SE North Carolina News

Topsail High School had the highest enrollment among Pender County schools, welcoming 1,745 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Among the 17 schools in Pender County, Surf City Elementary School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 819 students, while Topsail Middle School welcomed 813 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

Topsail High School is part of Pender County Schools district, which roughly covers institutions within Pender County and has a main office in Burgaw.

In the previous school year, Topsail High School also had the highest number of students among Pender County schools.

Despite boasting a favorable teacher-student ratio of 1:15, surpassing the national average, North Carolina's public schools face a significant funding gap. The state's per-student expenditure of $10,519 falls considerably short of the national average of $14,295.

North Carolina's public schools faced a staggering 58.4% surge in vacant teaching positions in the 2021-22 school year, leaving over 5,000 classrooms without qualified instructors.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Topsail High School	Hampstead	1,745
Surf City Elementary School	Hampstead	819
Topsail Middle School	Hampstead	813
Surf City Middle School	Hampstead	702
Heide Trask High School	Rocky Point	701
Pender High School	Burgaw	645
Topsail Elementary School	Hampstead	626
North Topsail Elementary School	Hampstead	578
South Topsail Elementary School	Hampstead	528
Penderlea Elementary School	Willard	496
Malpass Corner Elementary School	Burgaw	458
Cape Fear Middle School	Rocky Point	456
Rocky Point Elementary School	Rocky Point	367
Burgaw Middle School	Burgaw	259
Pender Early College High	Burgaw	201
West Pender Middle School	Burgaw	178
Pender Innovative Learning Academy	Rocky Point	97