Enrollment
1,548
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Smithfield, NC
Smithfield-Selma High
Federal NCES profile for Smithfield-Selma High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370237001028
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smithfield-Selma High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Smithfield · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 64.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Smithfield-Selma High has class sizes larger than 71% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smithfield-Selma High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Smithfield, NC.
School address
District: Johnston County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370237001028 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smithfield-Selma High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smithfield-Selma High
Smithfield-Selma High is a higher-need, large high school in Smithfield, North Carolina, enrolling 1,548 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 64.9% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,548 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 70 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #21.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and African American (26%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 387 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Smithfield's high schools, it stands alongside Johnston Co Early College Academy (251 students): Smithfield-Selma High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.8:1 vs 25.1:1).
Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students) and Clayton High (1,929 students) alongside Smithfield-Selma High.
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 Smithfield-Selma High compares
Smithfield-Selma High 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.9% | ▼ 2% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,548 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,548
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 71% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.3%
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
$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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 387 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
140
in-school suspensions + 78 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 51.2%
African American 25.7%
White 18.7%
Two or More 3.2%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.6, Smithfield-Selma High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Johnston County Public Schools, which includes Smithfield-Selma High.
$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 Smithfield-Selma High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corinth Holders High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clayton High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cleveland High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Johnston High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Johnston High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smithfield-Selma High'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
- 1,355
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- 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 (~1,548 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smithfield-Selma High's federal record.
- Compare Smithfield-Selma High 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 Smithfield-Selma High
How many students attend Smithfield-Selma High?
Smithfield-Selma High has 1,548 students enrolled. It is a high school in Smithfield, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smithfield-Selma High?
The student-teacher ratio at Smithfield-Selma High is 16.8:1, which is 6% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Smithfield-Selma High?
64.9% of students at Smithfield-Selma High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smithfield-Selma High?
The largest demographic group at Smithfield-Selma High is Hispanic or Latino at 51.2% of enrollment, in Smithfield, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smithfield-Selma High?
Smithfield-Selma High has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Smithfield-Selma High rank among high schools in Smithfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Smithfield-Selma High ranks #3 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 Smithfield-Selma High a good school?
Smithfield-Selma High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina. 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 Smithfield-Selma High, 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.