The only school district in Cumberland County had declining enrollment in the 2023-24 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
There were 47,871 students in Cumberland County Schools, 0.9% lower than the year before.
The enrollment numbers in Cumberland County fell short of the state’s trend, which shows an overall increase in enrollment across North Carolina.
Cumberland County Schools has a main office in Fayetteville and is the only school district within Cumberland County.
Despite steady enrollment, North Carolina schools continue to face significant funding challenges. The state’s per-student spending remains nearly $5,000 below the national average, limiting resources for teachers, classrooms, and student support programs. In fact, North Carolina ranks 48th out of 50 states in per-student funding (after adjusting for regional costs).
Staffing shortages have also become a growing concern, with teacher turnover rising to 11.5% in the most recent school year. Low salaries and high workloads make it difficult to retain experienced educators, potentially increasing class sizes and affecting learning quality.
| School | Total Enrollment in 2023-24 | Total Enrollment in 2022-23 | Total % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Britt High School | 1,890 | 1,854 | 1.9% |
| Pine Forest High School | 1,531 | 1,516 | 1% |
| Cape Fear High School | 1,456 | – | – |
| South View High School | 1,408 | 1,433 | -1.7% |
| Gray’s Creek High School | 1,378 | 1,350 | 2.1% |
| Seventy-First High School | 1,304 | 1,296 | 0.6% |
| Westover High School | 1,195 | 1,155 | 3.5% |
| Terry Sanford High School | 1,168 | 1,185 | -1.4% |
| Mac Williams Middle School | 1,141 | 1,152 | -1% |
| Gray’s Creek Middle School | 1,084 | 1,119 | -3.1% |
| John R. Griffin Middle School | 1,042 | 1,089 | -4.3% |
| Alpha Academy | 988 | 1,054 | -6.3% |
| E. E. Smith High School | 969 | 958 | 1.1% |
| Douglas Byrd High School | 930 | 885 | 5.1% |
| Gallberry Farm Elementary School | 886 | 884 | 0.2% |
| Douglas Byrd Middle School | 868 | 932 | -6.9% |
| Stoney Point Elementary School | 839 | 877 | -4.3% |
| E. Melvin Honeycutt Elementary School | 831 | 845 | -1.7% |
| The Capitol Encore Academy | 775 | 681 | 13.8% |
| Westover Middle School | 768 | 787 | -2.4% |
| R. Max Abbott Middle School | 708 | 740 | -4.3% |
| Pine Forest Middle School | 702 | – | – |
| Bill Hefner Elementary School | 692 | 652 | 6.1% |
| Rockfish Elementary School | 663 | 665 | -0.3% |
| New Century International Elementary School | 654 | 646 | 1.2% |
| Lake Rim Elementary School | 628 | 616 | 1.9% |
| South View Middle School | 617 | 640 | -3.6% |
| Alderman Road Elementary School | 617 | 621 | -0.6% |
| Luther Nick Jeralds Middle School | 594 | 600 | -1% |
| E. E. Miller Elementary School | 591 | – | – |
| Cliffdale Elementary School | 586 | 595 | -1.5% |
| Lewis Chapel Middle School | 581 | 578 | 0.5% |
| Education V. Baldwin Elementary School | 575 | 560 | 2.7% |
| Howard L. Hall Elementary School | 558 | 598 | -6.7% |
| Elizabeth M. Cashwell Elementary School | 549 | 583 | -5.8% |
| Westarea Elementary School | 548 | 539 | 1.7% |
| Cumberland Mills Elementary School | 539 | – | – |
| William T. Brown Elementary School | 534 | 559 | -4.5% |
| Spring Lake Middle School | 504 | 508 | -0.8% |
| Morganton Road Elementary School | 492 | 499 | -1.4% |
| Hope Mills Middle School | 489 | 507 | -3.6% |
| Vanstory Hills Elementary School | 484 | 472 | 2.5% |
| College Lakes Elementary | 479 | 459 | 4.4% |
| Brentwood Elementary School | 477 | 486 | -1.9% |
| Loyd E. Auman Elementary School | 471 | 511 | -7.8% |
| Benjamin J. Martin Elementary School | 470 | 507 | -7.3% |
| C. Wayne Collier Elementary School | 467 | 473 | -1.3% |
| Armstrong Elementary School | 464 | 472 | -1.7% |
| Anne Chesnutt Middle School | 461 | 466 | -1.1% |
| Gray’s Creek Elementary School | 449 | 437 | 2.7% |
| Cumberland Academy 6-12 Virtual School | 429 | 547 | -21.6% |
| Montclair Elementary School | 420 | 398 | 5.5% |
| Seventy-First Classical Middle School | 418 | 422 | -0.9% |
| Long Hill Elementary School | 415 | 436 | -4.8% |
| Mary McArthur Elementary School | 403 | 360 | 11.9% |
| William H. Owen Elementary School | 381 | 405 | -5.9% |
| New Century International Middle School | 378 | 389 | -2.8% |
| Eastover-Central Elementary School | 375 | 382 | -1.8% |
| Warrenwood Elementary School | 368 | 371 | -0.8% |
| Lucile Souders Elementary School | 363 | 393 | -7.6% |
| Ferguson-Easley Elementary School | 360 | 360 | 0% |
| Ponderosa Elementary School | 353 | – | – |
| Sunnyside Elementary School | 346 | – | – |
| Cumberland Road Elementary School | 326 | – | – |
| Sherwood Park Elementary School | 306 | 258 | 18.6% |
| Margaret Willis Elementary School | 303 | 276 | 9.8% |
| Cumberland Polytechnic | 302 | – | – |
| Walker-Spivey Elementary School | 296 | 264 | 12.1% |
| Massey Hill Classical High School | 286 | 259 | 10.4% |
| Stedman Elementary School | 281 | 275 | 2.2% |
| Alma O. Easom Elementary School | 265 | 263 | 0.8% |
| J. W. Seabrook Elementary School | 259 | 251 | 3.2% |
| Cross Creek Early College | 251 | 244 | 2.9% |
| Cumberland International Early College | 248 | – | – |
| Manchester Elementary School | 239 | 266 | -10.2% |
| Cumberland Academy K-5 Virtual School | 216 | – | – |
| Reid Ross Classical Middle School | 213 | 220 | -3.2% |
| Glendale Acres Elementary School | 212 | 205 | 3.4% |
| J. W. Coon Elementary School | 208 | 196 | 6.1% |
| Reid Ross Classical High School | 207 | 216 | -4.2% |
| District No 7 Elementary School | 206 | 179 | 15.1% |
| Raleigh Road Elementary School | 199 | 213 | -6.6% |
| Ashley Elementary School | 174 | 176 | -1.1% |
| Stedman Primary School | 138 | 156 | -11.5% |
| Alger B. Wilkins High School | 125 | 111 | 12.6% |
| Beaver Dam Elementary School | 109 | 90 | 21.1% |
| Howard Learning Academy | 83 | 78 | 6.4% |
| Ramsey Street High School | 79 | 99 | -20.2% |