Clinton High

Clinton High is a traditional public high school in Clinton, NC, serving 828 students in grades 9–12 as part of Clinton City Schools. The school serves a very high-poverty student body, with 99.64% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25—a level comparable to nearly every other high school in the surrounding Sampson and Duplin county areas. Yet Clinton currently ranks 548th out of 662 North Carolina high schools (17th percentile) with a 1-star rating, a slide from the 46th percentile it posted in 2018–19.

On state End-of-Course exams, Clinton's proficiency rates fall well below state averages in every subject: Biology is 38.6% (state: 58.5%), English II is 47.4% (state: 64.6%), Math I is 23.2% (state: 42.1%), and Math III is 52.9% (state: 68.9%). The Math I result is especially concerning, since it is roughly half the state rate and less than half the proficiency posted by nearby North Duplin Junior Senior High (51.3%) and Midway High (50.3%). Chronic absenteeism is also the highest in the local comparison group at 27.9%, above the state average of 24.2% and more than double the rates at North Duplin (13.4%) and Midway (15.8%).

One positive signal stands out: the graduation rate rose to 85.5% in 2025–26, a significant jump from 77.0% the prior year, though it still trails the state average of 88.8%. Academic results for student subgroups are broadly weak, with gifted students ranking in the 7th percentile statewide. Since neighboring schools serve equally high-poverty communities while producing far stronger proficiency and attendance results, poverty alone does not explain Clinton's performance. Instead, the evidence points to school-level opportunities around attendance culture, math readiness for incoming ninth graders, and consistent academic support—areas that will likely determine whether the recent graduation gains expand into broader improvement.