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Hillsborough, North Carolina - 13 schools
An equity score of 56/100 ranks Orange County Schools #101 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,085 per pupil, Orange County Schools ranks #63 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
7,208
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$14,085
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Orange County Schools operates 13 public schools serving 7,208 students, placing it among the smaller districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 3 high, 3 middle 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 Orange County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,085 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 38.0% local, 48.0% state, and 14.1% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 56/100, ranked #101 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 2 of 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (27 AP courses district-wide), a 293.9:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 26.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 47.0% White, 27.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Efland Cheeks Elementary, with a diversity index of 74.0/100.
Its largest campus is Orange High, enrolling 1,161 students (17% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Partnership Academy, at 40 students, a 29x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Orange High accounts for 16.1% of all Orange County Schools student enrollment
That concentration means Orange 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.
Orange County Schools school enrollment varies 29× across entities
Orange County Schools school enrollment ranges from 40 students (lowest) to 1,161 students (highest), a spread of 1,121 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.
Orange County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 50.0% 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). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants 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.
Orange County Schools student-counselor ratio is 294:1 — 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 Orange County Schools is typically wider than the Orange County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Orange County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 26.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Orange County Schools is typically wider than the Orange County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Orange County Schools has 13 schools, including 3 high, 3 middle, 7 combined. Total enrollment is 7,208 students.
How much does Orange County Schools spend per student?
Orange County Schools spends $14,085 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #101 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Orange County Schools?
Orange County Schools students are 47.0% White, 27.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% African American, 2.2% Asian, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Orange County Schools?
Orange County Schools has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #101 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.