Classrooms & campuses
Schools and education in Moore County.
Moore County Schools serves the whole county, and for most families in Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Aberdeen, and Whispering Pines the attendance pattern points to Pinecrest High. Around that public system sits a strong set of alternatives: The O'Neal School, free public charters, Sandhills Community College, and universities within an hour's drive.
Education at a glance
4
Public high schools in Moore County Schools
PK–12
The O’Neal School, an independent college-prep day school
~4,000
Curriculum students at Sandhills Community College
3
Public charter schools currently operating in the county
The public district
Moore County Schools: one district, four high schools.
The district is headquartered in Carthage and covers every town in the county. It operates four in-person high schools plus virtual and alternative options, so where your address falls matters for which one your student attends.
Moore County Schools websitePinecrest High
Southern Pines
The district’s largest high school and the destination for most Southern Pines, Pinehurst, and Aberdeen-area addresses.
Union Pines High
Cameron
The northern Moore County high school serving the Cameron area.
North Moore High
Robbins
The western high school serving Robbins and the northern parts of the county.
Moore Innovative High
Countywide
A smaller, flexible option within the district.
The feeder pattern
Most local addresses point to Pinecrest.
In the Southern Pines, Pinehurst, and Aberdeen area, the typical route is a neighborhood elementary school, then Southern Middle or West Pine Middle, then Pinecrest High. The elementary stops families most often ask about are Pinehurst Elementary, Southern Pines Elementary, McDeeds Creek Elementary, and West Pine Elementary.
The important caveat: attendance zones are decided street by street, not town by town. Two houses on the same road can sit in different feeder patterns. Before you fall for a house, confirm the exact assignment for that address with Moore County Schools. Terry does this as a standard part of every search.
Read the full feeder guideBy town
Notable public schools, town by town.
Moore County has roughly two dozen public schools across the county. These are the ones that come up most in searches for each town. Every one of them is part of the same district and the same address-based assignment system.
Southern Pines
Southern Pines Elementary, McDeeds Creek Elementary, Southern Middle, Pinecrest High
Pinehurst
Pinehurst Elementary, with middle and high school assignments that vary by address
Aberdeen
Aberdeen Elementary (PK–5), with feeder assignments that run through the same district pattern
Carthage
Carthage Elementary, Crain’s Creek Middle, with nearby district options
Cameron
Cameron Elementary, New Century Middle, Union Pines High
Whispering Pines & West End
West Pine Elementary and West Pine Middle serve the Whispering Pines area
Attendance zones vary by address. Confirm your street with Moore County Schools before you offer.
Grades & ratings
School Grades & Ratings
North Carolina assigns every public school an annual School Performance Grade from A through F, based on achievement and growth. The grades are released each year by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, so the letter on a school today can change when the next report card comes out.
Look up current grades
Grades refresh every fall, so always check the current year's report card.
Recent highlights
A few recent results from the district's own reporting, so you can see how the grades have moved.
2024-25 school year
Moore County Schools reported student scores at five-year highs and the district continuing to outperform state averages; fifteen schools met or exceeded expected growth, and three schools improved their School Performance Grades.
2022-23 school year
Pinehurst Elementary received an A performance grade; schools receiving a B included Highfalls Elementary, McDeeds Creek Elementary, Pinecrest High, Sandhills Farm Life Elementary, West End Elementary, and West Pine Middle.
Private and charter schools in the area do not receive the same public school performance grades. Families should check with individual schools for their latest results.
Private & charter
Options beyond the district.
The O'Neal School is the independent school families ask about first: a college-preparatory day school serving preschool through 12th grade on a 40-acre campus in Southern Pines, founded in 1971. A handful of smaller independent and faith-based schools also serve the area.
The O'Neal SchoolPublic charter schools are free and independent of the district's attendance zones. The county currently has several operating options, with the widest choices in the Aberdeen area. Enrollment is by application, not address, so apply early.
The Academy of Moore County
A public charter elementary (K–5) in Aberdeen.
Stars Charter
A public charter school in Aberdeen.
Moore Montessori Community School
A free public charter (K–8) offering Montessori education.
Sandhills Kids charter directory
A maintained local directory of the current charter and independent school options.
Colleges & universities
From the community college to the Triangle.
Higher education in and around Moore County runs from a strong local community college to some of the Southeast's biggest university names within an hour's drive.
Sandhills Community College
The county’s community college in Pinehurst: roughly 4,000 curriculum students, 100+ degree, diploma, and certificate programs, and the first NC community college to offer a college-transfer degree.
Campbell University
About 25 miles away in Buies Creek: the nearest four-year private university.
Fayetteville State & Methodist University
Both about 40 miles east in Fayetteville, along with UNC Pembroke roughly 40 miles southwest.
The Triangle universities
NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Duke are all about an hour up US-1 and I-40.
Advice for moving families
Ask the district, then trust the street check.
School decisions in Moore County come down to three steps. First, confirm the exact feeder pattern for the address, because zones vary house to house. Second, visit the school and talk to the principal or a parent: report cards and ratings tell part of the story, and the feel of the building tells the rest. Third, if the public assignment is not what you want, weigh the charter applications and The O'Neal School side by side, and apply early.
Terry works the address check into every search automatically, so the school question is answered before you write an offer, not after.
Ask about a school zoneSources & notes
School offerings, charter openings, and attendance zones change year to year. Confirm everything on the district's own website and by calling the school before making a decision based on this guide.
- Moore County Schools, high schools
- Moore County Schools, elementary schools
- The O'Neal School
- Sandhills Kids, charter school directory
- Sandhills Community College
- U.S. News, Moore County Schools district
Shopping for a school zone?
Tell Terry the schools you want and the budget you have. Terry comes back with the streets that hit both, and confirms the feeder for each address before you visit.
Contact Terry