Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Pender County Schools

This page covers 9 elementary schools in Pender County Schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

9
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 9 of 9
1
rank
Topsail Annandale Elementary School
Grades PK–04631 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
15.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,071
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
15%
Low economic need
2
rank
North Topsail Elementary
Grades PK–05608 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
46
/100
Student:Teacher
15.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,071
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
26%
Low economic need
3
rank
Surf City Elementary
Grades PK–05808 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
46
/100
Student:Teacher
18.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,071
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
31%
Low economic need
4
rank
Rocky Point Elementary
Grades PK–05399 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.7:1)
46
/100
Student:Teacher
10.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,071
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
90%
High economic need
5
rank
South Topsail Elementary
Grades PK–05557 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
45
/100
Student:Teacher
15.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,071
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
34%
Low economic need
6
rank
Malpass Corner Elementary
Grades PK–05480 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.5:1)
44
/100
Student:Teacher
12.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,071
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
89%
High economic need
7
rank
Penderlea Elementary
Grades PK–08495 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
14.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,071
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
72%
High economic need
8
rank
C.F. Pope Elementary
Grades PK–05532 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
13.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,071
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
84%
High economic need
9
rank
Cape Fear Elementary
Grades PK–05545 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
14.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,071
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
72%
High economic need
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
9
Elementary Schools
19
Total Schools
47
#1 Score
45
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
Other School Levels
Compare Pender County Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.