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Durham, North Carolina - 54 schools
An equity score of 65/100 ranks Durham Public Schools #66 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,937 per pupil, Durham Public Schools ranks #38 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
31,531
Total Enrollment
54
Schools
$14,937
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Durham Public Schools operates 54 public schools serving 31,531 students, placing it among the larger districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 29 combined, 10 high, 9 middle, 6 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a sizeable portfolio before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Durham County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,937 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 34.5% local, 46.0% state, and 19.5% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 65/100, ranked #66 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 10 of 54 schools offering Advanced Placement (110 AP courses district-wide), a 263.4:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 42.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 37.2% African American, 34.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Creekside Elementary, with a diversity index of 73.8/100.
Its largest campus is C E Jordan High, enrolling 2,189 students (7% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Lakeview School, at 52 students, a 42x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Durham Public Schools school enrollment varies 42× across entities
Durham Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 52 students (lowest) to 2,189 students (highest), a spread of 2,137 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Durham Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 65.9% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.
Durham Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 263:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Durham Public Schools is typically wider than the Durham Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Durham Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 42.9% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Durham Public Schools has 54 schools, including 10 high, 29 combined, 9 middle, 6 elementary. Total enrollment is 31,531 students.
How much does Durham Public Schools spend per student?
Durham Public Schools spends $14,937 per student. The district has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #66 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Durham Public Schools?
Durham Public Schools students are 37.2% African American, 34.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% White, 2.2% Asian, averaged across 54 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Durham Public Schools?
Durham Public Schools has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #66 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.