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Kinston, North Carolina - 17 schools
An equity score of 72/100 ranks Lenoir County Public Schools #39 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,373 per pupil, Lenoir County Public Schools ranks #116 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
8,334
Total Enrollment
17
Schools
$12,373
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Lenoir County Public Schools operates 17 public schools serving 8,334 students, placing it among the smaller districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 4 high, 3 middle, 3 elementary schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly 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 Lenoir County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,373 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 11.9% local, 65.3% state, and 22.9% 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 72/100, ranked #39 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 3 of 17 schools offering Advanced Placement (13 AP courses district-wide), a 335.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 41.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.6% African American, 30.9% White, 16.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lenoir County Early College High, with a diversity index of 69.6/100.
Its largest campus is North Lenoir High, enrolling 957 students (11% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Lenoir County Learning Academy, at 66 students, a 15x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Lenoir County Public Schools school enrollment varies 15× across entities
Lenoir County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 66 students (lowest) to 957 students (highest), a spread of 891 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Lenoir County Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 98.8% 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 a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding 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.
Lenoir County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 336:1 — 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 Lenoir County Public Schools is typically wider than the Lenoir County Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Lenoir County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 41.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in Lenoir County Public Schools?
Lenoir County Public Schools has 17 schools, including 4 high, 7 combined, 3 middle, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 8,334 students.
How much does Lenoir County Public Schools spend per student?
Lenoir County Public Schools spends $12,373 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #39 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Lenoir County Public Schools?
Lenoir County Public Schools students are 45.6% African American, 30.9% White, 16.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 17 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Lenoir County Public Schools?
Lenoir County Public Schools has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #39 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.