Public schools in Clayton, NC
Clayton has 14 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 2 high, 3 middle, 8 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 13,708 students. They are run by 3 districts and agencies; Johnston County Public Schools runs 12 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 3 districts and agencies that run Clayton's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Clayton | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston County Public Schools | 12 | 37,286 | $11,352 |
| American Leadership Academy - Johnston | 1 | 1,740 | $8,684 |
| Johnston Charter Academy | 1 | 679 | $10,152 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
2 high schools in Clayton, 3,818 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton High | 1,929 | 23.4 | 99.6% | Johnston County Public Schools |
| Cleveland High | 1,889 | 23.5 | 98.7% | Johnston County Public Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
3 middle schools in Clayton, 2,202 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverwood Middle | 902 | 17.0 | 99.4% | Johnston County Public Schools |
| Swift Creek Middle | 691 | 15.5 | 99.3% | Johnston County Public Schools |
| Clayton Middle | 609 | 16.0 | 96.2% | Johnston County Public Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
8 elementary schools in Clayton, 5,606 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Dell Elementary | 981 | 17.6 | 99.7% | Johnston County Public Schools |
| Cleveland Elementary | 851 | 19.0 | 98.6% | Johnston County Public Schools |
| West Clayton Elementary | 742 | 14.9 | 98.5% | Johnston County Public Schools |
| Riverwood Elementary | 728 | 16.3 | 99.6% | Johnston County Public Schools |
| Johnston Charter Academy | 677 | 19.5 | 44.2% | Johnston Charter Academy |
| Powhatan Elementary | 656 | 17.4 | 99.5% | Johnston County Public Schools |
| East Clayton Elementary | 524 | 16.3 | 98.3% | Johnston County Public Schools |
| Cooper Academy | 447 | 14.6 | 98.9% | Johnston County Public Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One other school in Clayton, 2,082 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Leadership Academy - Johnston | 2,082 | 22.7 | 37.9% | American Leadership Academy - Johnston |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Clayton's public schools compare with North Carolina's
The median Clayton school has 17.2 students per full-time teacher, more than the North Carolina median of 15.4. 7.7% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 55% across the state. Its median school enrolls 735 students (state 497).
| Clayton | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 17.2 | 15.4 |
| Median school size (students) | 735 | 497 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 7.7% | 55% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 0% | 0% |
| Charter schools | 14% | 7.5% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 14 Clayton schools and the 2,653 North Carolina schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Clayton
- Johnston County Public SchoolsRuns 12 of Clayton's 14 public schools and spent $11,352 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,352
- Clayton High, the largest high school in Clayton1,929 students in 2024-25, 23.4 per teacher.1,929
- Compare Johnston County Public Schools with American Leadership Academy - JohnstonClayton's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in North CarolinaNorth Carolina's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Clayton addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in North Carolina
- Charlotte173 schools
- Raleigh99 schools
- Greensboro79 schools
- Durham68 schools
- Fayetteville68 schools
- Winston Salem64 schools
- Wilmington44 schools
- Concord35 schools
Questions about schools in Clayton
How many public schools are in Clayton, NC?
14 public schools with an address in Clayton were open in 2024-25: 2 high, 3 middle, 8 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 13,708 students. 2 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Clayton?
Clayton High, with 1,929 students in 2024-25 (Johnston County Public Schools).Which districts run Clayton's schools?
Johnston County Public Schools (12 schools), American Leadership Academy - Johnston (1 school), Johnston Charter Academy (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25