Enrollment
677
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Clayton, NC
Johnston Charter Academy
Federal NCES profile for Johnston Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370043003449Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Johnston Charter Academy earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of North Carolina schools.
- #13 of 13
- public schools in Clayton · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.6:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 38.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Johnston Charter Academy has class sizes larger than 94% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Johnston Charter Academy ranks #13 of 13 public schools in Clayton, NC.
School address
District: Johnston Charter Academy · North Carolina
NCES ID 370043003449 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Johnston Charter Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Johnston Charter Academy
Johnston Charter Academy is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Clayton, North Carolina, enrolling 677 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.6:1 is larger than about 94% of North Carolina schools and 43% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 677 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 433 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #416, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (40%) and African American (30%) (diversity index 71/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Johnston Charter Academy spends $9,086 per pupil, 24% below the North Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Johnston Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, so Johnston Charter Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Johnston Charter Academy compares
Johnston Charter Academy on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.6:1 | ▲ 43% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.9% | ▼ 41% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 677 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
677
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 43% above state mean
Top 94% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
22.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,086
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
42
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 39.7%
African American 30.4%
Hispanic or Latino 17.1%
Two or More 10.2%
Asian 2.5%
Largest group: White at 39.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.0, Johnston Charter Academy is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Johnston Charter Academy, which includes Johnston Charter Academy.
$9,086
Per student
-24%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~677 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Johnston Charter Academy's federal record.
- Compare Johnston Charter Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Johnston Charter Academy's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Johnston Charter Academy
How many students attend Johnston Charter Academy?
Johnston Charter Academy has 677 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Clayton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Johnston Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Johnston Charter Academy is 22.6:1, which is 43% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Johnston Charter Academy?
38.9% of students at Johnston Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Johnston Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Johnston Charter Academy is White at 39.7% of enrollment, in Clayton, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Johnston Charter Academy?
Johnston Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Johnston Charter Academy rank among public schools in Clayton?
By Resource Investment Index, Johnston Charter Academy ranks #13 of 13 public schools in Clayton, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Clayton on the city page.
Is Johnston Charter Academy a good school?
Johnston Charter Academy earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Johnston Charter Academy?
None; Johnston Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, and Johnston Charter Academy is its only campus.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.