Total enrollment
37,320
+898 (+2%) vs SY 2020-21
49 schools in Johnston County Public Schools
North Carolina · 37,320 students · 15 cities
49 public schools operate under Johnston County Public Schools, with roughly 37,320 K-12 students enrolled (25 elementary, 12 middle, and 10 high).
4-year change in Johnston County Public Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
48
+2 (+4%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Johnston County Public Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 55.6% | #31 of 112 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 37,320 | #7 of 116 | #159 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 48 | #9 of 116 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.4:1 | #99 of 116 | #7,374 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 99.1% | #25 of 114 | #290 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.6% | #30 of 111 | #673 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 Johnston County Public Schools
State test results across the district's 44 scored schools run from The Innovation Academy at South Campus at 84.8% proficient to Smithfield Middle at 34.2%, a gap of 50.6 points. That is the 37th widest gap among 104 North Carolina districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 45 district schools that reported both years went from 36,214 to 36,150 students (unchanged) and from 2,293 to 2,069 full-time teachers (down 10%), 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.
About Johnston County Public Schools
As a mid-sized district in North Carolina, Johnston County Public Schools educates 37,320 students across 49 schools.
Looking at the level breakdown, Johnston County Public Schools is built around 25 elementary, 12 middle, 10 high schools, and 2 combined or other.
Per-school enrollment averages around 762 in this district, higher than the North Carolina typical of 571.
Five-year track record. Combined enrollment now sits at 37,320 students, held roughly steady from the 36,422 reported in SY 2020-21. Johnston County Public Schools now counts 48 public schools, up from 46 in SY 2020-21.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Johnston County Public Schools discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.