West Carteret High

Summary:

West Carteret High is a public high school serving 1,146 students in grades 9-12 in Morehead City, North Carolina, which is part of the Carteret County Public Schools district.

While West Carteret High has shown strong academic performance in the past, ranking in the top half of North Carolina high schools, its ranking has declined in recent years, from 68th out of 514 schools in 2018-2019 to 284th out of 640 schools in 2023-2024. The school has performed particularly well for certain student subgroups, such as African American students, English Language Learners, and Gifted and Talented students, but has struggled with the performance of Hispanic students and students with disabilities. West Carteret High's test scores in End-of-Course (EOC) exams have been mixed compared to the state and district averages, outperforming the state in Math III and English II, but underperforming in Biology and Math I.

Compared to nearby schools in the same district, such as East Carteret High and Croatan High, West Carteret High generally performs on par or slightly below in terms of academic achievement and test scores. However, the school's performance is still above the state average in many areas. Additionally, West Carteret High has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 21.78% in 2021-2022 to 40.23% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 4700 Country Club Road
       Morehead City, NC  28557-6218


(252) 726-1176

District: Carteret County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
284th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,075 Help


Feeder schools for West Carteret High:

Elementary:    Morehead City Primary
    Morehead Elementary at Camp Glenn
    Newport Elementary
Middle:    Morehead City Middle
    Newport Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  15.9 Help
Number of students:  1,146

Racial breakdown:

White:
72.1%
Hispanic:
14.4%
Two or more races:
5.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  40.2% Help


 See top rated North Carolina high schools

 Compare West Carteret High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details West Carteret High ranks better than 55.6% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Carteret County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.61. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details West Carteret High has the largest high school student body size in the Carteret County Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (72.1%), Hispanic (14.4%), two or more races (5.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 40.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Carteret High is 15.9. 2 high schools in the Carteret County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare West Carteret High employs 71.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Carteret High is $10,075. 2 high schools in the Carteret County Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Carteret High:

SchoolDigger ranks West Carteret High 284th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See West Carteret High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Carteret County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Carteret County Public Schools 35th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for West Carteret High.

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Rank History for West Carteret High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 70.70 63rd 431 85.4%
2007 73.90 48th 453 89.4%
2008 73.45 51st 477 89.3%
2009 73.98 45th 490 90.8%
2010 74.12 45th 499 91.0%
2011 78.75 33rd 506 93.5%
2012 75.84 41st 502 91.8%
2013 75.28 31st 505 93.9%
2014 75.44 47th 451 89.6%
2015 74.84 61st 531 88.5%
2016 68.70 75th 507 85.2%
2017 74.29 66th 476 86.1%
2018 82.23 49th 469 89.6%
2019 75.89 68th 514 86.8%
2021 74.31 131st 594 77.9%
2022 68.78 175th 621 71.8%
2023 64.75 196th 626 68.7%
2024 52.61 284th 640 55.6%
See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.32 48th 185 74.1%
2019 64.01 56th 195 71.3%
2021 51.64 93rd 199 53.3%
2022 58.55 67th 226 70.4%
2023 67.22 65th 249 73.9%
2024 44.18 144th 261 44.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 70.04 14th 156 91.0%
2023 55.49 64th 226 71.7%
2024 18.86 255th 262 2.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 39.48 187th 349 46.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.70 39th 424 90.8%
2019 76.42 30th 446 93.3%
2021 66.34 43rd 432 90.0%
2022 57.26 179th 544 67.1%
2023 57.77 198th 597 66.8%
2024 43.71 298th 613 51.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 92.74 3rd 44 93.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 84.44 40th 449 91.1%
2019 75.77 69th 475 85.5%
2021 79.81 48th 475 89.9%
2022 70.90 164th 594 72.4%
2023 69.18 169th 588 71.3%
2024 47.24 305th 602 49.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.97 58th 349 83.4%
2019 83.79 20th 364 94.5%
2021 44.89 144th 334 56.9%
2022 50.53 117th 330 64.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 72.10 59th 325 81.8%
2021 73.07 65th 337 80.7%
2023 77.87 67th 403 83.4%
2024 69.97 110th 403 72.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 58.17 13th 41 68.3%
2022 82.08 7th 47 85.1%
2023 69.50 14th 48 70.8%
2024 42.10 29th 49 40.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.89 64th 463 86.2%
2019 75.18 61st 488 87.5%
2021 68.62 85th 481 82.3%
2022 66.31 182nd 585 68.9%
2023 59.20 227th 602 62.3%
2024 56.45 237th 607 61.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.92 36th 359 90.0%
2019 71.97 44th 369 88.1%
2021 58.23 81st 364 77.7%
2022 53.96 148th 430 65.6%
2023 55.35 141st 434 67.5%
2024 64.29 106th 437 75.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.58 51st 340 85.0%
2019 69.18 45th 354 87.3%
2021 69.78 40th 370 89.2%
2022 57.07 141st 436 67.7%
2023 49.09 189th 449 57.9%
2024 23.15 372nd 454 18.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at West Carteret High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.87 72nd 427 83.1%
2019 71.07 81st 444 81.8%
2021 69.77 85th 439 80.6%
2022 64.64 190th 534 64.4%
2023 58.64 216th 537 59.8%
2024 48.14 289th 553 47.7%
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.

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



Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.5)
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50%

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50%

  

by a parent
Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Open Quote Attending this school can be lonely for an Afro-American who is only culturally Black. However, you can count on your child getting a good education at West Carteret. Close Quote


by a student
Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Open Quote The school is crawling with roaches and rats. The teachers are just there to get payed and couldn’t care less about the students or actually teaching anything. The administration doesn’t care about anything except trying to dress code girls for the stupidest things like gym shorts, Nike slides and not even kidding someone’s lunchbox. You basically don’t matter at the school unless you play football, basketball or are in band. The teachers do nothing about bullying and start more drama than the actual students do. The school tries to cover everything that happens up (we had two bomb/shooting threats and they never told parents) and act like everything is okay. Like I mentioned before they have rats, and one was so big it ate a hole through the auditorium seats, curtain, a trash can, and someone bookbag and the school did nothing about it so the drama students had to catch it themselves. They fired the good janitors (after one died from cancer after working at the school for 30 years) and hired a cheap company where the people don’t do their jobs, hide in the janitors closet on their phones and give the students creepy looks. Close Quote



Enrollment information for West Carteret High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1249 151 6 2 3 n/a n/a 0 1411
1989 1266 145 7 1 2 n/a n/a 0 1421
1990 1247 160 7 2 0 n/a n/a 0 1416
1991 1260 155 5 6 0 n/a n/a 0 1426
1992 1329 145 7 7 1 n/a n/a 0 1489
1993 1374 145 3 12 4 n/a n/a 0 1538
1994 1317 161 4 12 5 n/a n/a 0 1499
1995 1341 152 9 9 10 n/a n/a 0 1521
1996 1341 152 9 9 10 n/a n/a 0 1521
1997 1426 163 10 13 8 n/a n/a 0 1620
1998 1484 174 13 14 12 n/a n/a 0 1697
1999 1131 165 12 10 3 n/a n/a 0 1321
2000 1006 147 7 17 6 n/a n/a 0 1183
2001 987 152 7 21 6 n/a n/a 0 1173
2002 1039 138 13 32 1 n/a n/a 0 1223
2003 1039 138 13 32 1 n/a n/a 0 1223
2004 1034 144 9 34 1 n/a n/a 0 1222
2005 1032 141 11 36 1 n/a n/a 0 1221
2006 1059 140 14 37 4 n/a n/a 0 1254
2007 1006 99 14 46 2 n/a n/a 32 1199
2008 957 100 17 41 4 n/a n/a 29 1148
2009 1014 128 20 40 6 n/a n/a 0 1208
2010 1017 130 22 39 3 n/a n/a 0 1211
2011 951 83 21 58 5 0 78 0 1196
2012 939 82 23 74 4 0 68 0 1190
2013 944 93 20 87 2 1 70 0 1217
2014 873 100 14 89 2 3 61 0 1142
2015 908 102 22 115 4 2 62 0 1215
2016 945 92 20 121 6 1 73 0 1258
2017 944 85 18 117 4 2 86 0 1256
2018 954 70 13 128 4 1 92 0 1262
2019 858 55 8 126 2 3 90 0 1142
2020 791 56 13 130 2 3 90 0 1085
2021 800 49 13 135 5 1 84 0 1087
2022 819 59 15 159 3 3 76 0 1134
2023 826 60 19 165 4 6 66 0 1146

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 West Carteret High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1411 84.0 16.7 7.2
1989 1421 84.0 16.9 9.9
1990 1416 84.0 16.8 10.3
1991 1426 84.0 16.9 10.2
1992 1489 84.0 17.7 4.2
1993 1538 86.0 17.9 7
1994 1499 89.0 16.8 11.8
1995 1521 94.0 16.2 16.9
1996 1521 94.0 16.2 16.9
1997 1620 96.0 16.9 14.7
1998 1697 112.0 15.2 11.8
1999 1321 80.0 16.5 21.1
2000 1183 93.0 12.7 18.7
2001 1173 93.0 12.6 17.6
2002 1223 95.0 12.9 23.2
2003 1223 95.0 12.9 23.2
2004 1222 95.0 12.9 26.9
2005 1221 95.0 12.9 25.6
2006 1254 95.0 13.2 29.2
2007 1199 88.7 13.5 29.1
2008 1148 88.8 12.9 27.1
2009 1208 86.9 13.9 28.6
2010 1211 84.6 14.3 31.3
2011 1196 84.5 14.1 33.6
2012 1190 78.4 15.1 32.7
2013 1217 86.0 14.1 35.1
2014 1142 80.7 14.1 37
2015 1215 80.0 15.1 36.1
2016 1258 81.0 15.5 39.7
2017 1256 76.4 16.4 37.2
2018 1262 77.5 16.2 36.3
2019 1142 73.5 15.5 48.3
2020 1085 74.9 14.4 30.7
2021 1087 72.8 14.9 35.1
2022 1134 72.3 15.6 21.8
2023 1146 71.7 15.9 40.2

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 West Carteret High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1411 84.0 16.7 7.2
1989 1421 84.0 16.9 9.9
1990 1416 84.0 16.8 10.3
1991 1426 84.0 16.9 10.2
1992 1489 84.0 17.7 4.2
1993 1538 86.0 17.9 7
1994 1499 89.0 16.8 11.8
1995 1521 94.0 16.2 16.9
1996 1521 94.0 16.2 16.9
1997 1620 96.0 16.9 14.7
1998 1697 112.0 15.2 11.8
1999 1321 80.0 16.5 21.1
2000 1183 93.0 12.7 18.7
2001 1173 93.0 12.6 17.6
2002 1223 95.0 12.9 23.2
2003 1223 95.0 12.9 23.2
2004 1222 95.0 12.9 26.9
2005 1221 95.0 12.9 25.6
2006 1254 95.0 13.2 29.2
2007 1199 88.7 13.5 29.1
2008 1148 88.8 12.9 27.1
2009 1208 86.9 13.9 28.6
2010 1211 84.6 14.3 31.3
2011 1196 84.5 14.1 33.6
2012 1190 78.4 15.1 32.7
2013 1217 86.0 14.1 35.1
2014 1142 80.7 14.1 37
2015 1215 80.0 15.1 36.1
2016 1258 81.0 15.5 39.7
2017 1256 76.4 16.4 37.2
2018 1262 77.5 16.2 36.3
2019 1142 73.5 15.5 48.3
2020 1085 74.9 14.4 30.7
2021 1087 72.8 14.9 35.1
2022 1134 72.3 15.6 21.8
2023 1146 71.7 15.9 40.2

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 West Carteret High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $730 (7.2%) $9,344 (92.7%) $10,075

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

Impact of COVID-19 on West Carteret 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 68th of 514 High schoolsRanks 196th of 626 High schools
 18.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Biology (West Carteret High)80.773.6
 7.1%
   End of Course Biology (Carteret County Public Schools)81.673.4
 8.2%
   End of Course Biology (North Carolina)59.654.1
 5.5%
End of Course English II (West Carteret High)71.366.8
 4.5%
   End of Course English II (Carteret County Public Schools)73.470.8
 2.6%
   End of Course English II (North Carolina)59.758.5
 1.2%
End of Course Math I (West Carteret High)69.741.8
 27.9%
   End of Course Math I (Carteret County Public Schools)72.253.8
 18.4%
   End of Course Math I (North Carolina)41.235.9
 5.3%
End of Course Math III (West Carteret High)59.369.3
 10%
   End of Course Math III (Carteret County Public Schools)64.475.8
 11.4%
   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 Students11421146
 0.4%
African American5560
 9.1%
American Indian24
 100%
Asian819
 137.5%
Hispanic126165
 31%
Pacific Islander36
 100%
White858826
 3.7%
Two or More Races9066
 26.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients48.3%40.2%
 8.1%


Schools Near West Carteret High









Frequently Asked Questions about West Carteret High

West Carteret High ranks 284th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at West Carteret High are 72% White, 14% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,146 students attended West Carteret High.

West Carteret High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Morehead City Primary
Elementary : Morehead Elementary at Camp Glenn
Elementary : Newport Elementary
Middle : Morehead City Middle
Middle : Newport Middle


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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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