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The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Public Grades 6-8

37^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 773 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 95% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

The Innovation Academy at South Campus is a high-performing middle school in Smithfield, North Carolina, serving 262 students in grades 6-8. Part of the Johnston County Public Schools district, this school has consistently ranked among the top middle schools in the state, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past four years.

The Innovation Academy at South Campus significantly outperforms the district and state in academic proficiency across all subject areas and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 8th-grade students achieved a 91% proficiency rate in Reading, compared to 56.6% for the district and 54.2% for the state. This high performance extends to specific student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and Special Education students, who consistently rank among the top in North Carolina. Despite having a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, nearly 99%, the school has maintained a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.2 to 18.1 over the past few years.

The Innovation Academy at South Campus stands out as a model of excellence in public education, delivering exceptional academic outcomes for its students, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This level of sustained high performance, which sets the school apart from its peers within the Johnston County Public Schools district, is a testament to the school's effective strategies and practices in supporting and engaging its diverse student population.

263

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,168

Per pupil spending ?

98.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

521 Martin Luther King Dr
Smithfield, NC 27577

(919) 934-6481

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.0%

Hispanic:

25.9%

African American:

15.6%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare The Innovation Academy at South Campus to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 64th percentile in 2019 → 95th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (84% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% of North Carolina middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2019

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school84%

District avg56%

North Carolina avg54%

37^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 5%▲ up 32 pts since 2019

From top 36% (2019) to top 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 12Middle Schools in the Johnston County Public Schools

94^th of 242Johnston 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
2025	94.6	37 of 773	95.2%	★★★★★
2024	89.8	64 of 793	91.9%	★★★★★
2023	92.5	50 of 784	93.6%	★★★★★
2022	88.6	71 of 786	91.0%	★★★★★
2021	72.5	185 of 741	75.0%	★★★★☆
2019	62.4	269 of 737	63.5%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	94.7	23 of 546	95.8%	★★★★★
2024	89.5	40 of 560	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	84.6	57 of 559	89.8%	★★★★☆
2022	89.1	41 of 550	92.5%	★★★★★
2021	88.8	33 of 533	93.8%	★★★★★
2019	52.0	214 of 519	58.8%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	66.6	74 of 478	84.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	93.9	33 of 733	95.5%	★★★★★
2024	89.9	56 of 738	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	89.8	57 of 731	92.2%	★★★★★
2022	86.0	80 of 733	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	72.0	171 of 706	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	49.7	370 of 684	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	69.1	103 of 458	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	26 of 461	94.4%	★★★★★
2023	76.9	19 of 452	95.8%	★★★★★
2022	66.3	127 of 450	71.8%	★★★★☆
2021	47.1	302 of 448	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	95.2	16 of 562	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	92.9	32 of 564	94.3%	★★★★★
2023	95.2	19 of 553	96.6%	★★★★★
2022	94.4	16 of 541	97.0%	★★★★★
2021	65.1	121 of 522	76.8%	★★★★☆
2019	81.2	51 of 493	89.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	96.5	14 of 729	98.1%	★★★★★
2024	93.9	24 of 743	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	98.7	4 of 735	99.5%	★★★★★
2022	95.9	13 of 689	98.1%	★★★★★
2021	84.0	46 of 633	92.7%	★★★★★
2019	75.5	96 of 639	85.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	94.3	36 of 733	95.1%	★★★★★
2024	87.4	75 of 751	90.0%	★★★★★
2023	93.4	31 of 747	95.9%	★★★★★
2022	88.8	67 of 748	91.0%	★★★★★
2021	70.5	183 of 711	74.3%	★★★★☆
2019	70.9	180 of 697	74.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	98.8	4 of 478	99.2%	★★★★★
2024	98.5	3 of 473	99.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	92.4	34 of 649	94.8%	★★★★★
2024	83.7	96 of 652	85.3%	★★★★☆
2023	88.5	58 of 656	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	82.6	100 of 658	84.8%	★★★★☆
2021	62.4	212 of 632	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.2	353 of 624	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2025)99th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)98th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)97th percentile~ school

African American (2025)96th percentile~ school

Female (2025)95th percentile~ school

Male (2025)95th percentile~ school

White (2025)95th percentile~ school

Disabled (2021)85th percentile+9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)78th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science92%+32 vs state

Reading84%+32 vs state

Mathematics81%+27 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, November 5, 2019

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Schools Near The Innovation Academy at South Campus

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
The Innovation Academy at South Campus	Public	6-8	521 Martin Luther King Dr	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 934-6481	263	18	14.4	98.5%	134 (51.0%)	41 (15.6%)	68 (25.9%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.5%)	94.6	37^th of 773 public middle schools	95.2%		89.8	64^th of 793 public middle schools	91.9%	27	90.3	72.4	79.1	86.0	78.6	91.0	92.5	$8,168	$360	$7,808
Smithfield Middle	Public	6-8	1455 Buffalo Rd	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 934-4696	573	44	13.1	98.8%	52 (9.1%)	176 (30.7%)	316 (55.1%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.4%)	18	659^th of 773 public middle schools	14.7%		23.1	632^nd of 793 public middle schools	20.3%	27	31.6	28.9	20.9	39.8	43.3	42.3	33.7	$10,489	$1,415	$9,074
Selma Middle School	Public	6-8	1533 Hwy 301 N	Selma	27576	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 965-2555	339	34	9.9	99.1%	26 (7.7%)	74 (21.8%)	217 (64.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.6%)	23.2	604^th of 773 public middle schools	21.9%		25	620^th of 793 public middle schools	21.8%	16	33.0	39.6	50.8	25.9	38.5	36.4	41.8	$10,296	$1,265	$9,031
Four Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	1475 Boyette Road	Four Oaks	27524	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 963-4022	477	31	15.3	98.1%	235 (49.3%)	66 (13.8%)	152 (31.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.6%)	61.6	270^th of 773 public middle schools	65.1%		60.2	286^th of 793 public middle schools	63.9%	16	55.3	54.9	64.1	48.0	57.4	58.3	71.8	$9,812	$944	$8,868
North Johnston Middle	Public	6-8	435 Oil Company Road	Micro	27555	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 284-3374	598	41	14.5	97.2%	268 (44.8%)	52 (8.7%)	240 (40.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.2%)	55.9	318^th of 773 public middle schools	58.9%		62.5	272^nd of 793 public middle schools	65.7%	46	60.4	56.1	48.7	56.6	55.1	49.2	61.5	$8,490	$818	$7,672
Swift Creek Middle	Public	6-8	325 Norris Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 262-0750	691	45	15.5	99.3%	334 (48.3%)	101 (14.6%)	215 (31.1%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.2%)	56	316^th of 773 public middle schools	59.1%		62.7	269^th of 793 public middle schools	66.1%	47	65.6	67.7	43.8	58.6	52.5	49.2	55.4	$8,637	$480	$8,156
Cleveland Middle	Public	6-8	2323 Cornwallis Road	Garner	27529	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-7500	936	51	18.4	99.7%	439 (46.9%)	215 (23.0%)	193 (20.6%)	26 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (6.5%)	66	242^nd of 773 public middle schools	68.7%		73	188^th of 793 public middle schools	76.3%	54	60.1	50.0	72.2	56.4	55.5	65.3	67.8	$7,527	$410	$7,117
Clayton Middle	Public	6-8	490 Guy Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-5811	609	38	16.0	96.2%	169 (27.8%)	170 (27.9%)	221 (36.3%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.1%)	48.6	395^th of 773 public middle schools	48.9%		54.6	341^st of 793 public middle schools	57.0%	54	51.4	49.8	42.1	50.3	60.6	49.0	59.4	$9,361	$587	$8,774
McGee's Crossroads Middle	Public	6-8	13353 NC Highway 210	Benson	27504	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 894-6003	757	42	18.0	98.9%	388 (51.3%)	93 (12.3%)	229 (30.3%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.3%)	63.4	258^th of 773 public middle schools	66.6%		64.3	257^th of 793 public middle schools	67.6%	1	60.4	61.4	44.8	60.4	63.1	61.1	61.5	$8,319	$639	$7,679
Benson Middle	Public	6-8	1600 N Wall Street	Benson	27504	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 894-3889	377	26	14.7	99.2%	121 (32.1%)	72 (19.1%)	164 (43.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.0%)	39.6	475^th of 773 public middle schools	38.6%		51.4	380^th of 793 public middle schools	52.1%	95	45.2	62.2	37.9	40.0	47.1	51.6	52.0	$9,496	$899	$8,596

Frequently Asked Questions about The Innovation Academy at South Campus

How many students attend The Innovation Academy at South Campus?

In the 2024-25 school year, 263 students attended The Innovation Academy at South Campus.

What district is The Innovation Academy at South Campus in?

Johnston County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of The Innovation Academy at South Campus?

Students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus are 51% White, 26% Hispanic, 16% African American, 6% Two or more races.

Is The Innovation Academy at South Campus a good school?

Yes! The Innovation Academy at South Campus is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 37^th of 773 North Carolina middle schools.

Rate The Innovation Academy at South Campus!

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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.