Enrollment
251
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Smithfield, NC
Johnston Co Early College Academy
Federal NCES profile for Johnston Co Early College Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370237003116
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 98
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Johnston Co Early College Academy earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Smithfield · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.1:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 24.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Johnston Co Early College Academy has class sizes larger than 96% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Johnston Co Early College Academy ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Smithfield, NC.
School address
District: Johnston County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370237003116 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+59% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Johnston Co Early College Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Johnston Co Early College Academy
Johnston Co Early College Academy is a mid-sized high school in Smithfield, North Carolina, enrolling 251 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.1:1 is larger than about 96% of North Carolina schools and 59% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.2% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 251 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 74 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #26.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 59/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 251 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 17.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Smithfield's high schools, it stands alongside Smithfield-Selma High (1,548 students): Johnston Co Early College Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.1:1 vs 16.8:1).
Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students) and Clayton High (1,929 students) alongside Johnston Co Early College Academy.
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 Co Early College Academy compares
Johnston Co Early College 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 | 25.1:1 | ▲ 59% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.2% | ▼ 63% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 251 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.1:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
251
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.1:1
students per teacher
- 59% above state mean
Top 96% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
0.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,788
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 251 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 56.6%
Hispanic or Latino 28.7%
African American 8.8%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Largest group: White at 56.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.8, Johnston Co Early College Academy is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Johnston County Public Schools, which includes Johnston Co Early College Academy.
$10,788
Per student
-10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.7%
State 62.2%
Federal 17.1%
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.
How Johnston Co Early College Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corinth Holders High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clayton High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cleveland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Johnston High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smithfield-Selma High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Johnston Co Early College Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,929
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,563
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,548
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high schools in Smithfield
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~251 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Johnston Co Early College Academy's federal record.
- Compare Johnston Co Early College Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Johnston County Public Schools'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 Co Early College Academy
How many students attend Johnston Co Early College Academy?
Johnston Co Early College Academy has 251 students enrolled. It is a high school in Smithfield, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Johnston Co Early College Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Johnston Co Early College Academy is 25.1:1, which is 59% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 60% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Johnston Co Early College Academy?
24.2% of students at Johnston Co Early College Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Johnston Co Early College Academy?
The largest demographic group at Johnston Co Early College Academy is White at 56.6% of enrollment, in Smithfield, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Johnston Co Early College Academy?
Johnston Co Early College Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Johnston Co Early College Academy rank among high schools in Smithfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Johnston Co Early College Academy ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Smithfield, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Smithfield on the city page.
Is Johnston Co Early College Academy a good school?
Johnston Co Early College Academy earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 County Public Schools?
Besides Johnston Co Early College Academy, Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students), Clayton High (1,929 students), and Cleveland High (1,889 students). See the Johnston County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
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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.