Northampton 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.

Jackson, North Carolina - 6 schools

An equity score of 86/100 ranks Northampton County Schools #8 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $20,192 per pupil, Northampton County Schools ranks #9 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,291
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$20,192
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Northampton County Schools operates 6 public schools serving 1,291 students, placing it among the smallest districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 2 high, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Northampton County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,192 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 33 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 16.9% local, 55.0% state, and 28.1% 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 86/100, ranked #8 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 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 219.4:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 49.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 78.9% African American, 7.6% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Central Elementary, with a diversity index of 45.5/100.

Its largest campus is Gaston Stem Leadership Academy, enrolling 284 students (23% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Northampton Virtual Academy, at 12 students, a 24x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Gaston Stem Leadership Academy accounts for 22.0% of all Northampton County Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Northampton County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Northampton County Schools school enrollment varies 24× across entities

Northampton County Schools school enrollment ranges from 12 students (lowest) to 284 students (highest), a spread of 272 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.

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

Northampton County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 89.7% 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

Northampton County Schools student-counselor ratio is 219:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Northampton County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 49.7% — 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?

28.1%
Federal
55.0%
State
16.9%
Local

Funding Equity

86
Equity Score
8 / 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 6 schools in Northampton County Schools.

White 7.6%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
African American 78.9%
Asian 1.8%
Multiracial 5.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 35.9/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Central Elementary 45.5
  2. 2 Northampton Virtual Academy 41.7
  3. 3 Conway Middle 40.1
  4. 4 Northampton Early College 35.3
  5. 5 Northampton County High School 29.0

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
1 AP courses total
219.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
49.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Northampton County Schools

School Enrollment
Gaston Stem Leadership Academy
284
Central Elementary
283
Northampton County High School
265
Conway Middle
259
Northampton Early College
148
Northampton Virtual Academy
12

How Northampton County Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Corvian Community School Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Triangle Math and Science Academy Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Clay County Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Henderson Collegiate Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Northampton 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 Northampton County Schools →
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
144,197 students · 180 schools · $11,853/pupil
Compare vs Northampton County Schools →
Guilford County Schools
68,894 students · 126 schools · $13,036/pupil
Compare vs Northampton County Schools →
Cumberland County Schools
49,661 students · 86 schools · $12,412/pupil
Compare vs Northampton County Schools →

Compare Northampton 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 Northampton County Schools?

Northampton County Schools has 6 schools, including 3 combined, 2 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,291 students.

How much does Northampton County Schools spend per student?

Northampton County Schools spends $20,192 per student. The district has an equity score of 86/100, ranking #8 in North Carolina.

What is the demographic composition of Northampton County Schools?

Northampton County Schools students are 78.9% African American, 7.6% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Northampton County Schools?

Northampton County Schools has an equity score of 86/100, ranking #8 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.