operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 3704720
Wake County Schools
Raleigh, NC
Students161,481
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
59th percentile45th percentile45th percentileThis district is 14 percentile points higher than the state figure and 14 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
24.2%28.7%27.8%This district is 4.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$12,285$13,391$19,509This district is $1,106 per student lower than the state figure and $7,224 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$11,691$12,316$15,859This district is $625 per student lower than the state figure and $4,168 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$1,570$1,359$1,964This district is $211 per student higher than the state figure and $394 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$377$215$336This district is $162 per student higher than the state figure and $41 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$1,649$1,306$1,793This district is $343 per student higher than the state figure and $144 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$7,360$7,126$8,742This district is $234 per student higher than the state figure and $1,382 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$3,060$2,889$3,769This district is $171 per student higher than the state figure and $709 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$11,390$5,278$11,715This district is $6,112 per student higher than the state figure and $325 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$2,129$656$869This district is $1,473 per student higher than the state figure and $1,260 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
15:115:115:1This district is about the same as the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
306:1340:1376:1This district is 34 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 70 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
122.2128.4138.9This district is 6.2 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 16.7 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
15.214.718.5This district is 0.5 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 3.3 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
0.70.50.9This district is 0.2 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.2 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
99.6%99.3%99.0%This district is 0.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
1.4%2.0%2.6%This district is 0.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
1.0%1.5%2.9%This district is 0.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
9.4%8.7%12.0%This district is 0.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
10.5%11.9%14.0%This district is 1.3 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
0.2%1.9%3.9%This district is 1.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
97.5%92.5%95.8%This district is 5.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
+0.9%+0.9%+0.5%This district is about the same as the state figure and 0.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
22.9%50.8%50.6%This district is 27.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 27.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
7.8%7.8%4.5%This district is about the same as the state figure and 3.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
23.7%15.6%9.0%This district is 8.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 14.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
80.0%13.3%6.7%This district is 66.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 73.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.7%6.9%5.1%This district is 1.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
9.5%15.6%14.4%This district is 6.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K1,654 students
1.0%Kindergarten–grade 569,155 students
42.8%Grades 6–836,128 students
22.4%Grades 9–1254,456 students
33.7%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten1,654
Kindergarten10,980
Grade 111,364
Grade 211,954
Grade 311,449
Grade 411,749
Grade 511,659
Grade 611,682
Grade 711,987
Grade 812,459
Grade 915,058
Grade 1013,650
Grade 1113,242
Grade 1212,506
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 teachers196.3 FTE
Kindergarten teachers741.3 FTE
Elementary teachers6,656.2 FTE
Secondary teachers3,152.3 FTE
Ungraded teachers52.2 FTE
Elementary school counselors216.5 FTE
Secondary school counselors309.7 FTE
Instructional coordinators119.5 FTE
District administrators336 FTE
District administrative support370.9 FTE
School administrative support779 FTE
Other support staff2,001 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.
9.4%Students learning English14,968 students · 188 of 193 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
10.5%Students receiving IDEA special-education services16,825 students · 193 of 193 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.2%Students with Section 504 plans17 students · 5 of 193 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.5%English learners also receiving IDEA services2,414 students · 193 of 193 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.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg SchoolsCharlotte, NC144,116 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Montgomery County Public SchoolsSilver Spring, MD160,223 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Hawaii Department of EducationHonolulu, HI169,308 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Fairfax County Public SchoolsAlexandria, VA180,714 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Gwinnett CountyDacula, GA182,214 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Asian students20,378 assessments
87 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged93,358 assessments
75 out of 100White students57,077 assessments
75 out of 100Fem70,102 assessments
59 out of 100Mal73,281 assessments
59 out of 100Hispanic students29,067 assessments
29 out of 100Black students29,997 assessments
28 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students50,078 assessments
26 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$11,859
→FY 2023$11,691
FY 2022$1,767
→FY 2023$1,570
FY 2022$11,255
→FY 2023$11,390
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?
32,180 of 158,546 students
39,905 of 158,654 students
38,327 of 158,357 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 I35 reporting schools
100%
Calculus35 reporting schools
83%
Biology35 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry35 reporting schools
91%
Physics35 reporting schools
69%
Computer science35 reporting schools
80%
Advanced Placement35 reporting schools
89%
Dual enrollment35 reporting schools
69%
Gifted programs193 reporting schools
98%
International Baccalaureate35 reporting schools
14%
Athletics35 reporting schools
69%
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?
10,614Out-of-school suspensions193 reporting schoolsSee schools →13,838In-school suspensions193 reporting schoolsSee schools →709Law-enforcement referrals193 reporting schoolsSee schools →70School-related arrests193 reporting schoolsSee schools →125Physical restraint34 reporting schoolsSee schools →5Mechanical restraint2 reporting schoolsSee schools →3Seclusion1 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?24.2% chronically absent2022–23 · 158,357 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?$11,691current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?306:1 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 →