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Johnston County School District

2320 Hwy 70 E Business
Smithfield, NC 27577-1336
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Johnston County School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 12 public high schools serving 13,222 students in Johnston County School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in North Carolina.
ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø High Schools in Johnston County School District have an average math proficiency score of 52% (versus the North Carolina public high school average of 58%), and reading proficiency score of 51% (versus the 58% statewide average).
ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø High School in Johnston County School District have a Graduation Rate of 91%, which is more than the North Carolina average of 86%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Cleveland High School, with 95% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in North Carolina or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 53% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public high school average of 55% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
48 Schools
761 Schools
# Students
37,227 Students
565,764 Students
# Teachers
2,426 Teachers
33,453 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Johnston County School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 91% has decreased from 92% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#130 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)
(21-22)
54%
51%
52%
50%
66%
63%
(21-22)
92%
86%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.68
0.70
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
30%
20%
% Black
18%
24%
% White
45%
45%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $10,130 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $10,586 is less than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$377 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$394 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$10,130
$11,187
Spending / Student
$10,586
$11,612

Best Johnston County School District ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø High Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Johnston Co Early College Academy
(Math: 80-89% | Reading: ≥95%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
245 College Rd
Smithfield, NC 27577
(919) 464-2314
Gr: 9-13 | 244 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 45%
Rank: #22.
Johnston County Schools Career Technical
Vocational School
(Math: ≥80% | Reading: ≥80%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
245 College Road
Smithfield, NC 27577
(919) 464-2303
Gr: 9-13 | 172 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 55%
Rank: #33.
Cleveland High School
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 56%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
1892 Polenta Rd
Clayton, NC 27520
(919) 934-2455
Gr: 9-12 | 1,896 student Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 49%
Rank: #44.
Corinth Holders High School
(Math: 74% | Reading: 60%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
6875 Applewhite Rd
Wendell, NC 27591
(919) 365-4306
Gr: 9-12 | 2,270 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 46%
Rank: #55.
West Johnston High School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 53%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
5935 Raleigh Road
Benson, NC 27504
(919) 934-7333
Gr: 9-12 | 1,593 student Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 47%
Rank: #66.
Princeton High School
(Math: 61% | Reading: 52%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
101 Dr Donnie H Jones Jr Blvd
Princeton, NC 27569
(919) 936-5011
Gr: 6-12 | 1,021 student Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 34%
Rank: #77.
North Johnston High School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
5915 Us Hwy 301 N
Kenly, NC 27542
(919) 284-2031
Gr: 9-12 | 798 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 53%
Rank: #88.
Smithfield-selma High School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
700 M. Durwood Stephenson Park
Smithfield, NC 27577
(919) 934-5191
Gr: 9-12 | 1,551 student Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 80%
Rank: #99.
Clayton High School
(Math: 56% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
600 S Fayetteville St
Clayton, NC 27520
(919) 553-4064
Gr: 9-12 | 1,942 student Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 61%
Rank: #1010.
Jcps Virtual Academy
(Math: 25% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
1455 Buffalo Rd
Smithfield, NC 27577
(984) 285-3700
Gr: K-12 | 333 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 55%
Rank: #1111.
South Johnston High School
(Math: 30% | Reading: 42%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
10381 Us Hwy 301 S
Four Oaks, NC 27524
(919) 894-3146
Gr: 9-12 | 1,332 student Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 52%
Rank: #1212.
Choice Plus Academy
Alternative School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤10%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
211 East Rose Street
Smithfield, NC 27577
(984) 230-0500
Gr: K-12 | 70 students Student-teacher ratio: 5:1 Minority enrollment: 70%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 48 schools
  • Grades: PK-13
  • Enrollment: 37,227 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 55%
  • : 92% (Top 20% in NC)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 54% (Top 50%)
  • : 52% (Top 50%)
  • : 66% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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