Harnett County Schools
Public school district · Harnett County · North Carolina · NCES district ID 3702010
Harnett County Schools spent $10,877 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 79% of the other North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $12,366). Its 28 schools enrolled 19,916 students in 2024-25; 61.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $10,916 per student, up 0.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 87% (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 districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Harnett County Schools in enrollment (15,678 to 24,091 students) and Harnett County Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$248,047,000 in revenue: 61.7% state, 13.1% local and 25.2% federal. Total spending including $19,902,000 of capital outlay was $243,674,000, or $12,153 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$152,921,000 62%
- Local$32,599,000 13%
- Federal$62,527,000 25%
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
20,050 students in 2022-23, 19,911 students in 2023-24, 19,916 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 20,050 | 1296.6 | 15.5 |
| 2023-24 | 19,911 | 1262.2 | 15.8 |
| 2024-25 | 19,916 | 1143.8 | 17.4 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$61,279,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,056 per student
Harnett County Schools booked $61,279,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,305 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 $46,955 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 25 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).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $38,166,000 | 62.3% |
| Special education | $6,534,000 | 10.7% |
| Vocational | $4,063,000 | 6.6% |
| Other programs | $12,516,000 | 20.4% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $2,847 in 2018-19, $2,827 in 2019-20, $2,975 in 2020-21, $2,996 in 2021-22, $3,056 in 2022-23.
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 Harnett County Schools scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 37% 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.
| Subject | This district | North Carolina | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 39% | 48% | 9,124 |
| Math | 37% | 50% | 9,112 |
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
87% of the 1,551 students in Harnett County 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.
| This district | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 87% | 86.5% |
| Students in the class | 1,551 | 120,822 |
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.
15 elementary schools, 9,243 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benhaven Elementary | 1,065 | 16.4 | 40.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Overhills Elementary | 866 | 16.2 | 47.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Highland Elementary | 854 | 15.1 | 51.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Dunn Elementary | 813 | 13.9 | 99.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Lillington-Shawtown Elementary | 695 | 15.0 | 99.6% | Schoolwide program |
| LaFayette Elementary | 645 | 17.9 | 38.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Erwin Elementary | 637 | 14.7 | 97.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Coats Elementary | 633 | 13.7 | 96.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Anderson Creek Primary | 553 | 14.6 | 98.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Boone Trail Elementary | 545 | 14.7 | 98.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Johnsonville Elementary | 489 | 15.6 | 99.2% | Schoolwide program |
| South Harnett Elementary | 476 | 14.2 | 97.1% | Schoolwide program |
The other 3 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angier Elementary | 376 | 14.4 | 99.2% | Schoolwide program |
| North Harnett Primary | 329 | 13.5 | 99.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Buies Creek Elementary | 267 | 16.7 | 54.3% | 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.
6 middle schools, 4,256 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harnett Central Middle | 1,059 | 16.6 | 97.7% | Eligible, no program |
| Highland Middle | 762 | 15.4 | 58.9% | Eligible, no program |
| Overhills Middle | 758 | 15.7 | 56.7% | Eligible, no program |
| Western Harnett Middle | 700 | 15.4 | 50.1% | Eligible, no program |
| Coats-Erwin Middle | 589 | 15.7 | 98.5% | Eligible, no program |
| Dunn Middle | 388 | 13.8 | 99.0% | 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.
6 high schools, 6,317 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overhills High | 1,981 | 26.8 | 45.3% | Eligible, no program |
| Harnett Central High | 1,522 | 24.5 | 52.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Western Harnett High | 1,324 | 23.4 | 56.8% | Eligible, no program |
| Triton High | 1,274 | 22.0 | 99.5% | Eligible, no program |
| Harnett County Early College | 185 | 34.5 | 41.6% | Not Title I |
| STAR Academy | 31 | 8.8 | 87.1% | 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, 100 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harnett Virtual Academy | 100 | not reported | 59.0% | 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 Harnett County Schools
- Website: harnett.k12.nc.us
- Phone: (910) 893-8151
- Office: 601 South Main St., Lillington, NC 27546
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 Harnett County Schools
- North Carolina districts by spending per studentHarnett County Schools ranks 118 of 150 North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($10,877).#118 of 150
- Every school district in North CarolinaHarnett County Schools is the number 18 by size of 332 North Carolina districts, with 20,050 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#18 of 332
- Iredell-Statesville School DistrictThe next larger North Carolina district: 20,721 students in fall 2022, $11,291 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,291
- Rowan-Salisbury School SystemThe next smaller North Carolina district: 18,225 students in fall 2022, $12,141 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,141
- Compare Harnett County Schools with Iredell-Statesville School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Overhills High, its largest high school1,981 students in 2024-25, 26.8 per teacher.1,981
- Teacher salary spending across North CarolinaHarnett County Schools spent $46,955 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,503); spending, not a salary.$46,955
- 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 Harnett County Schools
How many schools and students are in Harnett County Schools?
28 schools were open in 2024-25 (15 elementary, 6 middle, 6 high, 1 other), enrolling 19,916 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Harnett County Schools spend per student?
$10,877 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 $10,916 per student, up 0.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Harnett County Schools' money come from?
$248,047,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 61.7% state, 13.1% local and 25.2% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Harnett County Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,557 of the 26,467 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 13.4%, 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.How much does Harnett County Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$61,279,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,056 per student. Divided by the 1,305 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $46,955 per teacher, more than 25 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).How do students in Harnett County Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Harnett County Schools scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 37% 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.What is the graduation rate in Harnett County Schools?
87% of the 1,551 students in Harnett County 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.What is Harnett County Schools' NCES district ID?
3702010. 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