There were 10,175 students enrolled in Chatham County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 3.4% more than the previous year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Seaforth High School registered the highest enrollment among Chatham County’s 23 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 1,022 students.
North Carolina’s student-teacher ratio is roughly 15.4 students per teacher, aligning with the national average. However, rising teacher turnover threatens to push class sizes higher, making it harder for students to get individualized attention.
If vacancies continue to grow, schools may struggle to maintain this ratio, impacting the quality of instruction. Districts in lower-funded areas face the biggest challenges, as limited budgets make it harder to attract and retain teachers.
| School name | Total Enrollment in 2022-23 | Total Enrollment in 2023-24 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaforth High School | 727 | 1,022 | 40.6% |
| Jordan Matthews High School | 886 | 851 | -4% |
| Margaret B. Pollard Middle School | 767 | 743 | -3.1% |
| Northwood High School | 922 | 689 | -25.3% |
| Chatham Grove Elementary School | 660 | 676 | 2.4% |
| Siler City Elementary School | 600 | 610 | 1.7% |
| North Chatham Elementary School | 585 | 588 | 0.5% |
| Chatham Charter | 570 | 578 | 1.4% |
| Chatham Middle School | 554 | 514 | -7.2% |
| Woods Charter | 506 | 509 | 0.6% |
| Pittsboro Elementary School | 476 | 473 | -0.6% |
| Virginia Cross Elementary School | 431 | 442 | 2.6% |
| Horton Middle School | 371 | 388 | 4.6% |
| Chatham Central High School | 352 | 319 | -9.4% |
| Bonlee School | 294 | 300 | 2% |
| Silk Hope School | 275 | 274 | -0.4% |
| Willow Oak Montessori | 279 | 272 | -2.5% |
| Perry W. Harrison Elementary School | 210 | 224 | 6.7% |
| J. S. Waters School | 198 | 218 | 10.1% |
| Moncure School | – | 183 | – |
| Bennett School | 169 | 169 | 0% |
| Chatham School of Science & Engineering | – | 112 | – |
| SAGE Academy | 6 | 21 | 250% |
