Johnston County Schools

What Johnston County Schools does

Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) is a public K-12 school district headquartered in Smithfield, North Carolina, serving nearly 38,000 students across grades K-12 within Johnston County. The district is governed by the Johnston County Board of Education and led by Superintendent Dr. David Pearce, with a stated academic goal of reaching the top 20% of North Carolina districts on performance composite and ACT/WorkKeys metrics by 2029. JCPS operates a portfolio of standard public schools alongside specialized Choice Programs—AVID, International Baccalaureate (PYP, MYP, DP, CP), Career and Technical Leadership Academy (CTLA), Johnston County Early College Academy, JoCo TEACH (teacher preparation), Fire Science, and IDEAL Academy (environmental sciences and agriculture)—delivered in partnership with East Carolina University, NCSU, Johnston Community College, and University of Mount Olive.

The district's technology stack is composed of third-party, best-of-breed ed-tech platforms rather than proprietary systems: Infinite Campus for student information, Apptegy for the district website and CMS, ThrillShare for identity/sign-in, SchoolMint for choice-program applications, Droplet for release forms, LINQ Connect for nutrition services, and Creative Curriculum for preschool instruction. Operational scale includes transportation for nearly 25,000 students across 32,000 daily miles and nutrition services delivering nearly 4.5 million meals annually. JCPS is the largest employer in Johnston County, with 1,001-5,000 employees.

As a government entity, JCPS is funded through state appropriations, local property taxes, federal grants, and minor non-resident tuition ($2,665 per pupil for the 2025-2026 school year). It does not report traditional revenue, raise private capital, or have external investors. Wilson's Mills High School is scheduled to open in 2026, expanding the district's physical footprint. JCPS reports a 91.9% graduation rate, is one of only 10 NC districts exceeding pre-pandemic achievement levels, and its students secured approximately $59.9 million in scholarship offerings for the 2025-2026 school year.

Name

Johnston County Schools

Legal name

Johnston County Public Schools

Website

https://johnston.k12.nc.us

Company type

Public

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Johnston County Public Schools is a public K-12 school district in North Carolina serving nearly 38,000 students, operating standard schools alongside specialized choice programs (AVID, IB, Early College, JoCo TEACH, IDEAL, Fire Science) in partnership with regional universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• School district services
• College readiness programs
• Career technical education
• Student nutrition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Smithfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: As a public school district, JCPS is primarily funded through state and local government funding, federal grants, and property taxes. This forms the core operational budget for educating approximately 38,000 students.
2. Tuition (Non-Resident Students): Tuition is charged to students who are not domiciliaries of Johnston County or North Carolina. Tuition for 2025-2026 school year is $2,665.00 full, $1,332.50 per semester, or $666.25 per quarter.
3. School Nutrition Services: Meal services including breakfast and lunch programs. Last school year served nearly 4.5 million meals. Also includes food distribution events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) operates a traditional K-12 public school district serving nearly 38,000 students in Johnston County, North Carolina. The district provides standard public education across elementary, middle, and high schools, supplemented by specialized Choice Programs such as AVID, International Baccalaureate, Career and Technical Leadership Academy, Early College Academy, JoCo TEACH, Fire Science, and IDEAL Academy, as well as dual enrollment through Career and College Promise.

Product overview

Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) is a traditional public school district serving nearly 38,000 students. The district operates a unified website platform powered by Apptegy that integrates enrollment, academic resources, and community engagement. The core offering includes standard K-12 public education supplemented by specialized Choice Programs including AVID (college readiness), International Baccalaureate programmes (PYP, MYP, DP, CP), Career and Technical Leadership Academy, Johnston County Early College Academy, IDEAL Academy, JoCo TEACH (teacher preparation), and Fire Science Program. Additional services include JCPS Athletic Zone for sports management, Family Academy for parent resources, and Exceptional Children's Preschool Program. The district also offers dual enrollment through Career and College Promise in partnership with Johnston Community College.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JCPS Athletic Zone: All-in-one hub featuring game schedules, ticket purchasing, conference standings, and individual stats for JCPS athletics
• Family Academy
• Career and Technical Leadership Academy (CTLA)
• Johnston County Early College Academy
• IDEAL Academy
• JoCo TEACH
• AVID
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• Innovation Academy at South Campus
• JCPS Virtual Academy
• Choice Plus Academy
• Flame for Learning Award

Products and services

• AVID Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 91.9% graduation rate within 4 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East Carolina University (ECU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026ECU College of Education operates the PIRATE Program (Pirate Institute for Regional Aspiring Teachers and Educators) with JCPS. Nine JCPS students participated in 2026 program. Partnership cultivates future educators and provides pathway to teaching careers.
• Johnston Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026JCPS partners with Johnston Community College for multiple programs: Career and Technical Leadership Academy (CTLA) housed on JCC campus, JC Early College Academy for dual enrollment, and Fire Science Program. Students earn college credits and associate degrees.
• N.C. State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Partnership through JoCo TEACH Academy at Smithfield-Selma High. Students continue through N.C. State College of Education's teacher preparation program. Also partner for Kenan Fellowships.
• North Carolina State University (NCSU) Department of Public AdministrationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Co-host of National Civics Bee State Finals held at James B. Hunt Library on NCSU campus. Nonpartisan civics competition encouraging civic engagement among young Americans.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026National Civics Bee partnership between NCSU and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Competition strengthens civics, writing, and public speaking skills while building trust in institutions.
• University of Mount OlivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for IDEAL Academy at South Johnston High School. Students obtain skills and college credits in environmental sciences, agriculture, and leadership while earning high school diploma and Associate Degree within 4 years.
• The Office of The State Fire MarshalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Fire Science Program at Clayton High and Smithfield-Selma High Schools. Provides certifications and degree for employment within the Fire Service. Includes professional men and women of Johnston County Fire Service.
• QuestBridgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuestBridge National College Match Scholarship connects high-achieving high school seniors with full four-year scholarships at top colleges. JCPS student Noah Shew received scholarship to Duke University.
• Wake Forest UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWake Forest Leadership and Character Scholarship provides full scholarship and development opportunities. JCPS student Ava Pyrtle became first district student to receive this scholarship.
• Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership (NC State)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenan Fellowship awarded to JCPS STEM teacher Lauren McCall. Includes 80-hour professional development, $5,000 stipend, and research lab immersion. Joins network of 680 Kenan Fellows alumni.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Durham Public Schools: Durham Public Schools serves approximately 31,000 K-12 students. Comparable to JCPS as a mid-sized NC public school district with magnet programs (IB included), similar accountability metrics, and adjacent funding dynamics under the same state allotment formula.
• New Hanover County Schools: New Hanover County Schools serves approximately 26,000 K-12 students in the Wilmington area. Comparable to JCPS as a coastal NC public school district operating IB, magnet, and early college choice pathways under the same state policy framework.
• Guilford County Schools: Guilford County Schools serves approximately 70,000 K-12 students in Greensboro and High Point. It is comparable to JCPS as a mid-to-large NC public school district operating magnet, IB, and CTE choice programs under the same state policy environment.
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools serves approximately 140,000 K-12 students in the Charlotte region. As another top-tier NC public school district, it shares the same state funding formula, accountability framework, and large-district operational challenges as JCPS.
• Wake County Public School System: Wake County Public School System is the largest school district in North Carolina, serving approximately 160,000 students K-12. It is the most directly comparable large NC public school district peer to JCPS in scale, governance model, and academic programming breadth.
• Forsyth County Schools: Forsyth County Schools (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County) serves approximately 53,000 K-12 students. Directly comparable to JCPS as a similarly sized NC public school district with magnet/choice programs and comparable per-pupil funding dynamics.
• Cumberland County Schools: Cumberland County Schools serves approximately 49,000 K-12 students in the Fayetteville area. Comparable to JCPS in size band, military-connected population, choice programming, and reliance on state and federal funding streams.
• Union County Public Schools: Union County Public Schools serves approximately 41,000 K-12 students south of Charlotte. Among the closest direct peers to JCPS in enrollment size, fast-growth suburban NC district profile, and use of school choice and magnet programming.
• Cabarrus County Schools: Cabarrus County Schools serves approximately 34,000 K-12 students in the Concord/Kannapolis area. Comparable to JCPS as a fast-growing NC public school district of similar enrollment size operating IB, magnet, and career-technical pathways.

Others

• Johnston Community College: Johnston Community College is the primary higher-education partner of JCPS, hosting the Career and Technical Leadership Academy (CTLA) and Johnston County Early College Academy on its campus. Not a competitor but an enabling/strategic partner deeply embedded in JCPS's dual-enrollment and choice program delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JCPS_NC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/johnstoncountypublicschools
• Facebookfacebook.com/JohnstonCountyPublicSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/jcps_nc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Johnston County Schools