Can I use Forsyth County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Forsyth County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Forsyth County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Forsyth County?

Start with the 87 listed public schools and 7 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Forsyth County Schools & Education

Name: Forsyth County, North Carolina Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Forsyth County, North Carolina

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

85.8%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

85.8%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,993

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,969

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 40/100

State Score Position

#67

of 100 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Forsyth County

Measured School Summary

Forsyth County faces educational challenges with a school score of 33/100 and a graduation rate of 85.8%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,993 per pupil, Forsyth County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 19% below the North Carolina average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 0% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Forsyth County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

87 public schools and 7 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

33/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #67 of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data.

Completion

85.8%

2.2 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,993

roughly matches the state average

School coverage

7 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Forsyth County has 87 public schools across 7 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Forsyth County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 81 of 87 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#67

of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 7 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Elementary to high school visible

52,717 students

Elementary 44Middle 16High 18Other 3

81 listed schools in this county slice.

NC Leadership Charter Academy

Other grade structure

1,123 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

Forsyth Academy

Elementary school only in this slice

759 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

Quality Education Academy

Other grade structure

673 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 81 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Forsyth County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Forsyth County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Winston Salem / Forsyth District Manages Over 52,000 Students

Education data brief for Forsyth County, North Carolina.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:District structure

Forsyth County is characterized by a highly consolidated district structure, with the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district overseeing 81 of the county's 87 public schools and 52,717 of its 56,563 students. This centralized system is predominantly urban, with 59 schools located in city locales. The county's graduation rate is 85.8%, which is below the North Carolina average of 88.0% and the national average of 87.0%. Public education spending in the county is $6,993 per pupil, aligning closely with the state average of $6,969 but falling significantly short of the $13,000 national average. The composite school score for Forsyth is 32.5, compared to the state average of 40.3 and the national median of 50.0. The largest high school, West Forsyth High, enrolls 2,348 students. For further details on district boundaries and school types, consult the NCES district directory.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Forsyth County

Reported Enrollment

56,563

87 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

6% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary47

Middle16

High18

Other6

7 School Districts in Forsyth County

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

NC Leadership Charter Academy

1 school

1,123 students

Forsyth Academy

1 school

759 students

Quality Education Academy

1 school

673 students

Arts Based School

1 school

579 students

Carter G Woodson School

1 school

451 students

Appalachian State U Academy Middle Fork

1 school

261 students

87 Public Schools in Forsyth County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 11 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 87 matching schools

Public schools in Forsyth County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
West Forsyth High	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Clemmons, 27012Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,348
Ronald W Reagan High School	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Pfafftown, 27040Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	2,146
R J Reynolds High	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston Salem, 27104City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,692
East Forsyth High	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Kernersville, 27284Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,655
Parkland High	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston Salem, 27127City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,519
Robert B Glenn High School	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Kernersville, 27284City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,504
Mount Tabor High School	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston Salem, 27106City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,431
Atkins Academic & Tech High	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston-Salem, 27101City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,192
Clemmons Middle School	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston-Salem, 27127Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,168
NC Leadership Charter Academy	Profile	NC Leadership Charter Academy	Kernersville, 27284Rural: Fringe	KG–12	Charter	1,123
North Forsyth High	Profile	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston Salem, 27105City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,062
Hanes Magnet School	Record	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston Salem, 27107City: Midsize	6–8	Middle	906
Northwest Middle	Record	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston Salem, 27106City: Midsize	6–8	Middle	887
Meadowlark Elementary	Record	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston-Salem, 27106City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	831
Flat Rock Middle	Record	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston-Salem, 27127Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	829
Meadowlark Middle	Record	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston-Salem, 27106City: Midsize	6–8	Middle	825
Lewisville Middle	Record	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Lewisville, 27023Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	824
Southeast Middle	Record	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Kernersville, 27284Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	820
Kimmel Farm Elementary	Record	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston-Salem, 27284Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	814
Thomas Jefferson Middle	Record	Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools	Winston-Salem, 27106City: Midsize	6–8	Middle	800

West Forsyth High

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Clemmons, 27012 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,348 students

Ronald W Reagan High School

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Pfafftown, 27040 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,146 students

R J Reynolds High

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston Salem, 27104 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,692 students

East Forsyth High

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Kernersville, 27284 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,655 students

Parkland High

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston Salem, 27127 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,519 students

Robert B Glenn High School

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Kernersville, 27284 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,504 students

Mount Tabor High School

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston Salem, 27106 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,431 students

Atkins Academic & Tech High

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston-Salem, 27101 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,192 students

Clemmons Middle School

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston-Salem, 27127 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,168 students

NC Leadership Charter Academy

Kernersville, 27284 / Rural: Fringe

ProfileKG–12Charter1,123 students

North Forsyth High

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston Salem, 27105 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,062 students

Hanes Magnet School

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston Salem, 27107 / City: Midsize

Record6–8Middle906 students

Northwest Middle

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston Salem, 27106 / City: Midsize

Record6–8Middle887 students

Meadowlark Elementary

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston-Salem, 27106 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary831 students

Flat Rock Middle

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston-Salem, 27127 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle829 students

Meadowlark Middle

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston-Salem, 27106 / City: Midsize

Record6–8Middle825 students

Lewisville Middle

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Lewisville, 27023 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle824 students

Southeast Middle

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Kernersville, 27284 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle820 students

Kimmel Farm Elementary

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston-Salem, 27284 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary814 students

Thomas Jefferson Middle

Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools

Winston-Salem, 27106 / City: Midsize

Record6–8Middle800 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,993

State avg $6,969

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Forsyth County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which North Carolina counties have the highest graduation rates?

Jones County (97.0%), Pamlico County (95.7%), and Currituck County (95.0%) currently lead North Carolina among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in North Carolina?

Across North Carolina counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,969. The highest current county values are Hyde County ($10,356), Tyrrell County ($9,655), and Orange County ($8,629). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Forsyth County?

Forsyth County has a school score of 33/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Forsyth County?

The high school graduation rate in Forsyth County is 85.8%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Forsyth County spend per student?

Forsyth County spends $6,993 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Hoke County

North Carolina

0 pts

33/100

School score

Randolph County

North Carolina

0 pts

33/100

School score

Cabarrus County

North Carolina

+0 pts

33/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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