Wilson County Schools & Education
Wilson County, North Carolina
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
15/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
79.6%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
79.6%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 88.0%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,288
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,969
School Score
15/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 40/100
State Score Position
#100
of 100 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Wilson County
Measured School Summary
Wilson County faces educational challenges with a school score of 15/100 and a graduation rate of 79.6%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $6,288 per pupil, Wilson County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 61% below the North Carolina average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 8.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 10% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Wilson 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
28 public schools and 3 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
15/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #100 of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data.
Completion
79.6%
8.4 pts below the state average
Funding context
$6,288
$681 below the state average
School coverage
28
3 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
Wilson County has 28 public schools across 3 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.
What Wilson 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
Wilson County Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 25 of 28 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#100
of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 25 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.
Wilson County Schools
Elementary to high school visible
10,276 students
25 listed schools in this county slice.
Sallie B Howard School
Other grade structure
1,204 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
Wilson Preparatory Academy
Other grade structure
807 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
District reality check
Wilson County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 25 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 Wilson County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Wilson 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?
Education Overview
About Schools in Wilson County, North Carolina
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
Diverse Educational Options in Wilson
Wilson County features a robust landscape of 28 public schools serving over 12,300 students. The system includes 13 elementary schools and 10 secondary schools, plus five specialized campuses for alternative and special education.
Charter Schools Drive Enrollment Growth
While Wilson County Schools is the largest district, charter schools like Sallie B Howard and Wilson Preparatory Academy serve over 2,000 students combined. These two charters represent over 7% of the county's total school inventory.
A Mix of Town and Country
The county offers a balanced mix of 15 town-based and 13 rural schools, with an average campus size of 440 students. The Sallie B Howard charter school is the county's largest at 1,204 students, significantly larger than rural high schools like Beddingfield.
School Overview
Total Schools
28
in Wilson County
Reported Enrollment
12,328
28 schools reporting
School Districts
3
districts
Charter Schools
2
7% of total
School Level Breakdown
3 School Districts in Wilson County
Wilson County Schools
GuideSallie B Howard School
Wilson Preparatory Academy
28 Public Schools in Wilson County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 28 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sallie B Howard School | Profile | Sallie B Howard School | Wilson, 27893Town: Fringe | KG–12 | Charter | 1,204 |
| James Hunt High | Profile | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,069 |
| Fike High | Profile | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Town: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,046 |
| Wilson Preparatory Academy | Record | Wilson Preparatory Academy | Wilson, 27894Town: Fringe | KG–12 | Charter | 807 |
| Beddingfield High | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 682 |
| Forest Hills Middle | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Town: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 670 |
| John W Jones Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 591 |
| Vinson-Bynum Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Town: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 473 |
| Rock Ridge Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Rural: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 469 |
| Springfield Middle | Record | Wilson County Schools | Lucama, 27851Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 445 |
| Elm City Middle | Record | Wilson County Schools | Elm City, 27822Rural: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 444 |
| Charles H Darden Middle | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Town: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 441 |
| Margaret Hearne Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Town: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 432 |
| New Hope Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27896Town: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 431 |
| Lucama Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Lucama, 27851Rural: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 362 |
| Frederick Douglass Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Elm City, 27822Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 357 |
| Vick Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Town: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 323 |
| Wells Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Town: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 303 |
| B O Barnes Elementary | Record | Wilson County Schools | Wilson, 27893Town: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 300 |
| Speight Middle | Record | Wilson County Schools | Stantonsburg, 27883Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 294 |
Sallie B Howard School
Sallie B Howard School
Wilson, 27893 / Town: Fringe
James Hunt High
Wilson County Schools
Wilson, 27893 / Rural: Fringe
Fike High
Wilson County Schools
Wilson, 27893 / Town: Fringe
Wilson Preparatory Academy
Wilson Preparatory Academy
Wilson, 27894 / Town: Fringe
John W Jones Elementary
Wilson County Schools
Wilson, 27893 / Rural: Fringe
Vinson-Bynum Elementary
Wilson County Schools
Wilson, 27893 / Town: Fringe
Rock Ridge Elementary
Wilson County Schools
Wilson, 27893 / Rural: Distant
Margaret Hearne Elementary
Wilson County Schools
Wilson, 27893 / Town: Fringe
Frederick Douglass Elementary
Wilson County Schools
Elm City, 27822 / Rural: Fringe
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,288
State avg $6,969
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Wilson County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which North Carolina counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in North Carolina?
How should I read the school score in Wilson County?
What is the graduation rate in Wilson County?
How much does Wilson County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Wilson County, North Carolina — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Wilson County, North Carolina?
Wilson County features a robust landscape of 28 public schools serving over 12,300 students. The system includes 13 elementary schools and 10 secondary schools, plus five specialized campuses for alternative and special education.
What are the major school districts in Wilson County, North Carolina?
While Wilson County Schools is the largest district, charter schools like Sallie B Howard and Wilson Preparatory Academy serve over 2,000 students combined. These two charters represent over 7% of the county's total school inventory.
What is the school experience like in Wilson County?
The county offers a balanced mix of 15 town-based and 13 rural schools, with an average campus size of 440 students. The Sallie B Howard charter school is the county's largest at 1,204 students, significantly larger than rural high schools like Beddingfield.
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.