James Kenan High

James Kenan High is a 9-12 campus of mid-sized scale in Warsaw, North Carolina, one of the schools within Duplin County Schools, hosting 758 students in grades 9 through 12.

James Kenan High is one of 13 schools operated by Duplin County Schools, a district that instructs 9,822 students overall.

In terms of who attends, James Kenan High logs that the largest single group is Hispanic at 53%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder consists of 29% Black, 15% White. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 23%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, James Kenan High logs 49 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 15.3:1. The state averages around 19.6:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), James Kenan High falls in the UNDERPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations residual. Given its student profile, a typical campus would land near 48.4%; this one comes in at 28.6%, -19.9 points off the demographic line.

Across the wider county, Duplin County reports that median household income runs about $55,148, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. James Kenan High is one of 13 public schools in Duplin County (combined enrollment of about 9,822 students).

Nearest neighbor: Warsaw Elementary, around 2.1 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around James Kenan High. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts James Kenan High at 9th of 9; the average score across the group is 48.7%.

James Kenan High operates from a low-density location.

Over the past 7-year window. James Kenan High's enrollment has expanded 13% since 2018, when it stood at 672 (now 758). Over the same period, the Black share edged down from 36% to 29%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 16.6:1 in 2018 to 15.3:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, members of the James Kenan High community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.