Original Research by School Decision on Saint Pauls High
Saint Pauls High is a mid-sized school in a small, rural Robeson County town that once thrived on textile manufacturing. The town sits along Interstate 95 with a quiet downtown of mostly vacant storefronts, small businesses, churches, and civic events that anchor community life. Most residents drive to get around; there is no public transit. The area has experienced steady population decline since the mill closures of the 1990s, though new commercial development and corporate relocations have created some employment near the highway and in agriculture.
The school's student body reflects the town's diversity. The enrollment is roughly evenly split between Hispanic, Black, American Indian, and White students, with Asian and Native Hawaiian students in very small numbers. Nearly all students come from families with low incomes, evidenced by a free-or-reduced-price lunch rate that approaches total participation.
State testing data and graduation rates for Saint Pauls High were not available, which means a reader cannot assess academic proficiency or completion rates directly from this data. School performance comparisons to other districts in Robeson County could not be made because the school's proficiency figures were missing. This gap often reflects incomplete reporting at the school level or a state testing system that does not report certain metrics by individual school building. A parent interested in how students are performing academically relative to state standards or how the school's graduation outcomes compare to county neighbors should contact the school or the Public Schools of Robeson County directly.
The school is part of Public Schools of Robeson County, a district facing real budget pressures. In 2025, the district lost a substantial amount of pandemic-era federal funding that had been promised for major facility work, including HVAC replacement at another high school, classroom additions, and window replacements across elementary schools. The district had to redirect money from its own budget to cover contractor costs already underway. Robeson ranks last in North Carolina for local per-student spending, reflecting a county that lacks a significant tax base. These constraints affect building conditions and maintenance across the district.
On the positive side, the district is investing in career and technical education. A new Robeson Career and Technical Education Center opened in nearby Pembroke in August 2025, replacing an older facility and adding programs in drone technology, culinary arts, mechatronics, welding, EMT, and computer/network engineering, plus a new planetarium and science center. This is the district's first major ground-up school construction in over a decade and represents the first full facility replacement since Hurricane Matthew. High school students can access these programs as part of a county-wide pathway.
At the elementary level, the district has adopted Science of Reading aligned curriculum with EL Education literacy materials, Eureka Math Squared, and LETRS teacher training under North Carolina's Read to Achieve framework. This structured literacy approach shapes early reading instruction across the district.
The town itself offers modest housing, with a median home value below the state and national benchmarks. Older subdivisions and newer developments coexist with rural acreage on the outskirts. Major employers include Watts Water Technologies and Prestage Farms, along with retail and construction near the interstate. Civic life centers on the downtown farmers' market, vendor fairs, small concerts, and Everett Park. Medical services are limited in town, with a weekday clinic and larger facilities in Lumberton, about a short drive away. The regional airport is also within a short drive.
A family choosing Saint Pauls High should expect a school serving predominantly low-income students from a historically disadvantaged community, with limited data available on how current academic outcomes compare to district or state benchmarks. The school is part of a district managing real facility constraints while making targeted investments in career pathways and early literacy instruction. The town itself is quiet, car-dependent, and anchored by small-scale civic and business activity rather than regional amenities.
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