There were 18,652 students enrolled in Rowan County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2% more than the previous year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Carson High School registered the highest enrollment among Rowan County’s 34 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 1,066 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carson High School | 1,116 | 1,066 | -4.5% |
| West Rowan High School | 1,073 | 1,050 | -2.1% |
| East Rowan High School | 995 | 1,024 | 2.9% |
| Salisbury High School | 882 | 935 | 6% |
| South Rowan High School | 905 | 932 | 3% |
| Erwin Middle School | 760 | 802 | 5.5% |
| Faith Academy Charter School | 586 | 773 | 31.9% |
| West Rowan Middle School | 652 | 709 | 8.7% |
| Southeast Middle School | 557 | 638 | 14.5% |
| Landis Elementary School | 583 | 627 | 7.5% |
| China Grove Elementary School | 583 | 606 | 3.9% |
| West Rowan Elementary School | 564 | 596 | 5.7% |
| China Grove Middle School | 534 | 563 | 5.4% |
| North Rowan Middle School | 426 | 561 | 31.7% |
| North Rowan High School | 558 | 560 | 0.4% |
| Millbridge Elementary School | 568 | 558 | -1.8% |
| Koontz Elementary School | 519 | 552 | 6.4% |
| Knollwood Elementary School | 540 | 527 | -2.4% |
| Granite Quarry Elementary School | 528 | 522 | -1.1% |
| Rockwell Elementary School | 512 | 499 | -2.5% |
| Hurley Elementary School | 494 | 494 | 0% |
| Isenberg Elementary School | 445 | 478 | 7.4% |
| Corriher Lipe Middle School | 477 | 459 | -3.8% |
| Shive Elementary School | 469 | 436 | -7% |
| North Rowan Elementary School | 413 | 399 | -3.4% |
| Dole Elementary School | 403 | 377 | -6.5% |
| Bostian Elementary School | – | 343 | – |
| Overton Elementary School | 307 | 273 | -11.1% |
| North Kannapolis Elementary School | 263 | 262 | -0.4% |
| Morgan Elementary School | 272 | 262 | -3.7% |
| Mt. Ulla Elementary School | 266 | 246 | -7.5% |
| Rowan County Early College | 235 | 233 | -0.9% |
| Summit K-8 Virtual Academy | 227 | 190 | -16.3% |
| Henderson High School | 60 | 100 | 66.7% |
