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Cleveland High

Q: Is Cleveland High a good school?

Cleveland High ranks 283 rd of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

283^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 57% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Cleveland High is a large traditional public high school in Clayton, North Carolina, serving about 1,889 students in grades 9–12 as part of Johnston County Public Schools. It currently ranks #283 out of 662 North Carolina high schools (57th percentile, 3-star rating), placing it in the upper-middle tier statewide, though below its 2016–2017 peak of 74th. Among Johnston County's traditional high schools, Cleveland High is the clear leader, outranking Clayton High, West Johnston High, South Johnston High, and Smithfield-Selma High.

Its signature academic strength is mathematics. The Math I proficiency rate of 65.7% runs about 21–24 points above the district and state averages, and far above nearby schools like Clayton High (45.2%) and West Johnston High (35.7%). English II performance is consistently above average, too. The relative weak spot is Biology: 51.2% proficiency trails the district (56.6%) and state (58.5%). Since Math I is typically taken by all ninth graders, posting a rate nearly 24 points above the state average is genuinely unusual.

A notable bright spot is special education: the school now ranks in the top quartile statewide for that subgroup, up from the 25th percentile several years ago. African American and multiracial students also outperform their statewide subgroup averages. Areas of concern include Hispanic, English learner, and military-connected students, whose results are below average relative to similar students elsewhere. Chronic absenteeism jumped from 16.1% to 24.6% in a year, matching the state average but rising above the district's 21.8%, while the student-teacher ratio has climbed to about 24:1. With a graduation rate near 94% and strong math outcomes, Cleveland High remains a solid choice for families, though those interested in science offerings or smaller class sizes may want to dig deeper.

1,889

Students ?

23.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1892 Polenta Rd
Clayton, NC 27520

(919) 934-2455

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Cleveland High:

Elementary:	Cleveland Elementary
	Polenta Elementary
Middle:	Cleveland Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.4%

Hispanic:

24.6%

African American:

19.5%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Cleveland High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 78th percentile in 2016 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (65% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 21 percentile points since 2016

!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 school65%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg60%

283^rd of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	55.6	283 of 662	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.4	277 of 641	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.7	300 of 640	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.7	273 of 626	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.1	285 of 621	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	260 of 594	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.3	174 of 514	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.9	180 of 469	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	71.6	74 of 476	84.5%	★★★★☆
2016	58.6	112 of 507	77.9%	★★★★☆
2015	70.9	74 of 531	86.1%	★★★★☆
2014	65.6	89 of 451	80.3%	★★★★☆
2013	44.5	188 of 505	62.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.8	158 of 450	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.0	161 of 440	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.2	155 of 437	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.4	218 of 434	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.7	178 of 430	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.5	138 of 364	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.6	99 of 369	73.2%	★★★★☆
2018	43.9	167 of 359	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	45.3	136 of 330	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.7	161 of 334	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.3	272 of 364	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.2	167 of 349	52.1%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	175 of 289	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.0	93 of 273	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	25.9	226 of 262	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.0	138 of 226	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	72.9	11 of 156	92.9%	★★★★★
2019	31.5	132 of 173	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.4	316 of 629	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.3	276 of 610	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.6	303 of 602	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.4	254 of 588	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.3	288 of 594	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.1	198 of 475	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.7	142 of 475	70.1%	★★★★☆
2018	56.6	186 of 449	58.6%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.5	148 of 407	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.7	226 of 412	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.3	185 of 403	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.6	136 of 403	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.4	166 of 398	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.5	155 of 337	54.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.6	264 of 474	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.8	204 of 462	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.3	254 of 454	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	214 of 449	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.8	240 of 436	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.3	104 of 370	71.9%	★★★★☆
2019	30.5	248 of 354	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.7	254 of 340	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.9	269 of 620	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.0	291 of 606	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.4	328 of 613	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.1	286 of 597	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.5	259 of 544	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.9	208 of 432	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.7	179 of 446	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.2	220 of 424	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.4	245 of 624	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.1	281 of 601	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.0	290 of 607	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.7	280 of 602	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.1	271 of 585	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.9	163 of 481	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.5	197 of 488	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.0	198 of 463	57.2%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.1	39 of 70	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.8	23 of 53	56.6%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.0	88 of 265	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.7	113 of 253	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.0	122 of 261	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.8	119 of 249	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	65 of 226	71.2%	★★★★☆
2021	26.1	159 of 199	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	55.0	81 of 195	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.2	98 of 185	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.7	112 of 372	69.9%	★★★★☆
2025	60.8	76 of 352	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	49.4	125 of 349	64.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.8	203 of 551	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.1	252 of 542	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.5	270 of 553	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.0	226 of 537	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.8	269 of 534	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	169 of 439	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.8	177 of 444	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.4	179 of 427	58.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)70th percentile+13 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)67th percentile+10 vs school

African American (2026)65th percentile+8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)64th percentile+6 vs school

White (2026)63rd percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)61st percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2022)59th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)57th percentile~ school

Female (2026)50th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)44th percentile-13 vs school

Military Connected (2026)44th percentile-13 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)39th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III78%+9 vs state

English II67%~ state avg

Math I66%+24 vs state

Biology51%-7 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Cleveland High school is the BEST school in the area! They care about putting your child's education FIRST! The and administration are very caring they are so dedicated to the kids everyday! Close Quote

Schools Near Cleveland 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Cleveland High

What schools feed into Cleveland High?

Cleveland High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cleveland Elementary
Elementary : Polenta Elementary
Middle : Cleveland Middle

Is Cleveland High a good school?

Cleveland High ranks 283^rd of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cleveland High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,889 students attended Cleveland High.

What is the racial makeup of Cleveland High?

Students at Cleveland High are 49% White, 25% Hispanic, 20% African American, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Cleveland High in?

Johnston County Public Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 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.