United StatesNCWayne County Public Schools

School district or education agency · NCES 3704880

Wayne County Public Schools

Dudley, NC

Students17,368

Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.

Schools33

operational schools · 2023–24

Students17,368

students in linked records

Latest attendance year2022–23

federal comparable series

Latest finance record$11,267

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
39th percentile45th percentile45th percentile

This district is 6 percentile points lower than the state figure and 6 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students chronically absent2022–23
39.7%28.7%27.8%

This district is 11.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 11.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Revenue per studentFY 2023
$12,362$13,391$19,509

This district is $1,029 per student lower than the state figure and $7,147 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Spending per studentFY 2023
$11,267$12,316$15,859

This district is $1,049 per student lower than the state figure and $4,592 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$488$1,359$1,964

This district is $871 per student lower than the state figure and $1,476 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$96$215$336

This district is $119 per student lower than the state figure and $240 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$1,183$1,306$1,793

This district is $123 per student lower than the state figure and $610 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Salaries per studentFY 2023
$6,324$7,126$8,742

This district is $802 per student lower than the state figure and $2,418 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Benefits per studentFY 2023
$2,651$2,889$3,769

This district is $238 per student lower than the state figure and $1,118 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$2,671$5,278$11,715

This district is $2,607 per student lower than the state figure and $9,044 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$224$656$869

This district is $432 per student lower than the state figure and $645 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Students per teacher2023–24
16:115:115:1

This district is 1.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and 1.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.

Students per counselor2023–24
433:1340:1376:1

This district is 93 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 57 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.

District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
122.6128.4138.9

This district is 5.8 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 16.3 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
16.914.718.5

This district is 2.2 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 1.6 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
0.40.50.9

This district is 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.5 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
98.5%99.3%99.0%

This district is 0.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
5.1%2.0%2.6%

This district is 3.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
1.1%1.5%2.9%

This district is 0.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
12.9%8.7%12.0%

This district is 4.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
12.0%11.9%14.0%

This district is 0.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
0.9%1.9%3.9%

This district is 0.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.0 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
98.0%50.8%50.6%

This district is 47.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 47.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
11.7%7.8%4.5%

This district is 3.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 7.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
18.4%15.6%9.0%

This district is 2.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 9.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
31.5%13.3%6.7%

This district is 18.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 24.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
4.7%6.9%5.1%

This district is 2.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
28.3%15.6%14.4%

This district is 12.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 13.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment · 2023–24

Who attends this district?

Pre-K199 students
1.1%
Kindergarten–grade 57,861 students
45.3%
Grades 6–84,016 students
23.1%
Grades 9–125,279 students
30.4%
See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten199
Kindergarten1,290
Grade 11,328
Grade 21,291
Grade 31,314
Grade 41,324
Grade 51,314
Grade 61,349
Grade 71,355
Grade 81,312
Grade 91,557
Grade 101,360
Grade 111,232
Grade 121,130

Students by race and ethnicity

Black or African American5,913 (34.0%)
White5,320 (30.6%)
Hispanic/Latino5,038 (29.0%)
Two or more races843 (4.9%)
Asian204 (1.2%)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander30 (0.2%)
American Indian or Alaska Native20 (0.1%)

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?

199Students enrolled in pre-K
18Pre-K teachers, full-time equivalent
11.1:1Reported pre-K students per pre-K teacher

Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment

District1.1%
NC1.5%
United States2.9%

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?

2,128.5All district staff, full-time equivalent
1,101.9Teachers, full-time equivalent
40.1School counselors, full-time equivalent
7.8School psychologists, full-time equivalent
293Instructional aides, full-time equivalent
26Librarians and media specialists, full-time equivalent
64.9School administrators, full-time equivalent
107.6Student support staff, full-time equivalent
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers18 FTE
Kindergarten teachers78.4 FTE
Elementary teachers650 FTE
Secondary teachers341.5 FTE
Ungraded teachers14 FTE
Elementary school counselors15.4 FTE
Secondary school counselors23.7 FTE
Instructional coordinators18 FTE
District administrators14 FTE
District administrative support40.5 FTE
School administrative support79.4 FTE
Library and media support2 FTE
Other support staff333.3 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?

1,162Total completers
1,144Regular diplomas
18Other state-recognized credentials
269Reported dropouts, grades 9–12

Regular diplomas among completers

District98.5%
NC99.3%
United States99.0%

Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12

District5.1%
NC2.0%
United States2.6%

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.

12.9%Students learning English2,241 students · 30 of 32 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District12.9%
NC8.7%
U.S.12.0%
12.0%Students receiving IDEA special-education services2,079 students · 32 of 32 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District12.0%
NC11.9%
U.S.14.0%
0.9%Students with Section 504 plans152 students · 27 of 32 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District0.9%
NC1.9%
U.S.3.9%
1.4%English learners also receiving IDEA services252 students · 32 of 32 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District1.4%
NC1.3%
U.S.1.7%

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?

100.0%Teachers reported as certified
210Children ages 3–5 in district preschool

Teacher certification comparison

District100.0%
NC92.5%
United States95.8%

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.

20,473children ages 5 to 17
5,800estimated to live in families below the poverty line
28.3%about 1 in 4 school-age children
District28.3%
NC15.6%
United States14.4%

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.

Academic results · 2025

How do results differ among student groups?

Asian students198 assessments
66 out of 100
White students4,440 assessments
54 out of 100
Students not economically disadvantaged5,854 assessments
50 out of 100
Fem7,501 assessments
39 out of 100
Mal8,080 assessments
39 out of 100
Hispanic students4,815 assessments
37 out of 100
Economically disadvantaged students9,726 assessments
33 out of 100
Black students5,335 assessments
27 out of 100

A 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?

9Middle schools
13Elementary schools
9High schools
1Other schools
1Not reported schools
18Rural setting
12City setting
2Suburb setting
1Town setting
1Alternative schools
1Special Education schools

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.

21.9%Federal
65.1%State
13%Local
Uses of funds

Where the money goes

Annual spending for each enrolled student.

$11,267Total current spending per student
$7,291Instruction per student
$3,373Support services per student
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
$47.6MFederal revenue21.9% of total revenue
$141.2MState revenue65.1% of total revenue
$28.2MLocal revenue13% of total revenue
How operating money was used
$7,291Instructionper student
$3,373Student and instructional supportper student
$1,183Special educationper student
$986Building operations and maintenanceper student
$478Student transportationper student
$603Food servicesper student
$279Technologyper student
People costs
$111MSalaries$6,324 per student
$46.5MEmployee benefits$2,651 per student
Equipment, buildings and debt
$1.7MEquipmentFY 2023
$8.6MCapital outlay$488 per student
$6.8MConstructionincluded in capital outlay
$46.9MDebt outstanding at year end$2,671 per student
$8MNew debt issuedFY 2023
$3.9MDebt principal retiredFY 2023
$1.4MInterest paid on debtFY 2023
Selected federal program revenue
$7.9MTitle I$448 per student
$4.6MIDEA special education$260 per student
$430KCareer and technical education$24 per student
$11.7MChild nutrition$664 per student
What changed since FY 2022
Operating spending per student
FY 2022$11,752
FY 2023$11,267
Capital spending per student
FY 2022$317
FY 2023$488
Debt outstanding per student
FY 2022$2,433
FY 2023$2,671

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?

2020–2141%

7,109 of 17,352 students

2021–2247.8%

8,320 of 17,402 students

2022–2339.7%

6,897 of 17,351 students

Specialized support and security · 2021–22

What specialized roles were reported?

19Sworn law-enforcement officer FTE32 reporting schools
0Security staff FTE32 reporting schools

Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.

Learning opportunities

What do district schools offer?

Algebra I10 reporting schools
90%
Calculus10 reporting schools
50%
Biology10 reporting schools
90%
Chemistry10 reporting schools
60%
Physics10 reporting schools
30%
Computer science10 reporting schools
70%
Advanced Placement10 reporting schools
80%
Dual enrollment10 reporting schools
70%
Gifted programs32 reporting schools
91%
International Baccalaureate10 reporting schools
0%
Athletics10 reporting schools
60%

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?

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.

Data status

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 →