operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 3701260
Durham Public Schools
Durham, NC
Students31,339
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictNCUnited States
Academic standing2025
37th percentile45th percentile45th percentileThis district is 8 percentile points lower than the state figure and 8 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
40.7%28.7%27.8%This district is 12.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 12.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$16,900$13,391$19,509This district is $3,509 per student higher than the state figure and $2,609 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$15,239$12,316$15,859This district is $2,923 per student higher than the state figure and $620 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$3,396$1,359$1,964This district is $2,037 per student higher than the state figure and $1,432 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$120$215$336This district is $95 per student lower than the state figure and $216 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$1,984$1,306$1,793This district is $678 per student higher than the state figure and $191 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$9,321$7,126$8,742This district is $2,195 per student higher than the state figure and $579 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$3,695$2,889$3,769This district is $806 per student higher than the state figure and $74 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$5,749$5,278$11,715This district is $471 per student higher than the state figure and $5,966 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$540$656$869This district is $116 per student lower than the state figure and $329 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
13:115:115:1This district is 2.0 students per teacher lower than the state figure and 2.0 students per teacher lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
289:1340:1376:1This district is 51 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 87 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
155.7128.4138.9This district is 27.3 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 16.8 staff per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
16.414.718.5This district is 1.7 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 2.1 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
1.00.50.9This district is 0.5 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
99.5%99.3%99.0%This district is 0.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
3.4%2.0%2.6%This district is 1.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
1.4%1.5%2.9%This district is 0.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
17.3%8.7%12.0%This district is 8.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 5.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
12.2%11.9%14.0%This district is 0.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
0.8%1.9%3.9%This district is 1.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
100.0%92.5%95.8%This district is 7.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
-1.3%+0.9%+0.5%This district is 2.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
56.4%50.8%50.6%This district is 5.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 5.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.6%7.8%4.5%This district is 2.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
11.8%15.6%9.0%This district is 3.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
6.3%13.3%6.7%This district is 7.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
8.6%6.9%5.1%This district is 1.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
14.7%15.6%14.4%This district is 0.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K438 students
1.4%Kindergarten–grade 513,669 students
43.6%Grades 6–86,431 students
20.5%Grades 9–1210,801 students
34.5%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten438
Kindergarten2,232
Grade 12,248
Grade 22,407
Grade 32,239
Grade 42,254
Grade 52,289
Grade 62,104
Grade 72,127
Grade 82,200
Grade 93,314
Grade 102,761
Grade 112,532
Grade 122,194
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Early learning · 2023–24
How much public pre-K is reported?
Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers64.8 FTE
Kindergarten teachers168 FTE
Elementary teachers1,426.1 FTE
Secondary teachers692.8 FTE
Ungraded teachers11.1 FTE
Elementary school counselors47 FTE
Secondary school counselors60 FTE
Instructional coordinators42 FTE
District administrators50 FTE
District administrative support161.4 FTE
School administrative support180.1 FTE
Other support staff841.7 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
17.3%Students learning English5,442 students · 53 of 54 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
12.2%Students receiving IDEA special-education services3,835 students · 54 of 54 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.8%Students with Section 504 plans174 students · 33 of 54 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
2.5%English learners also receiving IDEA services779 students · 54 of 54 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in NC receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Gaston County SchoolsGastonia, NC30,253 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Cabarrus County SchoolsConcord, NC35,021 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Moreno Valley UnifiedMoreno Valley, CA31,344 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Onslow County SchoolsJacksonville, NC27,592 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Stafford County Public SchoolsStafford, VA31,547 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
White students5,129 assessments
83 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged12,765 assessments
57 out of 100Asian students657 assessments
49 out of 100Fem13,056 assessments
39 out of 100Mal13,081 assessments
37 out of 100Black students9,365 assessments
28 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students13,375 assessments
25 out of 100Hispanic students9,351 assessments
25 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$14,937
→FY 2023$15,239
FY 2022$2,210
→FY 2023$3,396
FY 2022$6,245
→FY 2023$5,749
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
10,475 of 31,603 students
14,011 of 31,360 students
12,666 of 31,124 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I14 reporting schools
93%
Calculus14 reporting schools
64%
Biology14 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry14 reporting schools
86%
Physics14 reporting schools
64%
Computer science14 reporting schools
64%
Advanced Placement14 reporting schools
71%
Dual enrollment14 reporting schools
86%
Gifted programs53 reporting schools
100%
International Baccalaureate14 reporting schools
7%
Athletics13 reporting schools
0%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
2,079Out-of-school suspensions53 reporting schoolsSee schools →2,039In-school suspensions53 reporting schoolsSee schools →373Law-enforcement referrals53 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests53 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?40.7% chronically absent2022–23 · 31,124 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?8 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$15,239current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?289:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →