Public school district · City: Large
North Carolina · Durham County

Durham Public Schools

31,865 students · 57 schools · 15.0:1 ratio · grades PreK–13 · #9 of 334 in North Carolina

Students
31,865
Schools
57
Teachers (FTE)
2,125
Student–Teacher
15.0:1
County
Durham
Grades
PreK–13
OverviewEnrollmentDemographicsStaffingFundingPerformanceAccreditationCompareFull data
Overview

About Durham Public Schools

Durham Public Schools is a public school system serving Durham County, North Carolina, based in Durham. It serves 31,865 students across 57 schools spanning PreK–13, and is classified as a city: large district. By enrollment it is the #9 largest of North Carolina’s 334 school systems.

Phone9195603749
Address511 Cleveland Street, Durham, NC 27701
CountyDurham County
Enrollment & schools

Size and structure

Durham Public Schools enrolls 31,865 students in 57 schools — an average of about 559 students per school. It serves grades PreK–13 and ranks #9 of 334 statewide by enrollment.

Students
31,865
#9 of 334 in North Carolina
Schools
57
~559 students each
Grade span
PreK–13
City: Large
Students & demographics

Who the district serves

Student race and ethnicity in Durham Public Schools, from the NCES Common Core of Data (31,865 students reported):

White
20%
Black
36%
Hispanic
35%
Asian
2%
Two or more
6%
Amer. Indian
0%
Pacific Isl.
0%

For economically-disadvantaged, English-learner, and special-education shares, plus school-by-school detail, see the federal sources in the full-data section.

Staffing & support

Teachers & staff

Durham Public Schools employs about 2,125 full-time-equivalent teachers for a student–teacher ratio of 15.0:1 — below the North Carolina average of about 16.0:1, meaning comparatively smaller classes.

Student–teacher ratio
15.0:1
state avg ~16.0:1
Teachers (FTE)
2,125
classroom teachers

Counselor and librarian/media counts are not published at the district level in the current NCES release; see the federal full-data links for staffing detail.

Funding

How North Carolina funds schools

North Carolina funds its districts chiefly through state allotments driven by average daily membership: position allotments pay for guaranteed staff such as classroom teachers (the single largest item), while dollar allotments provide fixed per-pupil amounts, with added allotments for children with disabilities, limited-English, at-risk and low-wealth or small counties. North Carolina is unusual in that the state funds the bulk of operating costs (roughly two-thirds of school revenue) while counties mainly fund buildings and local salary supplements.

District-level per-pupil spending and the local/state/federal revenue split for Durham Public Schools are published in the federal school-finance files — see the full-data links below for the current figures.

Accountability

Report card & state results

North Carolina assigns A–F School Performance Grades and publishes them through the NC School Report Cards, combining achievement and growth with graduation, test results and demographics. Look up Durham Public Schools on the NC School Report Cards.

Accreditation

Accreditation status

North Carolina does not require statewide accreditation of its public districts; accreditation is voluntary, and districts that pursue it generally work with Cognia, the de facto K-12 accreditor. Look up Durham Public Schools in the free Cognia registry.

How it compares

Durham Public Schools vs. North Carolina

Enrollment rank
#9
of 334 districts
Ratio
15.0:1
state avg ~16.0:1
Locale
City: Large
Durham County

See every North Carolina district side by side in the North Carolina directory.

Go deeper

Look up Durham Public Schools’s full data

These official sources carry the district-level detail — finances, discipline, equity, test scores, boundaries. Direct links for this district (via its NCES ID):

Data & sources

About this data

Enrollment, demographics, staffing, locale and contact details reflect the NCES Common Core of Data (2024–25); funding context from the North Carolina General Assembly (the allotment system) and NEA Rankings & Estimates 2026. Figures are the latest available and may lag the current school year. This page is informational, not an official district record, and not affiliated with or endorsed by Durham Public Schools. NCES District ID (LEAID): 3701260. Confirm current details with the district and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.