The only school district in Robeson County had declining enrollment in the 2023-24 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
There were 20,356 students in Public Schools of Robeson County, 0.5% lower than the year before.
The enrollment numbers in Robeson County fell short of the state’s trend, which shows an overall increase in enrollment across North Carolina.
Public Schools of Robeson County has a main office in Lumberton and is the only school district within Robeson County.
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 | Total Enrollment in 2023-24 | Total Enrollment in 2022-23 | Total % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumberton Senior High School | 1,872 | 1,836 | 2% |
| Purnell Swett High School | 1,523 | 1,510 | 0.9% |
| Saint Pauls High School | 1,143 | 1,105 | 3.4% |
| Red Springs High School | 832 | 824 | 1% |
| Fairmont High School | 775 | 778 | -0.4% |
| Magnolia Elementary School | 769 | 754 | 2% |
| Prospect Elementary School | 768 | 817 | -6% |
| Saint Pauls Middle School | 707 | 695 | 1.7% |
| Saint Pauls Elementary School | 690 | 683 | 1% |
| Pembroke Elementary School | 674 | 657 | 2.6% |
| Lumberton Junior | 651 | 717 | -9.2% |
| Pembroke Middle School | 649 | 696 | -6.8% |
| Littlefield Middle School | 644 | 665 | -3.2% |
| Red Springs Middle School | 588 | 596 | -1.3% |
| Parkton Elementary School | 569 | 561 | 1.4% |
| Peterson Elementary School | 530 | 532 | -0.4% |
| L. Gilbert Carroll | 508 | 452 | 12.4% |
| East Robeson Primary School | 468 | 495 | -5.5% |
| Rowland Norment Elementary School | 450 | 429 | 4.9% |
| Piney Grove Elementary School | 443 | 459 | -3.5% |
| Union Chapel Elementary School | 408 | 446 | -8.5% |
| Long Branch Elementary School | 391 | 405 | -3.5% |
| Rex-Rennert Elementary School | 379 | 369 | 2.7% |
| W. H. Knuckles | 370 | 393 | -5.9% |
| Deep Branch Elementary School | 357 | 381 | -6.3% |
| Tanglewood Elementary School | 348 | 349 | -0.3% |
| South Robeson Intermediate School | 344 | 364 | -5.5% |
| Old Main Stream | 338 | 276 | 22.5% |
| Union Elementary School | 337 | 332 | 1.5% |
| Rosenwald Elementary School | 332 | 344 | -3.5% |
| Oxendine Elementary School | 300 | 279 | 7.5% |
| Orrum Middle School | 290 | 291 | -0.3% |
| Fairgrove Elementary School | 271 | 275 | -1.5% |
| Townsend | 268 | 255 | 5.1% |
| Fairmont Middle School | 265 | 308 | -14% |
| PSRC Early College at RCC | 245 | 220 | 11.4% |
| Southeastern Academy | 215 | 217 | -0.9% |
| CIS Academy | 110 | – | – |
