Clay County Schools
Clay County Schools is a public school district based in Hayesville, North Carolina, serving 1,322 students in 4 schools. By enrollment it ranks #106 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 5% of them. Its schools average 330 students each, fewer than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Melissa Godfrey. It spends about $12,636 per student on day-to-day operations, 13% more than the North Carolina median. It has roughly 13.5 students per teacher.
How Clay County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Clay County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $12,636 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,296 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $16.2 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $16.8 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 98 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 13.5 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 661 | 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 →Melissa Godfrey
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gates County SchoolsGatesville | 1,410 | 5 | $13,511 | 16.0 | #104 |
| Alleghany County SchoolsSparta | 1,352 | 4 | $13,179 | 12.6 | #105 |
| Clay County SchoolsHayesville · this district | 1,322 | 4 | $12,636 | 13.5 | #106 |
| Elkin City SchoolsElkin | 1,267 | 3 | $10,909 | 15.6 | #107 |
| Northampton County SchoolsJackson | 1,251 | 6 | $17,323 | 13.9 | #108 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guadalupe Union ElementaryGuadalupe, CA | 1,323 | $15,287 | 18.9 |
| Somersworth School DistrictSomersworth, NH | 1,323 | $20,038 | 11.7 |
| Lakeland School DistrictScott Township, PA | 1,323 | $14,840 | 13.1 |
| Opp CityOpp, AL | 1,322 | $10,913 | 15.9 |
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-clay-county-schools