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Smithfield, North Carolina - 48 schools
An equity score of 43/100 ranks Johnston County Public Schools #145 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,788 per pupil, Johnston County Public Schools ranks #205 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
37,286
Total Enrollment
48
Schools
$10,788
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Johnston County Public Schools operates 48 public schools serving 37,286 students, placing it in the mid-size range in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 27 combined, 11 middle, 9 high, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 Johnston County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,788 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower 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 20.7% local, 62.2% state, and 17.1% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 43/100, ranked #145 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 7 of 48 schools offering Advanced Placement (65 AP courses district-wide), a 426.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 26.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 41.5% White, 32.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is East Clayton Elementary, with a diversity index of 71.5/100.
Its largest campus is Corinth Holders High, enrolling 2,187 students (6% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Choice Plus Academy, at 97 students, a 23x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Johnston County Public Schools school enrollment varies 23× across entities
Johnston County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 97 students (lowest) to 2,187 students (highest), a spread of 2,090 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Johnston County Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 54.3% 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). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I 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.
Johnston County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 427:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Johnston County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 26.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Johnston County Public Schools is typically wider than the Johnston County Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Johnston County Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in North Carolina
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Johnston County Public Schools?
Johnston County Public Schools has 48 schools, including 9 high, 11 middle, 27 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 37,286 students.
How much does Johnston County Public Schools spend per student?
Johnston County Public Schools spends $10,788 per student. The district has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #145 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Johnston County Public Schools?
Johnston County Public Schools students are 41.5% White, 32.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 48 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Johnston County Public Schools?
Johnston County Public Schools has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #145 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.