High school (grades 9-12) · Pembroke, NC

Purnell Swett High

Federal NCES profile for Purnell Swett High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370393002102
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10046/100
👥 S:T ratio
31
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Purnell Swett High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.

#1 of 6
public schools in Pembroke · Resource Index
46
Resource Index · Typical
17.2:1
large classes for North Carolina
99.6%
free-lunch eligible

Purnell Swett High has class sizes larger than 74% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Purnell Swett High ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Pembroke, NC.

School address

Pembroke, NC 28372
District: Public Schools of Robeson County · North Carolina

NCES ID 370393002102 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-4 students YoY

Purnell Swett High held near 1,604 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-4 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 92.5 → 90.3 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-4 students YoY 370393002102 · Pembroke, NC High · MID · TRAD

1,583 enr · 17.2:1 · 99.6% lunch · RII 46

Nearest enrollment peer: Lumberton Senior High (1,894 students)

Purnell Swett High held near 1,604 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-4 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 92.5 → 90.3 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Carolina schools → · Find another →

Purnell Swett High in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Purnell Swett High reports 1,583 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Purnell Swett High compares

Purnell Swett High held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs North Carolina and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs North Carolina North Carolina avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 17.2:1 ▲ 9% 15.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 99.6% ▲ 51% 66.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 1,583 top 3% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,583
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
99.6%
free-lunch eligible - 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher - 9% above state mean
Top 74% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$12,767
per pupil, district-wide - above North Carolina avg of $12,294
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
99
in-school suspensions + 391 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.

Student demographics

American Indian / Alaska Native 78.6%
African American 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Two or More 4.2%
White 2.3%
Asian 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 78.6% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 36.8/100

Simpson diversity index - at 36.8, Purnell Swett High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.

Programs

AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Public Schools of Robeson County reports $12,767 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Purnell Swett High Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Lumberton Senior High Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Saint Pauls High Smaller Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Red Springs High Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Fairmont High Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Magnolia Elementary Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Purnell Swett High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Public Schools Of Robeson County · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~1,583 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)

Frequently asked questions about Purnell Swett High

How many students attend Purnell Swett High?

Purnell Swett High has 1,583 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pembroke, NC. CCD year-over-year: 1,608 (2022-23) → 1,604 (2023-24), nearly flat (-4).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Purnell Swett High?

The student-teacher ratio at Purnell Swett High is 17.2:1, which is 9% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Purnell Swett High?

99.6% of students at Purnell Swett High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Purnell Swett High?

The largest demographic group at Purnell Swett High is American Indian / Alaska Native at 78.6% of enrollment, in Pembroke, NC.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Purnell Swett High?

Purnell Swett High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Purnell Swett High rank among public schools in Pembroke?

By Resource Investment Index, Purnell Swett High ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Pembroke, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Pembroke on the city page.

What other schools are in Public Schools of Robeson County?

Besides Purnell Swett High, Public Schools of Robeson County also operates Lumberton Senior High (1,894 students), Saint Pauls High (1,142 students), and Red Springs High (867 students). See the Public Schools of Robeson County district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .