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B+

Johnston County Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 11 towns

Serves Clayton, Smithfield, Selma, Archer Lodge, Benson, Wilson's Mills, Four Oaks, Pine Level, Kenly, Princeton and Micro.

Clayton’s School Grade B+ better than 65% of North Carolina school districts

Students
37,320
Schools
48
Spent per student
$12,420
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
17:1
Free or reduced lunch
99%
Debt
$188.8M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Johnston County Schools

  • Its letter, B+: results better than 65% of North Carolina districts
  • Graduation rate 6 pts above the state
  • 17 students per teacher
  • Debt of $188.8M, about $5,059 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B+: better than 65% of the 325 North Carolina school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math above the state, 2021–22
B
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
B+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
B+Clayton 32,633B+Smithfield 13,114B+Selma 7,406B+Archer Lodge 5,649B+Benson 4,660B+Wilson's Mills 2,987B+Four Oaks 2,978B+Pine Level 2,405B+Kenly 1,722B+Princeton 1,544Micro 537

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Clayton. Grade by grade →

PK–54 elementary schoolsThis district
6–82 middle schoolsThis district
9–12Clayton HighThis district

Test scores vs. NC

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency54%
State average 50.8% · 18,655 students tested
Reading / language arts52%
State average 49.9% · 20,253 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)92%
State average 86.5% · 3,131 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$12,420 per student · 5% below NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 64%Support & administration 32%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 22%State 61%Federal 17%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
36,422’20
37,823’21
37,286’22
37,289’23
37,320’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 44%Hispanic 31%Black 19%Two or more races 6%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

48 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with North Carolina’s other public schools.

Four Oaks Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Four Oaks
C+
1,051 students16:1
Polenta Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Garner
B
1,010 students16:1
River Dell Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Clayton
B
981 students18:1
West View Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Garner
C+
969 students16:1
McGee's Crossroads Elem
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Angier
C+
950 students18:1
Thanksgiving Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Selma
870 students17:1
Cleveland Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Clayton
B+
851 students19:1
Selma Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Selma
D
794 students13:1
Princeton Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Princeton
B−
770 students15:1
West Clayton Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Clayton
C
742 students15:1
Riverwood Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Clayton
A−
728 students16:1
Benson Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Benson
C−
719 students16:1
Powhatan Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Clayton
B
656 students17:1
Meadow School
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Benson
B−
646 students15:1
Dixon Road Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Willow Spring
B−
644 students17:1
Corinth-Holders Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Zebulon
C
585 students16:1
East Clayton Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Clayton
B
524 students16:1
Wilson's Mills Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Wilson's Mills
D
496 students14:1
West Smithfield Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Smithfield
D−
494 students13:1
South Smithfield Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Smithfield
C−
450 students12:1
Cooper Academy
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Clayton
C−
447 students15:1
Glendale-Kenly Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Kenly
B−
433 students14:1
Micro Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Micro
B−
404 students14:1
Pine Level Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Pine Level
B+
341 students13:1
JCPS Virtual Academy
Other · Grades K–12 · Smithfield
203 students13:1
Choice Plus Academy
Other · Grades K–12 · Smithfield
C−
97 students9:1
Archer Lodge Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Wendell
B−
1,204 students19:1
Princeton High
High · Grades 6–12 · Princeton
C+
988 students19:1
Cleveland Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Garner
B+
936 students18:1
Riverwood Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Clayton
B
902 students17:1
McGee's Crossroads Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Benson
C
757 students18:1
Swift Creek Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Clayton
B−
691 students16:1
Clayton Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Clayton
C+
609 students16:1
North Johnston Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Micro
C
598 students15:1
Smithfield Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Smithfield
C−
573 students13:1
Four Oaks Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Four Oaks
C+
477 students15:1
Benson Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Benson
C−
377 students15:1
Selma Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Selma
D
339 students10:1
The Innovation Academy at South Campus
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Smithfield
B+
263 students14:1
Corinth Holders High
High · Grades 9–12 · Wendell
B+
2,187 students23:1
Clayton High
High · Grades 9–12 · Clayton
B
1,929 students23:1
Cleveland High
High · Grades 9–12 · Clayton
A−
1,889 students23:1
West Johnston High
High · Grades 9–12 · Benson
B−
1,563 students24:1
Smithfield-Selma High
High · Grades 9–12 · Smithfield
C
1,548 students18:1
South Johnston High
High · Grades 9–12 · Four Oaks
C−
1,355 students23:1
North Johnston High
High · Grades 9–12 · Kenly
C
788 students20:1
Johnston Co Early College Academy
High · Grades 9–13 · Smithfield
A+
251 students35:1
Johnston County Schools Career Technical
High · Grades 9–13 · Smithfield
A+
241 students

Left off: 1 school reporting no students for 2024–25.

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within North Carolina.