Total enrollment
8,987
+155 (+2%) vs SY 2020-21
21 schools in Chatham County Schools
North Carolina · 8,987 students · 7 cities
Chatham County Schools's footprint covers 21 public K-12 schools with combined enrollment of about 8,987 (an average of 428 per school).
4-year change in Chatham County Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
21
+2 (+11%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Chatham County Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 58.4% | #15 of 112 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 8,987 | #39 of 116 | #1,033 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 21 | #36 of 116 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.0:1 | #14 of 116 | #4,350 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 77.0% | #87 of 114 | #1,406 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 63.8% | #49 of 111 | #1,171 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Chatham County Schools
State test results across the district's 18 scored schools run from Chatham Grove Elementary at 77.7% proficient to Jordan-Matthews High at 32.6%, a gap of 45.1 points. That is the 50th widest gap among 104 North Carolina districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 17 district schools that reported both years went from 8,976 to 7,094 students (down 21%) and from 606 to 535 full-time teachers (down 12%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaforth High | Pittsboro | High | 09-12 | 1,088 |
| Jordan-Matthews High | Siler City | High | 09-12 | 848 |
| Margaret B. Pollard Middle | Chapel Hill | Middle | 06-08 | 736 |
| Chatham Grove Elementary | Pittsboro | Elementary | PK-05 | 683 |
| Northwood High | Pittsboro | High | 09-12 | 634 |
| Siler City Elementary | Siler City | Elementary | PK-05 | 591 |
| North Chatham Elementary | Chapel Hill | Elementary | PK-05 | 588 |
| Chatham Middle | Siler City | Middle | 06-08 | 513 |
| Pittsboro Elementary | Pittsboro | Elementary | PK-04 | 503 |
| Virginia Cross Elementary | Siler City | Elementary | PK-05 | 494 |
| George M. Horton Middle | Pittsboro | Middle | 05-08 | 414 |
| Chatham Central High | Bear Creek | High | 09-12 | 320 |
| Bonlee School | Bear Creek | Elementary | KG-08 | 290 |
| Silk Hope School | Siler City | Elementary | PK-08 | 281 |
| Perry W Harrison Elementary | Pittsboro | Elementary | PK-05 | 262 |
| J S Waters School | Goldston | Elementary | KG-08 | 222 |
| Bennett School | Bennett | Elementary | PK-08 | 187 |
| Moncure School | Moncure | Elementary | KG-08 | 176 |
| Chatham Early College | Siler City | High | 09-13 | 113 |
| ONE Academy | Siler City | High | 06-12 | 35 |
| Chatham County Schools Virtual Academy | Siler City | High | 09-12 | 9 |
About Chatham County Schools
Chatham County Schools maintains 21 public schools across North Carolina, collectively enrolling roughly 8,987 students.
Looking at the level breakdown, Chatham County Schools covers 11 elementary, 3 middle, and 7 high schools.
Per-school enrollment averages around 428 in this district, noticeably below the North Carolina typical of 571.
Looking at the last 4 years. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment held roughly steady: 8,832 students in SY 2020-21 versus 8,987 in SY 2024-25. Chatham County Schools now counts 21 public schools, up from 19 in SY 2020-21.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Chatham County Schools discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.