Original Research by School Decision on Union High
Union High, located in Rose Hill in Sampson County, enrolls a small student body in grades nine through twelve. The school draws its population from a rural agricultural town with poultry and wine production as economic anchors, and the student composition reflects the region's demographics and economic circumstances. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure indicating high economic need in the school community. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, followed by Black students, with smaller numbers of White students and other backgrounds represented.
The school sits in a county with two public school districts. The county has recently undergone significant change. Sampson County Schools launched the Community Schools model in the Lakewood district, which operates Family Resource Centers and community coordinators at four schools to connect families with educators and community support services as part of a federally funded expansion focused on rural areas facing persistent poverty. This initiative is durable over five years, though it applies to the Lakewood-district schools around Roseboro and Salemburg, not directly to Union High. Additionally, the county completed a property revaluation in 2024, resetting the property tax rate and shifting to a four-year reappraisal cycle going forward, which will affect property tax bills for families in the area.
Rose Hill itself is a small, slow-growth agricultural town on the border with Duplin County, organized around its Town Square and historic railroad corridor. House of Raeford Farms, one of the nation's largest poultry producers, originated here and maintains an industrial feed mill that anchors the local economy. Duplin Winery, the world's largest muscadine wine producer, draws substantial visitor traffic and operates a downtown bistro. The downtown core is walkable and compact around the Town Square, home to the World's Largest Frying Pan used during the annual Poultry Jubilee, but the surrounding area is rural with suburban-rural character. Most daily travel depends on cars and access via Interstate 40 or U.S. Highway 117. The housing market is a seller's market with limited inventory and modest new construction on infill lots rather than large subdivisions. Home values in the school's zip code are substantially below both state and national medians, and monthly mortgage costs are significantly lower than state benchmarks, making housing relatively affordable on lower incomes.
State assessment results and graduation rates for Union High were not available in the data provided. Without access to proficiency measures or college and career readiness data, a parent cannot assess how students perform on standardized tests or what share complete high school on time. The school's course offerings, staffing levels, attendance rates, and special-education and English-learner enrollment counts were also not available, so information about academic breadth, class sizes, student support services, and language learner accommodations could not be determined. Given the high level of economic need in the student population, a parent may want to reach out to the school directly to understand what instructional programs, college prep pathways, and wraparound supports are available, and to ask about academic performance and completion outcomes that would inform a full picture of the school's educational environment.
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