Johnston County Public Schools

Johnston County Public Schools serves roughly 37,300 students across 48 schools in North Carolina, including 24 elementary, 12 middle, 10 high, and 2 alternative schools, covering grades pre-K through 12. Some of the district’s strongest performers are specialized programs like Johnston County Schools Career Technical and Johnston County Early College Academy, which rank in the top 5% of high schools statewide and post near-perfect proficiency in Biology, English II, and Math III. Among traditional schools, Corinth Holders High leads the comprehensive high schools, while Riverwood Elementary stands out as a 5-star school with 90.6% fifth-grade science proficiency, despite more than 99% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

District-wide, elementary and middle school EOG scores are consistently above North Carolina averages in math, reading, and science. High school EOC results are more mixed, with the district above the state in Math I but slightly below in Biology and English II. Graduation rates are a bright spot, with most traditional high schools at or above the district’s 92.6% rate and Clayton High and West Johnston High reporting 95.0%. The biggest challenges are concentrated in the Smithfield–Selma corridor, where Smithfield-Selma High, Smithfield Middle, and South Smithfield Elementary rank in the bottom quarter of their peer groups and report chronic absenteeism above 32%.

Economic disadvantage is nearly universal across the district, with every school’s free/reduced-price lunch rate above 96%, so differences in outcomes are driven by other factors like attendance and school climate. Chronic absenteeism correlates strongly with performance: top-ranked schools like Powhatan Elementary and Thanksgiving Elementary have rates below 10%, while most low-performing schools exceed 20%. Interestingly, higher per-pupil spending and smaller class sizes in schools like Selma Elementary and Wilson's Mills Elementary have not translated into higher scores. Math I remains the district’s biggest academic hurdle, except at Cleveland High, where 65.7% of students are proficient—well above the district and state. For parents, the clearest takeaway is that Johnston County offers exceptional opportunities in its specialized academies and top-tier traditional schools, while the Smithfield–Selma feeder pattern needs continued attention.