Burns High

As an average-sized 9-12 campus in Lawndale, North Carolina, Burns High caters to 928 students from grades 9 through 12, operated by Cleveland County Schools. That puts it 22% above the typical public school in North Carolina, which averages around 761 students.

Within Cleveland County Schools, which oversees 28 schools and 14,504 students, Burns High is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Burns High reports that the largest single group is White, at 67% of enrollment; the rest looks like 17% Black, 10% Hispanic, 5% multiracial.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Burns High has 58 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 19.6:1, putting Burns High tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 99% of students at Burns High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Burns High tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 46.8%.

Around the school, census data for Cleveland County shows the typical household earns roughly $58,534 per year, roughly 22% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 12%. In all, Cleveland County runs 29 public schools (combined enrollment of about 15,682 students), of which Burns High is one.

The closest other public school is Burns Middle, roughly 0.5 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around Burns High. On composite proficiency, Burns High comes 8th of 8 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 61.0%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 5%: 978 students in 2018 compared to 928 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share contracted from 73% to 67%. Class-load math has grew: from 13.6:1 in 2018 to 15.9:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Burns High community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.