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Public high school · Cleveland County Schools · Lawndale, North Carolina

Burns High

Burns High rates 6.4, right at the middle of Cleveland County Schools's high schools, whose rated median is 6.1.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.4this school

6.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Cleveland County Schools median is 6.1.

#1,305 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina · Cleveland County Schools: 6 high schools rated, median 6.1

The brief

A Cleveland County Schools high school where students score 20 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,305 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 22 of 28 in Cleveland County Schools.

Burns High is listed in Cleveland County Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math76%7 points above the North Carolina average of 69%185 students tested · 2026 NC
Reading64%Level with the North Carolina average of 64%217 students tested · 2026 NC
In 2026, 76% of students were proficient in math and 64% in reading, against North Carolina averages of 69% and 64%.2026 NC; 34 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.2
25% of the rating
Academics
8.8
25% of the rating
College Readiness
6.1
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.2
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 46% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 54% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 28090; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Burns High and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$52,224
Median home value
$140,200
Median rent
$680/mo
College educated
19.3%
Homeownership
73.1%
Poverty rate
15.5%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28090; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
10
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
21
Somewhat Bikeable
County reported crime
1,682/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
3 AP courses
12.8% participation · state average 3 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
22 sports
11 boys' · 11 girls' · 27 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
99%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Burns High serve?

Burns High serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Burns High?

Burns High has an enrollment of approximately 922 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Burns High?

The student-teacher ratio at Burns High is 16.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Burns High rank in NC?

Burns High ranks #1,305 of 2,660 schools in NC.

What is Burns High's MySchoolScout rating?

Burns High has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Burns High?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Burns High has 46% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 54% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Burns High a charter school?

No, Burns High is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Burns High a Title I school?

No, Burns High is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Burns High?

99.0% of students at Burns High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
922
Student-teacher ratio
16.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
57
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Cleveland County
4-year graduation
83.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#22 of 28
Schools in district
28
District spending per student
$12,540
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
18.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 28090)
7,422
Area average commute
30.3 min
Area median age
43.3

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.