19 public schools in Pender County Schools, across 4 cities and towns. Every one of them is listed on this page with a link to its own report.
Which cities does Pender County Schools serve?
The largest by graded schools: Hampstead, Burgaw, Rocky Point, Willard.
How good are the schools in Pender County Schools?
Across the 18 graded schools, the average SchoolGrade is B+, with 53.2% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 46.3%. 100% of schools meet or exceed the expectation for their student context.
How many students attend Pender County Schools?
11,075 students were enrolled in Pender County Schools in the 2023-24 school year, about 16.2 students per full-time teacher (NCES Common Core of Data).
Where is Pender County Schools?
Pender County Schools is in North Carolina, based in Pender County, with its district office in Burgaw. Its boundary covers about 871 sq mi.