14 public K-12 schools in Clayton from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
14 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Clayton's 14 public schools is American Leadership Academy - Johnston, against a city average of 40.2/100. Computed live across every Clayton campus reporting to NCES.
How the Clayton Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Clayton, NC enrolls 13,708 students across 14 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 2 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 16.4:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 40.2/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Clayton on this index is American Leadership Academy - Johnston with 2,082 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Clayton spans 3 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
American Leadership Academy - Johnston accounts for 15.2% of all Clayton public-school enrollment
That concentration means Clayton-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: Combined. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Clayton school enrollment varies 4.7× across entities
Clayton school enrollment ranges from 447 students (lowest) to 2,082 students (highest), a spread of 1,635 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous school portfolio for a city this size. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Clayton student-teacher ratio is 16.4:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — aligned with the U.S. average of approximately 15.7:1
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Variation between sub-units within Clayton is typically wider than the Clayton-aggregate figure suggests.
Clayton has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility — 14.3% of the population qualifies for charter-school enrollment options
charter-school enrollment options eligibility is the federal threshold for charter school authorisation funding allocations, established under the state-specific charter law. Areas above 30% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic charter school authorisation formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Clayton
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
