Caldwell County Schools
Caldwell County Schools is a public school district based in Lenoir, North Carolina, serving 10,667 students in 25 schools. By enrollment it ranks #35 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 69% of them. Its schools average 427 students each, about the same as the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Dr Thomas Howell. It spends about $10,277 per student on day-to-day operations, 8% less than the North Carolina median. It has roughly 17.5 students per teacher.
How Caldwell County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Caldwell County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,277 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,674 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $127.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $128.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 610 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 17.5 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 344 | 358 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The North Carolina median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr Thomas Howell
Source: NC Department of Public Instruction, EDDIE, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in North Carolina
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill-Carrboro City SchoolsChapel Hill | 11,353 | 20 | $14,165 | 12.7 | #32 |
| Rockingham County SchoolsEden | 11,114 | 23 | $10,432 | 17.5 | #33 |
| Pender County SchoolsBurgaw | 11,073 | 19 | $10,109 | 18.0 | #34 |
| Caldwell County SchoolsLenoir · this district | 10,667 | 25 | $10,277 | 17.5 | #35 |
| Wilson County SchoolsWilson | 10,451 | 25 | $10,619 | 16.2 | #36 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan CountyPembroke, GA | 10,677 | $10,204 | 14.1 |
| MSD Pike TownshipIndianapolis, IN | 10,674 | $10,880 | 15.6 |
| Cabot School DistrictCabot, AR | 10,672 | $9,639 | 16.0 |
| Pittsburg UnifiedPittsburg, CA | 10,666 | $13,724 | 21.3 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-nc-caldwell-county-schools