Durham Public Schools

Public school district · Durham County · North Carolina · NCES district ID 3701260

Durham Public Schools spent $15,239 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 89% of the other North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $12,366). Its 54 schools enrolled 31,280 students in 2024-25; 45.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,851 per student, up 4.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 84% (North Carolina: 86.5%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among North Carolina's largest districts

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Durham Public Schools ranks 1.

Current spending per student, largest North Carolina districts, FY23Durham Public Schools $15,239; Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools $13,811; Guilford County Schools $12,897; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools $12,198; Gaston County Schools $12,190; Cumberland County Schools $12,118; Wake County Public School System $11,691; Johnston County Public Schools $11,352; Union County Public Schools $11,340; Cabarrus County Schools $10,749; State median, 1,000+ students $12,366.8k10k12k14k16kDurham Public Schools$15,239Winston Salem / Forsyth County…$13,811Guilford County Schools$12,897Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools$12,198Gaston County Schools$12,190Cumberland County Schools$12,118Wake County Public School Syst…$11,691Johnston County Public Schools$11,352Union County Public Schools$11,340Cabarrus County Schools$10,749State median, 1,000+ students $12,366
Current spending per student, largest North Carolina districts, FY23Durham Public Schools $15,239; Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools $13,811; Guilford County Schools $12,897; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools $12,198; Gaston County Schools $12,190; Cumberland County Schools $12,118; Wake County Public School System $11,691; Johnston County Public Schools $11,352; Union County Public Schools $11,340; Cabarrus County Schools $10,749; State median, 1,000+ students $12,366.8k10k12k14k16kDurham Public Schools$15,239Winston Salem / Forsyth County Scho…$13,811Guilford County Schools$12,897Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools$12,198Gaston County Schools$12,190Cumberland County Schools$12,118Wake County Public School System$11,691Johnston County Public Schools$11,352Union County Public Schools$11,340Cabarrus County Schools$10,749State median, 1,000+ students $12,366
Current spending per student, largest North Carolina districts, FY23Durham Public Schools $15,239; Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools $13,811; Guilford County Schools $12,897; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools $12,198; Gaston County Schools $12,190; Cumberland County Schools $12,118; Wake County Public School System $11,691; Johnston County Public Schools $11,352; Union County Public Schools $11,340; Cabarrus County Schools $10,749; State median, 1,000+ students $12,366.8k12k16kDurham Public Schools$15,239Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools$13,811Guilford County Schools$12,897Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools$12,198Gaston County Schools$12,190Cumberland County Schools$12,118Wake County Public School System$11,691Johnston County Public Schools$11,352Union County Public Schools$11,340Cabarrus County Schools$10,749State median, 1,000+ students $12,366
Current spending per student, largest North Carolina districts, FY23Durham Public Schools $15,239; Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools $13,811; Guilford County Schools $12,897; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools $12,198; Gaston County Schools $12,190; Cumberland County Schools $12,118; Wake County Public School System $11,691; Johnston County Public Schools $11,352; Union County Public Schools $11,340; Cabarrus County Schools $10,749; State median, 1,000+ students $12,366.8k12k16kDurham Public Schools$15,239Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools$13,811Guilford County Schools$12,897Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools$12,198Gaston County Schools$12,190Cumberland County Schools$12,118Wake County Public School System$11,691Johnston County Public Schools$11,352Union County Public Schools$11,340Cabarrus County Schools$10,749State median, 1,000+ students $12,366

Where the money came from

$532,878,000 in revenue: 45.8% state, 37.2% local and 17.0% federal. Total spending including $107,068,000 of capital outlay was $600,659,000, or $19,050 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Durham Public Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $243,962,000; Local $198,222,000; Federal $90,694,000; total $532,878,000.
  • State$243,962,000 46%
  • Local$198,222,000 37%
  • Federal$90,694,000 17%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 150 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

31,531 students in 2022-23, 31,339 students in 2023-24, 31,280 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Durham Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 31,531, 2023-24: 31,339, 2024-25: 31,280010k20k30k40k2022-2331,5312023-2431,3392024-2531,280
Durham Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 31,531, 2023-24: 31,339, 2024-25: 31,280010k20k30k40k2022-2331,5312023-2431,3392024-2531,280
Durham Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 31,531, 2023-24: 31,339, 2024-25: 31,280010k20k30k40k2022-2331,5312023-2431,3392024-2531,280
Durham Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 31,531, 2023-24: 31,339, 2024-25: 31,280010k20k30k40k2022-2331,5312023-2431,3392024-2531,280

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2331,5312326.913.6
2023-2431,3392317.613.5
2024-2531,2802055.215.2

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$116,382,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,691 per student

Durham Public Schools booked $116,382,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 2,369 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $49,130 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 45 in 100 North Carolina districts with a figure (state median $49,503, 293 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Carolina teacher salary at $53,644 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$55,140,00047.4%
Special education$14,503,00012.5%
Vocational$5,499,0004.7%
Other programs$41,240,00035.4%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,319 in 2018-19, $3,320 in 2019-20, $3,576 in 2020-21, $3,654 in 2021-22, $3,691 in 2022-23.

Durham Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,319, 2019-20: $3,320, 2020-21: $3,576, 2021-22: $3,654, 2022-23: $3,69101k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3192019-20$3,3202020-21$3,5762021-22$3,6542022-23$3,691
Durham Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,319, 2019-20: $3,320, 2020-21: $3,576, 2021-22: $3,654, 2022-23: $3,69101k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3192019-20$3,3202020-21$3,5762021-22$3,6542022-23$3,691
Durham Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,319, 2019-20: $3,320, 2020-21: $3,576, 2021-22: $3,654, 2022-23: $3,69101k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3192019-20$3,3202020-21$3,5762021-22$3,6542022-23$3,691
Durham Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,319, 2019-20: $3,320, 2020-21: $3,576, 2021-22: $3,654, 2022-23: $3,69101k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3192019-20$3,3202020-21$3,5762021-22$3,6542022-23$3,691

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Durham Public Schools scored proficient or above: 42% in reading and 41% in math, against 48% in reading and 50% in math across North Carolina. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within North Carolina, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtNorth CarolinaStudents tested
Reading and language arts42%48%13,586
Math41%50%13,582

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

84% of the 2,760 students in Durham Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.5% across North Carolina. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtNorth Carolina
Four-year graduation rate84%86.5%
Students in the class2,760120,822

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

31 elementary schools, 13,886 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Pearsontown Elementary76513.699.6%Not Title I
Forest View Elementary66213.099.5%Schoolwide program
Southwest Elementary63914.399.5%Schoolwide program
Lyons Farm Elementary60816.099.5%Not reported
Sandy Ridge Elementary58917.999.5%Schoolwide program
Holt Elementary58713.999.5%Schoolwide program
Hillandale Elementary58614.799.5%Schoolwide program
Creekside Elementary55415.999.5%Schoolwide program
Spring Valley Elementary54316.599.3%Schoolwide program
Hope Valley Elementary53911.199.4%Schoolwide program
Parkwood Elementary49113.999.4%Schoolwide program
Easley Elementary49012.999.4%Not Title I
The other 19 elementary schools
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Glenn Elementary45510.399.3%Schoolwide program
E K Powe Elementary45412.899.3%Schoolwide program
Merrick-Moore Elementary44512.699.3%Schoolwide program
Bethesda Elementary44213.999.3%Schoolwide program
Eno Valley Elementary44013.199.3%Schoolwide program
Lakewood Elementary43911.398.9%Schoolwide program
Oak Grove Elementary39511.699.2%Schoolwide program
Club Boulevard Elementary36414.799.2%Schoolwide program
George Watts Elementary35814.399.2%Schoolwide program
Y E Smith Elementary35815.799.2%Schoolwide program
Eastway Elementary33110.599.1%Schoolwide program
Little River K-8 School32611.499.1%Schoolwide program
W G Pearson Elementary31910.097.2%Schoolwide program
Mangum Elementary31513.699.0%Not Title I
R N Harris Elementary31314.699.0%Schoolwide program
Burton Elementary29310.899.0%Schoolwide program
Morehead Montessori27814.298.9%Eligible, no program
Fayetteville Street Elementary26112.797.3%Schoolwide program
C C Spaulding Elementary24710.298.8%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

9 middle schools, 5,464 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Sherwood Githens Middle87817.199.7%Schoolwide program
George L Carrington Middle77115.299.6%Schoolwide program
Brogden Middle75316.999.5%Schoolwide program
Neal Middle70614.799.6%Schoolwide program
Rogers-Herr Middle66016.699.5%Eligible, no program
Lowe's Grove Middle56419.899.5%Schoolwide program
James E Shepard Middle42314.598.6%Schoolwide program
Lucas Middle40016.999.3%Schoolwide program
Lakewood Montessori Middle30915.299.0%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

13 high schools, 11,567 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
C E Jordan High2,18920.999.9%Eligible, no program
Riverside High1,90020.399.8%Eligible, no program
Durham School of the Arts1,76417.699.2%Eligible, no program
Hillside High1,43317.499.8%Eligible, no program
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi1,38421.299.8%Eligible, no program
Northern High1,28118.399.8%Eligible, no program
J D Clement Early College High School38026.399.2%Eligible, no program
The School for Creative Studies35010.298.9%Eligible, no program
City of Medicine Academy32916.698.5%Eligible, no program
Durham School of Technology21913.598.6%Eligible, no program
Middle College HS @ DTCC16423.498.2%Not Title I
Durham's Performance Learning Center1227.390.2%Eligible, no program
One more high school
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Lakeview School522.894.2%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 other school, 363 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Ignite Online Academy36313.058.1%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Durham Public Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Durham Public Schools

  1. North Carolina districts by spending per studentDurham Public Schools ranks 18 of 150 North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($15,239).#18 of 150
  2. Every school district in North CarolinaDurham Public Schools is the number 9 by size of 332 North Carolina districts, with 31,531 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#9 of 332
  3. Cabarrus County SchoolsThe next larger North Carolina district: 34,810 students in fall 2022, $10,749 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,749
  4. Gaston County SchoolsThe next smaller North Carolina district: 30,281 students in fall 2022, $12,190 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,190
  5. Compare Durham Public Schools with Cabarrus County SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. C E Jordan High, its largest high school2,189 students in 2024-25, 20.9 per teacher.2,189
  7. Teacher salary spending across North CarolinaDurham Public Schools spent $49,130 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,503); spending, not a salary.$49,130
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Durham Public Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Durham Public Schools?
    54 schools were open in 2024-25 (31 elementary, 9 middle, 13 high, 1 other), enrolling 31,280 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Durham Public Schools spend per student?
    $15,239 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the North Carolina median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,366 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,851 per student, up 4.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Durham Public Schools' money come from?
    $532,878,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 45.8% state, 37.2% local and 17.0% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Durham Public Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 6,920 of the 46,936 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 14.7%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Durham Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $116,382,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,691 per student. Divided by the 2,369 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $49,130 per teacher, more than 45 in 100 North Carolina districts (state median $49,503). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Carolina teacher salary at $53,644 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Durham Public Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Durham Public Schools scored proficient or above: 42% in reading and 41% in math, against 48% in reading and 50% in math across North Carolina. North Carolina's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Durham Public Schools?
    84% of the 2,760 students in Durham Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.5% across North Carolina. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Durham Public Schools' NCES district ID?
    3701260. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .