Public Schools of Robeson County

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Lumberton, North Carolina - 36 schools

An equity score of 68/100 ranks Public Schools of Robeson County #54 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,594 per pupil, Public Schools of Robeson County ranks #109 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

21,206
Total Enrollment
36
Schools
$12,594
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Public Schools of Robeson County operates 36 public schools serving 21,206 students, placing it in the mid-size range in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 21 combined, 6 high, 6 elementary, 3 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Robeson County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,594 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 11.8% local, 60.4% state, and 27.8% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 68/100, ranked #54 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 36 schools offering Advanced Placement (16 AP courses district-wide), a 353.7:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 53.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 24.3% African American, 21.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Littlefield Middle, with a diversity index of 79.0/100.

Its largest campus is Lumberton Senior High, enrolling 1,894 students (9% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Southside Ashpole Elementary, at 206 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Public Schools of Robeson County school enrollment varies 9.2× across entities

Public Schools of Robeson County school enrollment ranges from 206 students (lowest) to 1,894 students (highest), a spread of 1,688 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Public Schools of Robeson County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 97.6% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Public Schools of Robeson County student-counselor ratio is 354:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Public Schools of Robeson County chronic absenteeism rate is 53.4% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

27.8%
Federal
60.4%
State
11.8%
Local

Funding Equity

68
Equity Score
54 / 293
State Rank
45
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 36 schools in Public Schools of Robeson County.

White 9.8%
Hispanic or Latino 21.0%
African American 24.3%
Asian 0.7%
Multiracial 8.1%
Other 36.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 62.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Public Schools of Robeson County's schools, above the North Carolina average of 56.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Littlefield Middle 79.0
  2. 2 Tanglewood Elementary 78.6
  3. 3 East Robeson Primary 78.5
  4. 4 Lumberton Senior High 77.2
  5. 5 Long Branch Elementary 77.2

Programs & Resources

3 / 36
Schools with AP
16 AP courses total
353.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
53.4%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Public Schools of Robeson County

School Enrollment
Lumberton Senior High
1,894
Purnell Swett High
1,583
Saint Pauls High
1,142
Red Springs High
867
Fairmont High
780
Magnolia Elementary
779
Prospect Elementary
775
Saint Pauls Elementary
710
Pembroke Elementary
703
Saint Pauls Middle
678
Lumberton Junior
655
Pembroke Middle
645
Littlefield Middle
632
Parkton Elementary
592
Red Springs Middle
572
East Robeson Primary
556
Peterson Elementary
539
Rowland Norment Elementary
495
L Gilbert Carroll
494
Piney Grove Elementary
452
Union Chapel Elementary
442
Long Branch Elementary
428
Rex-Rennert Elementary
395
W H Knuckles
382
Deep Branch Elementary
374
Tanglewood Elementary
355
Union Elementary
351
South Robeson Middle School
344
Rosenwald Elementary
343
Oxendine Elementary
301
Orrum Middle
294
Fairgrove Elementary School
291
Townsend Elementary
280
Psrc Early College at Rcc
274
Fairmont Middle
253
Southside Ashpole Elementary
206

How Public Schools of Robeson County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The North Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Iredell-Statesville Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Buncombe County Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Harnett County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Alamance-Burlington Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Pitt County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Public Schools of Robeson County's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in North Carolina

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Wake County Schools
159,778 students · 197 schools · $11,859/pupil
Compare vs Public Schools of Robeson County →
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
144,197 students · 180 schools · $11,853/pupil
Compare vs Public Schools of Robeson County →
Guilford County Schools
68,894 students · 126 schools · $13,036/pupil
Compare vs Public Schools of Robeson County →
Cumberland County Schools
49,661 students · 86 schools · $12,412/pupil
Compare vs Public Schools of Robeson County →

Compare Public Schools of Robeson County

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Wake County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Public Schools of Robeson County?

Public Schools of Robeson County has 36 schools, including 6 high, 21 combined, 6 elementary, 3 middle. Total enrollment is 21,206 students.

How much does Public Schools of Robeson County spend per student?

Public Schools of Robeson County spends $12,594 per student. The district has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #54 in North Carolina.

What is the demographic composition of Public Schools of Robeson County?

Public Schools of Robeson County students are 24.3% African American, 21.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% White, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 36 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Public Schools of Robeson County?

Public Schools of Robeson County has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #54 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.