Johnston County Schools
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.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1881
- HeadquartersSmithfield, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Johnston County Schools firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Johnston County Schools industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Johnston County Schools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Smithfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Johnston County Schools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Full Year Tuition (2025-2026) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Semester Tuition (2025-2026) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Quarter Tuition (2025-2026) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Johnston County Schools product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Johnston County Schools
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Johnston County Schools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature4 records
Johnston County Schools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- East Carolina University (ECU)coreECU 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 CollegecoreJCPS 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 UniversitycorePartnership 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 AdministrationminorCo-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 FoundationminorNational 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 OlivecoreCollaboration 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 MarshalcorePartnership 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.
- QuestBridgeminorQuestBridge 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 UniversityminorWake 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)minorKenan 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
Johnston County Schools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Johnston County Schools social profiles
Digital presenceJohnston County Schools compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Johnston County Schools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Johnston County Schools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Johnston County Schools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Johnston County Schools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Johnston County Schools
What does Johnston County Schools do?
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.
Is Johnston County Schools a public or private company?
Johnston County Schools is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Johnston County Schools founded?
Johnston County Schools was founded in 1881. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Johnston County Schools based?
Johnston County Schools is headquartered in Smithfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Johnston County Schools make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public Education Funding is the primary driver. The others are tuition (Non-Resident Students) and school Nutrition Services.
Who are Johnston County Schools's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Durham Public Schools, New Hanover County Schools, Guilford County Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Wake County Public School System, Forsyth County Schools, Cumberland County Schools, Union County Public Schools and Cabarrus County Schools. Johnston Community College is listed as an others.
Does Johnston County Schools have an API?
No public API is recorded for Johnston County Schools.
What industry is Johnston County Schools in?
Johnston County Schools's product category is K-12 Public Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADABAA, Public School Districts (K–12), with a secondary code of EDACABAK, Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs. Its NAICS code is 611110 and its SIC code is 8200.