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West Johnston High

Q: Is West Johnston High a good school?

West Johnston High ranks 351 st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

351^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 47% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

West Johnston High is a large comprehensive high school in Benson, North Carolina, serving about 1,563 students in grades 9–12 as part of Johnston County Public Schools. It currently ranks in the middle tier of North Carolina high schools, but several non-test measures make it stand out among nearby schools. The graduation rate is 95%, well above the district and state averages, and chronic absenteeism is about 20%—one of the lowest rates among neighboring traditional high schools. In short, the school appears especially strong at keeping students engaged and on track to graduate, even though its overall test scores are only average.

On End-of-Course exams, West Johnston's strengths are English II and Biology, where proficiency meets or exceeds district and state levels. The clearest academic weakness is math, particularly Math I, where only about 36% of students are proficient compared with roughly 42% statewide and 45% in the district. That gap is especially visible when comparing West Johnston with Cleveland High, located just three miles away, where Math I proficiency is about 66%. English and science scores are similar between the two schools, making math the key differentiator.

Subgroup outcomes at West Johnston are also noteworthy. Students receiving special education services and low-income students have performed above the school's overall statewide percentile in recent years, with steady improvement for low-income students. On the other hand, English learners and gifted and talented students rank below the school's overall level, and the gifted group's statewide percentile has dropped sharply. The school's ranking has declined since a high point roughly a decade ago, but the last three years show a modest upward trend. For parents, this suggests a school that does well supporting students who may struggle elsewhere, but one where math instruction and services for advanced learners may be worth a closer look.

1,563

Students ?

23.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,533

Per pupil spending ?

99.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5935 Raleigh Road
Benson, NC 27504-7140

(919) 934-7333

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Feeder schools for West Johnston High:

Elementary:	Dixon Road Elementary
	McGee's Crossroads Elementary
	West View Elementary
Middle:	McGee's Crossroads Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.0%

Hispanic:

29.3%

African American:

13.4%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare West Johnston High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 39th percentile in 2018 → 47th in 2026

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (89%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 47th (2026) from a 39th-percentile low (2018)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg60%

351^st of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 47%▼ down 31 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to bottom 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5High Schools in the Johnston County Public Schools

98^th of 246Johnston County Public Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.7	351 of 662	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.7	365 of 641	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.4	363 of 640	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.1	370 of 626	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.5	339 of 621	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.3	353 of 594	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.1	247 of 514	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.8	287 of 469	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	64.5	112 of 476	76.5%	★★★★☆
2016	59.3	110 of 507	78.3%	★★★★☆
2015	50.7	171 of 531	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	46.1	180 of 451	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	44.0	195 of 505	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	53.9	195 of 502	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.2	82 of 506	83.8%	★★★★☆
2010	64.7	137 of 499	72.5%	★★★★☆
2009	67.7	91 of 490	81.4%	★★★★☆
2008	62.2	130 of 477	72.7%	★★★★☆
2007	67.4	90 of 453	80.1%	★★★★☆
2006	75.6	37 of 431	91.4%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.7	176 of 450	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.0	141 of 440	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.8	187 of 437	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.1	162 of 434	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.8	233 of 430	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.2	96 of 364	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	55.9	91 of 369	75.3%	★★★★☆
2018	23.8	289 of 359	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	57.5	89 of 330	73.0%	★★★★☆
2021	46.8	130 of 334	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.2	97 of 364	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	36.6	206 of 349	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.8	176 of 289	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.4	185 of 273	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.0	128 of 262	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	22.7	199 of 226	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.9	166 of 173	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	43.0	71 of 147	51.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.3	345 of 629	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.0	335 of 610	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.2	354 of 602	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.2	371 of 588	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.7	330 of 594	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.5	268 of 475	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.2	285 of 475	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.5	326 of 449	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.9	309 of 407	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	60.8	201 of 412	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.7	239 of 403	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.6	238 of 403	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.0	232 of 398	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.2	191 of 337	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.7	153 of 325	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.1	316 of 474	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.9	290 of 462	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.0	303 of 454	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.6	383 of 449	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.2	302 of 436	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.8	314 of 370	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.9	253 of 354	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.7	315 of 340	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.2	384 of 620	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.3	414 of 606	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.5	479 of 613	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.0	378 of 597	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.5	339 of 544	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.5	231 of 432	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.5	270 of 446	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.8	322 of 424	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	348 of 624	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.6	377 of 601	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	348 of 607	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.2	357 of 602	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.8	337 of 585	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.1	249 of 481	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.5	207 of 488	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.6	275 of 463	40.6%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	30.0	44 of 53	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.7	156 of 265	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.9	104 of 253	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.8	145 of 261	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	129 of 249	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.4	108 of 226	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.3	131 of 199	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.8	136 of 195	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.1	131 of 372	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.7	80 of 352	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	50.9	120 of 349	65.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.8	303 of 551	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.8	356 of 542	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.7	339 of 553	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	370 of 537	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.3	307 of 534	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.7	260 of 439	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.5	257 of 444	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.2	291 of 427	31.9%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)73rd percentile+28 vs school

Special Education (2026)65th percentile+18 vs school

African American (2026)61st percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)45th percentile~ school

White (2026)45th percentile~ school

Male (2026)44th percentile-3 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)41st percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)39th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)33rd percentile-14 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)24th percentile-23 vs school

Military Connected (2025)17th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English II67%~ state avg

Math III65%-4 vs state

Biology62%+3 vs state

Math I36%-6 vs state

5.0

1 rating

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1★0

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Schools Near West Johnston High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
West Johnston High	Public	9-12	5935 Raleigh Road	Benson	27504	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 934-7333	1,563	66	23.6	99.2%	797 (51.0%)	209 (13.4%)	458 (29.3%)	13 (0.8%)	10 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (4.9%)	46.7	351^st of 662 public high schools	47.0%		41.7	365^th of 641 public high schools	43.1%	14	61.7	66.7	35.7	65.4	$8,533	$535	$7,999
Cleveland High	Public	9-12	1892 Polenta Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 934-2455	1,889	80	23.5	98.7%	933 (49.4%)	369 (19.5%)	464 (24.6%)	28 (1.5%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	91 (4.8%)	55.6	283^rd of 662 public high schools	57.3%		52.4	277^th of 641 public high schools	56.8%	6	51.2	66.6	65.7	78.0	$7,646	$466	$7,180
South Johnston High	Public	9-12	10381 US Hwy 301 S	Four Oaks	27524	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 894-3146	1,355	60	22.5	99.8%	642 (47.4%)	167 (12.3%)	485 (35.8%)	4 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	52 (3.8%)	38.4	414^th of 662 public high schools	37.5%		39.4	382^nd of 641 public high schools	40.4%	32	41.7	61.8	41.6	70.2	$9,204	$547	$8,657
South Garner High	Public	9-12	8228 Hebron Church Rd	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 694-7711	1,835	105	17.4	61.5%	230 (12.5%)	872 (47.5%)	620 (33.8%)	54 (2.9%)	2 (0.1%)	5 (0.3%)	52 (2.8%)	42	390^th of 662 public high schools	41.1%		47.9	317^th of 641 public high schools	50.5%	73	46.7	53.4	43.8	76.5	$10,505	$368	$10,137
Clayton High	Public	9-12	600 S Fayetteville St	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-4064	1,929	82	23.4	99.6%	722 (37.4%)	568 (29.4%)	502 (26.0%)	25 (1.3%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	106 (5.5%)	47.5	345^th of 662 public high schools	47.9%		43.4	347^th of 641 public high schools	45.9%	2	59.8	65.2	45.2	64.3	$7,541	$374	$7,166
Johnston County Early College Academy	Public	9-12	245 College Rd	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 464-2314	251	7	34.9	98.8%	142 (56.6%)	22 (8.8%)	72 (28.7%)	5 (2.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	93	33^rd of 662 public high schools	95.0%		94.1	34^th of 641 public high schools	94.7%	1	100.0	100.0		96.5	$6,903	$137	$6,766
Johnston County Schools Career Technical	Public	9-12	245 College Road	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 464-2303	241	6	41.1	98.8%	101 (41.9%)	31 (12.9%)	98 (40.7%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.5%)	93.7	19^th of 662 public high schools	97.1%		95.5	17^th of 641 public high schools	97.3%	2	99.9	95.8		100.0	$7,440	$137	$7,303
Willow Spring High	Public	9-12	1704 Old Honeycutt Rd	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8030	2,223	110	20.2	28.7%	1,249 (56.2%)	319 (14.3%)	465 (20.9%)	99 (4.5%)	5 (0.2%)	6 (0.3%)	80 (3.6%)	62	242^nd of 662 public high schools	63.4%		58.2	240^th of 641 public high schools	62.6%	2	74.4	79.8	31.5	71.7
Smithfield-Selma High	Public	9-12	700 M. Durwood Stephenson Park	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 934-5191	1,548	86	17.9	99.8%	290 (18.7%)	398 (25.7%)	793 (51.2%)	13 (0.8%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (3.2%)	31.6	469^th of 662 public high schools	29.2%		27.3	479^th of 641 public high schools	25.3%	10	50.6	45.7	42.4	58.5	$10,069	$868	$9,200
Garner High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2101 Spring Drive	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 662-2379	1,670	107	15.5	54.7%	473 (28.3%)	551 (33.0%)	559 (33.5%)	23 (1.4%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (3.7%)	30.7	475^th of 662 public high schools	28.2%		38.9	384^th of 641 public high schools	40.1%	91	48.1	58.7	20.3	59.8	$8,960	$511	$8,449

Frequently Asked Questions about West Johnston High

What district is West Johnston High in?

Johnston County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of West Johnston High?

Students at West Johnston High are 51% White, 29% Hispanic, 13% African American, 5% Two or more races.

What schools feed into West Johnston High?

West Johnston High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Dixon Road Elementary
Elementary : McGee's Crossroads Elementary
Elementary : West View Elementary
Middle : McGee's Crossroads Middle

Is West Johnston High a good school?

West Johnston High ranks 351^st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Johnston High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,563 students attended West Johnston High.

Rate West Johnston High!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.