Martin County Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Williamston, North Carolina - 9 schools

An equity score of 82/100 ranks Martin County Schools #14 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,638 per pupil, Martin County Schools ranks #45 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,636
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$14,638
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Martin County Schools operates 9 public schools serving 2,636 students, placing it among the smaller districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 2 high, 2 middle, 2 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 Martin County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,638 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 16.8% local, 63.5% state, and 19.7% 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 82/100, ranked #14 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.

a 387.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 47.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 44.6% African American, 37.2% White, 11.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is E J Hayes Elementary, with a diversity index of 60.8/100.

Its largest campus is Riverside High, enrolling 447 students (17% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is South Creek Middle, at 146 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Riverside High accounts for 17.0% of all Martin County Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Martin County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Martin County Schools school enrollment varies 3.1× across entities

Martin County Schools school enrollment ranges from 146 students (lowest) to 447 students (highest), a spread of 301 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Martin County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 98.9% 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 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Martin County Schools student-counselor ratio is 388:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Martin County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 47.0% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

19.7%
Federal
63.5%
State
16.8%
Local

Funding Equity

82
Equity Score
14 / 293
State Rank
45
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Martin County Schools.

White 37.2%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
African American 44.6%
Asian 0.7%
Multiracial 5.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 53.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Martin County Schools's schools, below the North Carolina average of 56.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 E J Hayes Elementary 60.8
  2. 2 South Creek Elementary 59.8
  3. 3 Williamston Primary 59.4
  4. 4 Riverside Middle 59.3
  5. 5 South Creek Middle 55.9

Programs & Resources

387.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
47.0%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Martin County Schools

School Enrollment
Riverside High
447
Williamston Primary
361
South Creek Elementary
337
Riverside Middle
335
E J Hayes Elementary
280
South Creek High
236
Rodgers Elementary
219
Jamesville Elementary
217
South Creek Middle
146

How Martin County Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The North Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Greene County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ashe County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Roanoke Rapids City Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hertford County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Newton Conover City Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Martin County 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.

Wake County Schools
159,778 students · 197 schools · $11,859/pupil
Compare vs Martin County Schools →
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
144,197 students · 180 schools · $11,853/pupil
Compare vs Martin County Schools →
Guilford County Schools
68,894 students · 126 schools · $13,036/pupil
Compare vs Martin County Schools →
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools
52,717 students · 81 schools · $13,036/pupil
Compare vs Martin County Schools →
Cumberland County Schools
49,661 students · 86 schools · $12,412/pupil
Compare vs Martin County Schools →

Compare Martin County Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Wake County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Martin County Schools?

Martin County Schools has 9 schools, including 2 high, 3 combined, 2 middle, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,636 students.

How much does Martin County Schools spend per student?

Martin County Schools spends $14,638 per student. The district has an equity score of 82/100, ranking #14 in North Carolina.

What is the demographic composition of Martin County Schools?

Martin County Schools students are 44.6% African American, 37.2% White, 11.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Martin County Schools?

Martin County Schools has an equity score of 82/100, ranking #14 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.