Enrollment
38
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rocky Point, NC
Pender Innovative Learning Academy
Federal NCES profile for Pender Innovative Learning Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 70/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370357003586
👥 S:T ratio 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pender Innovative Learning Academy earns 70/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Rocky Point · Resource Index
- 70
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.6:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 56.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Pender Innovative Learning Academy has class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pender Innovative Learning Academy ranks #1 of 3 schools in Rocky Point, NC.
School address
District: Pender County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370357003586 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-52% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pender Innovative Learning Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pender Innovative Learning Academy
Pender Innovative Learning Academy is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Rocky Point, North Carolina, enrolling 38 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.6:1, Pender Innovative Learning Academy is leaner than roughly 97% of North Carolina schools and 52% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.6% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of North Carolina schools, with 38 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 51/100).
Its district draws 21.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 26 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 38 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Rocky Point's public schools, it stands alongside Cape Fear Elementary (533 students): Pender Innovative Learning Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.6:1 vs 14.4:1).
Pender County Schools also operates Topsail High (1,945 students) and Surf City Elementary (857 students) alongside Pender Innovative Learning Academy.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Pender Innovative Learning Academy compares
Pender Innovative Learning Academy on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.6:1 | ▼ 52% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.6% | ▼ 14% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 38 | top 99% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.6:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
38
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.6:1
students per teacher
- 52% below state mean
Top 3% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$11,305
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 68.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 65.8%
African American 21.1%
Two or More 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
Largest group: White at 65.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.3, Pender Innovative Learning Academy is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pender County Schools, which includes Pender Innovative Learning Academy.
$11,305
Per student
-6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 56.8%
Federal 21.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Pender Innovative Learning Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsail High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surf City Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Topsail Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surf City Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heide Trask High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pender Innovative Learning Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,945
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 837
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in Rocky Point
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~38 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pender Innovative Learning Academy's federal record.
- Compare Pender Innovative Learning Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Pender County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Pender Innovative Learning Academy
How many students attend Pender Innovative Learning Academy?
Pender Innovative Learning Academy has 38 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Rocky Point, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pender Innovative Learning Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Pender Innovative Learning Academy is 7.6:1, which is 52% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 52% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pender Innovative Learning Academy?
56.6% of students at Pender Innovative Learning Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pender Innovative Learning Academy?
The largest demographic group at Pender Innovative Learning Academy is White at 65.8% of enrollment, in Rocky Point, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pender Innovative Learning Academy?
Pender Innovative Learning Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 70/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Pender Innovative Learning Academy rank among schools in Rocky Point?
By Resource Investment Index, Pender Innovative Learning Academy ranks #1 of 3 schools in Rocky Point, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rocky Point on the city page.
Is Pender Innovative Learning Academy a good school?
Pender Innovative Learning Academy earns 70/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Pender County Schools?
Besides Pender Innovative Learning Academy, Pender County Schools also operates Topsail High (1,945 students), Surf City Elementary (857 students), and Topsail Middle (837 students). See the Pender County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.