The only school district in Bladen County had rising enrollment in the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
There were 3,794 students in the halls of Bladen County Schools, 0.3% higher than the year before.
The enrollment numbers in Bladen County was steady with the state’s trend of increasing enrollment.
Bladen County Schools has a main office in Elizabethtown and is the only school district within Bladen County.
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 | Total Enrollment in 2022-23 | Total Enrollment in 2021-22 | Total % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bladen High School | 687 | 683 | 0.6% |
| Emereau: Bladen | 565 | 565 | 0% |
| East Bladen High School | 525 | 553 | -5.1% |
| Elizabethtown Primary School | 442 | 450 | -1.8% |
| Bladenboro Primary School | 377 | 344 | 9.6% |
| Elizabethtown Middle School | 326 | 342 | -4.7% |
| Tar Heel Middle School | 288 | 290 | -0.7% |
| Bladenboro Middle School | 276 | 264 | 4.5% |
| Clarkton School of Discovery | 209 | 200 | 4.5% |
| Dublin Primary School | 197 | 183 | 7.7% |
| Plain View Primary School | 160 | 158 | 1.3% |
| Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy | 143 | 108 | 32.4% |
| Bladen Early College | 135 | 143 | -5.6% |
| Bladen Lakes Primary School | 117 | 111 | 5.4% |
| East Arcadia Elementary School | 55 | 60 | -8.3% |
