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Jacksonville, North Carolina - 40 schools
An equity score of 38/100 ranks Onslow County Schools #169 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,680 per pupil, Onslow County Schools ranks #210 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
27,921
Total Enrollment
40
Schools
$10,680
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Onslow County Schools operates 40 public schools serving 27,921 students, placing it in the mid-size range in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 16 elementary, 8 high, 8 middle, 8 combined 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 Onslow County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,680 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 21.1% local, 57.2% state, and 21.7% 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 38/100, ranked #169 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 9 of 40 schools offering Advanced Placement (111 AP courses district-wide), a 473.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 35.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 53.5% White, 18.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Carolina Forest Elementary, with a diversity index of 74.8/100.
Its largest campus is Jacksonville High, enrolling 1,441 students (5% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Onslow Virtual Elementary, at 189 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Onslow County Schools school enrollment varies 7.6× across entities
Onslow County Schools school enrollment ranges from 189 students (lowest) to 1,441 students (highest), a spread of 1,252 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.
Onslow County Schools student-counselor ratio is 473:1 — 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.
Onslow County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 35.1% — 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.
Onslow County Schools has 40 schools, including 8 high, 8 middle, 16 elementary, 8 combined. Total enrollment is 27,921 students.
How much does Onslow County Schools spend per student?
Onslow County Schools spends $10,680 per student. The district has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #169 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Onslow County Schools?
Onslow County Schools students are 53.5% White, 18.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% African American, 1.0% Asian, averaged across 40 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Onslow County Schools?
Onslow County Schools has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #169 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.