Penderlea Elementary

As a medium-sized elementary school in Willard, North Carolina, Penderlea Elementary educates 468 students from grades K through 8, operated by Pender County Schools.

Within Pender County Schools, which oversees 19 schools and 11,073 students, Penderlea Elementary is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Penderlea Elementary logs that 50% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 23% Hispanic, 18% Black, 7% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 75% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.2:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 14.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 99% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is higher than Pender County's rate of about 70%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Penderlea Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 47.5%.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Pender County put the typical household earns roughly $80,396 per year, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Across Pender County's 19 public schools (combined enrollment of about 11,073 students), Penderlea Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Wallace Elementary, roughly 6.7 miles away. Within ten miles, there are 5 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Penderlea Elementary ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 38.7%.

The campus sits in a low-density setting.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Penderlea Elementary has edged down 8%, going from 507 students in 2018 to 468 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share decreased from 70% to 50%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 16.1:1 in 2018 to 14.2:1 today.

Inside the community feed, the feed for Penderlea Elementary typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.