Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools operates 79 public schools serving 52,717 students, placing it among the larger districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 51 other, 14 high, 14 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 51,745 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Forsyth County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,195 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 25.3% local, 52.1% state, and 22.5% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $81,862 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 61/100, ranked #76 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 12 of 79 schools offering Advanced Placement (226 AP courses district-wide), a 391.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 45.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 32.4% African American, 31.3% Hispanic or Latino, 28.0% White across the district's schools.
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools school enrollment varies 238× across entities
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools school enrollment ranges from 9 students (lowest) to 2,145 students (highest), a spread of 2,136 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 75.3% 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 — including this one — 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.
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools student-counselor ratio is 391:1 — 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.
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 45.2% — 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.
How many schools are in Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools?
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools has 79 schools, including 14 high, 14 middle, 51 other. Total enrollment is 52,717 students.
How much does Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools spend per student?
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools spends $14,195 per student. The district has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #76 in North Carolina.
What is the average teacher salary in Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools?
The average teacher salary in Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools is $81,862 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Forsyth County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools?
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools students are 32.4% African American, 31.3% Hispanic or Latino, 28.0% White, 2.2% Asian, averaged across 79 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools?
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #76 out of 293 districts in North Carolina. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.