Catherine Truitt North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction | https://x.com/ctruittnc?lang=en
Catherine Truitt North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction | https://x.com/ctruittnc?lang=en
Topsail High School registered the highest enrollment among Pender County's 19 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 1,858 students.
North Carolina’s student-teacher ratio is roughly 15.4 students per teacher, aligning with the national average. However, rising teacher turnover threatens to push class sizes higher, making it harder for students to get individualized attention.
If vacancies continue to grow, schools may struggle to maintain this ratio, impacting the quality of instruction. Districts in lower-funded areas face the biggest challenges, as limited budgets make it harder to attract and retain teachers.
| School name | Total Enrollment in 2022-23 | Total Enrollment in 2023-24 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsail High School | 1,745 | 1,858 | 6.5% |
| Topsail Middle School | 813 | 854 | 5% |
| Surf City Elementary School | 819 | 819 | 0% |
| Surf City Middle School | 702 | 748 | 6.6% |
| Heide Trask High School | 701 | 718 | 2.4% |
| Pender High School | 645 | 642 | -0.5% |
| Topsail Elementary School | 626 | 591 | -5.6% |
| South Topsail Elementary School | 528 | 574 | 8.7% |
| North Topsail Elementary School | 578 | 562 | -2.8% |
| Cape Fear Elementary School | - | 502 | - |
| C. F. Pope Elementary School | - | 493 | - |
| Penderlea Elementary School | 496 | 482 | -2.8% |
| Malpass Corner Elementary School | 458 | 458 | 0% |
| Cape Fear Middle School | 456 | 451 | -1.1% |
| Rocky Point Elementary School | 367 | 367 | 0% |
| Burgaw Middle School | 259 | 232 | -10.4% |
| Pender Early College High | 201 | 191 | -5% |
| West Pender Middle School | 178 | 188 | 5.6% |
| Pender Innovative Learning Academy | 97 | 50 | -48.5% |
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