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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Wilmington, North Carolina - 42 schools
An equity score of 60/100 ranks New Hanover County Schools #82 of 297 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,808 per pupil, New Hanover County Schools ranks #76 of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
New Hanover County Schools operates 42 public schools serving 25,244 students, placing it in the mid-size range in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 20 elementary, 8 combined, 7 high, 7 middle 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 New Hanover County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,808 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 29.4% local, 51.7% state, and 18.8% 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 60/100, ranked #82 of 297 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 6 of 42 schools offering Advanced Placement (79 AP courses district-wide), a 328.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.5% White, 21.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is John J Blair Elementary, with a diversity index of 71.1/100.
Its largest campus is Emsley a Laney High, enrolling 2,243 students (9% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is J. C. Roe Center, at 14 students, a 160x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
New Hanover County Schools school enrollment ranges from 14 students (lowest) to 2,243 students (highest), a spread of 2,229 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. 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
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
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 New Hanover County Schools is typically wider than the New Hanover County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
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 New Hanover County Schools is typically wider than the New Hanover County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.
Average demographic composition across 42 schools in New Hanover County Schools.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across New Hanover County Schools's schools, below the North Carolina average of 56.1.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
The North Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitt County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Onslow County Schools | Similar size | Lower spending | Similar funding mix |
| Alamance-Burlington Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
| Buncombe County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Public Schools of Robeson County | Similar size | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
Comparisons are relative to New Hanover County Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Wake County Schools →New Hanover County Schools has 42 schools, including 7 high, 7 middle, 20 elementary, 8 combined. Total enrollment is 25,244 students.
New Hanover County Schools spends $13,808 per student. The district has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #82 in North Carolina.
New Hanover County Schools students are 51.5% White, 21.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% African American, 1.9% Asian, averaged across 42 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
New Hanover County Schools has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #82 out of 297 districts in North Carolina.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.