Burns High

Summary:

Burns High is a public high school located in Lawndale, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 934. The school is part of the Cleveland County Schools district, which is ranked 121 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Burns High has a higher percentage of white students (71.52%) compared to nearby schools like Shelby High, which has a more diverse student population. Academically, Burns High's performance on End-of-Course (EOC) tests is generally lower than the state and district averages, with only 58.9% of students proficient or better in EOC/Math I, compared to 50.6% for the Cleveland County Schools district and 36.9% for the state. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 229 out of 451 North Carolina high schools in 2013-2014 to 375 out of 626 in 2022-2023, placing it in the middle to lower range compared to other high schools.

While Hispanic students at Burns High have performed relatively well, ranking 128 out of 454 North Carolina high schools in 2023-2024, the school's performance for multi-racial and special education students is lower, ranking 210 out of 261 and 310 out of 349, respectively. The school also faces declining enrollment and a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting significant socioeconomic challenges. When compared to other high schools in the area, such as Crest High and Cleveland ECHS, Burns High generally performs lower academically, indicating potential areas for improvement through targeted interventions and support.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 307 E Stagecoach Trail
       Lawndale, NC  28090-9535


(704) 476-8335

District: Cleveland County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
308th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,886 Help


Feeder schools for Burns High:

Elementary:    Casar Elementary
    Fallston Elementary
    Union Elementary
    Washington Elementary
Middle:    Burns Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  16.0 Help
Number of students:  922

Racial breakdown:

White:
70.4%
African American:
16.2%
Hispanic:
8.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99% Help


 See top rated North Carolina high schools

 Compare Burns High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Burns High ranks better than 51.9% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 4th among 6 ranked high schools in the Cleveland County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.29. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (70.4%), African American (16.2%), Hispanic (8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Burns High is 16, which is the 3rd best among 6 high schools in the Cleveland County Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Burns High employs 57.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Burns High is $9,886, which is the 2nd highest among 6 high schools in the Cleveland County Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Burns High:

SchoolDigger ranks Burns High 308th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Burns High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Cleveland County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Cleveland County Schools 121st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Burns High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 40.31 302nd 431 29.9%
2007 44.53 279th 453 38.4%
2008 39.81 325th 477 31.9%
2009 40.46 335th 490 31.6%
2010 52.29 266th 499 46.7%
2011 60.70 176th 506 65.2%
2012 44.24 279th 502 44.4%
2013 37.85 251st 505 50.3%
2014 37.23 229th 451 49.2%
2015 37.81 277th 531 47.8%
2016 39.99 234th 507 53.8%
2017 32.66 295th 476 38.0%
2018 35.00 297th 469 36.7%
2019 35.73 310th 514 39.7%
2021 42.16 324th 594 45.5%
2022 51.00 279th 621 55.1%
2023 37.54 375th 626 40.1%
2024 48.29 308th 640 51.9%
See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.12 182nd 185 1.6%
2021 45.99 110th 199 44.7%
2024 26.61 210th 261 19.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 21.83 310th 349 11.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.85 215th 424 49.3%
2019 37.37 234th 446 47.5%
2021 45.08 152nd 432 64.8%
2022 46.42 240th 544 55.9%
2023 36.84 353rd 597 40.9%
2024 48.74 258th 613 57.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.47 299th 449 33.4%
2019 36.80 297th 475 37.5%
2021 44.12 220th 475 53.7%
2022 56.44 248th 594 58.2%
2023 38.27 356th 588 39.5%
2024 53.34 268th 602 55.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.45 303rd 349 13.2%
2019 12.65 357th 364 1.9%
2021 32.95 221st 334 33.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.47 29th 100 71.0%
2019 33.35 263rd 325 19.1%
2021 53.89 187th 337 44.5%
2022 59.21 194th 398 51.3%
2023 39.44 311th 403 22.8%
2024 57.41 216th 403 46.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.21 314th 463 32.2%
2019 31.85 313th 488 35.9%
2021 38.86 247th 481 48.6%
2022 45.11 300th 585 48.7%
2023 35.83 375th 602 37.7%
2024 43.13 334th 607 45.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.88 168th 359 53.2%
2019 36.29 202nd 369 45.3%
2021 44.14 139th 364 61.8%
2022 54.11 147th 430 65.8%
2023 30.99 287th 434 33.9%
2024 45.85 196th 437 55.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.41 117th 340 65.6%
2019 28.23 264th 354 25.4%
2021 36.08 211th 370 43.0%
2022 59.23 132nd 436 69.7%
2023 29.98 320th 449 28.7%
2024 60.39 128th 454 71.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Burns High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.59 378th 427 11.5%
2019 26.13 343rd 444 22.7%
2021 32.33 269th 439 38.7%
2022 38.85 327th 534 38.8%
2023 28.29 407th 537 24.2%
2024 37.63 359th 553 35.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Burns High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Burns High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 584 198 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 782
1989 573 199 2 2 0 n/a n/a 5 781
1990 570 187 1 2 1 n/a n/a -2 759
1991 784 251 1 0 0 n/a n/a -2 1034
1992 788 274 1 1 0 n/a n/a -2 1062
1993 768 250 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 1020
1994 774 246 2 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1025
1995 745 253 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1002
1996 745 253 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1002
1997 743 248 2 4 1 n/a n/a 0 998
1998 763 246 3 7 1 n/a n/a 0 1020
1999 776 242 2 9 2 n/a n/a 0 1031
2000 778 227 2 5 1 n/a n/a 0 1013
2001 811 234 3 6 1 n/a n/a 0 1055
2002 875 243 1 9 0 n/a n/a 0 1128
2003 875 243 1 9 0 n/a n/a 0 1128
2004 930 276 5 23 1 n/a n/a 0 1235
2005 921 300 6 23 1 n/a n/a 0 1251
2006 975 303 5 27 1 n/a n/a 0 1311
2007 935 290 6 25 1 n/a n/a 18 1275
2008 894 274 4 28 0 n/a n/a 18 1218
2009 905 284 6 36 0 n/a n/a 0 1231
2010 837 262 3 43 1 n/a n/a 0 1146
2011 778 219 2 44 6 0 70 0 1119
2012 755 206 0 49 6 0 70 0 1086
2013 785 192 2 57 5 0 67 0 1108
2014 776 190 1 54 2 0 54 0 1077
2015 806 185 3 51 1 0 38 0 1084
2016 783 179 3 65 3 0 38 0 1071
2017 775 173 2 60 3 0 33 0 1046
2018 713 158 6 67 2 0 32 0 978
2019 682 159 3 69 3 0 28 0 944
2020 683 157 3 69 3 0 35 0 950
2021 670 145 4 67 2 0 27 0 915
2022 666 141 4 59 3 0 33 0 906
2023 668 141 4 70 2 0 49 0 934
2024 649 149 3 74 1 0 46 0 922

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Burns High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 782 54.0 14.4 7.9
1989 781 54.0 14.4 22.8
1990 759 57.0 13.3 23.5
1991 1034 65.0 15.9 17.2
1992 1062 67.0 15.8 8.9
1993 1020 60.0 17.0 23.1
1994 1025 61.0 16.8 14.4
1995 1002 66.0 15.2 11.6
1996 1002 66.0 15.2 11.6
1997 998 71.0 14.1 14.4
1998 1020 78.0 13.1 17.8
1999 1031 78.0 13.2 21.4
2000 1013 78.0 13.0 20.8
2001 1055 78.0 13.5 19.1
2002 1128 78.0 14.5 0
2003 1128 78.0 14.5 0
2004 1235 78.0 15.8 32.5
2005 1251 78.0 16.0 37.6
2006 1311 78.0 16.8 41
2007 1275 82.9 15.4 46.1
2008 1218 84.0 14.5 43.6
2009 1231 84.1 14.6 45
2010 1146 79.3 14.4 48.9
2011 1119 80.9 13.8 50.4
2012 1086 79.9 13.5 53.4
2013 1108 81.0 13.6 55.5
2014 1077 81.0 13.2 57.4
2015 1084 77.0 14.0 55.4
2016 1071 73.0 14.6 54.2
2017 1046 74.9 13.9 53
2018 978 72.1 13.5 49.4
2019 944 63.7 14.8 47.9
2020 950 58.0 16.3 49.3
2021 915 60.5 15.1 45.7
2022 906 59.9 15.1 39.4
2023 934 61.1 15.2 59.7
2024 922 57.5 16.0 99

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Burns High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 782 54.0 14.4 7.9
1989 781 54.0 14.4 22.8
1990 759 57.0 13.3 23.5
1991 1034 65.0 15.9 17.2
1992 1062 67.0 15.8 8.9
1993 1020 60.0 17.0 23.1
1994 1025 61.0 16.8 14.4
1995 1002 66.0 15.2 11.6
1996 1002 66.0 15.2 11.6
1997 998 71.0 14.1 14.4
1998 1020 78.0 13.1 17.8
1999 1031 78.0 13.2 21.4
2000 1013 78.0 13.0 20.8
2001 1055 78.0 13.5 19.1
2002 1128 78.0 14.5 0
2003 1128 78.0 14.5 0
2004 1235 78.0 15.8 32.5
2005 1251 78.0 16.0 37.6
2006 1311 78.0 16.8 41
2007 1275 82.9 15.4 46.1
2008 1218 84.0 14.5 43.6
2009 1231 84.1 14.6 45
2010 1146 79.3 14.4 48.9
2011 1119 80.9 13.8 50.4
2012 1086 79.9 13.5 53.4
2013 1108 81.0 13.6 55.5
2014 1077 81.0 13.2 57.4
2015 1084 77.0 14.0 55.4
2016 1071 73.0 14.6 54.2
2017 1046 74.9 13.9 53
2018 978 72.1 13.5 49.4
2019 944 63.7 14.8 47.9
2020 950 58.0 16.3 49.3
2021 915 60.5 15.1 45.7
2022 906 59.9 15.1 39.4
2023 934 61.1 15.2 59.7
2024 922 57.5 16.0 99

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Burns High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $976 (9.9%) $8,910 (90.1%) $9,886

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Burns High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 310th of 514 High schoolsRanks 375th of 626 High schools
 0.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Burns High)6253.7
 8.3%
   End of Course Biology (Cleveland County Schools)62.955.3
 7.6%
   End of Course Biology (North Carolina)59.654.1
 5.5%
End of Course English II (Burns High)49.356.4
 7.1%
   End of Course English II (Cleveland County Schools)52.653.9
 1.3%
   End of Course English II (North Carolina)59.758.5
 1.2%
End of Course Math I (Burns High)31.226
 5.2%
   End of Course Math I (Cleveland County Schools)39.136.5
 2.6%
   End of Course Math I (North Carolina)41.235.9
 5.3%
End of Course Math III (Burns High)3548
 13%
   End of Course Math III (Cleveland County Schools)37.556.4
 18.9%
   End of Course Math III (North Carolina)46.858.3
 11.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students944934
 1.1%
African American159141
 11.3%
American Indian32
 33.3%
Asian34
 33.3%
Hispanic6970
 1.4%
Pacific Islander00
White682668
 2.1%
Two or More Races2849
 75%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients47.9%59.7%
 11.9%


Schools Near Burns High









Frequently Asked Questions about Burns High

Burns High ranks 308th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 922 students attended Burns High.

Burns High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Casar Elementary
Elementary : Fallston Elementary
Elementary : Union Elementary
Elementary : Washington Elementary
Middle : Burns Middle

Students at Burns High are 70% White, 16% African American, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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