Harnett County Schools
Harnett County Schools is a public school district based in Lillington, North Carolina, serving 20,095 students in 29 schools. By enrollment it ranks #18 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 85% of them. Its schools average 693 students each, more than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Brooks Matthews. It spends about $9,660 per student on day-to-day operations, 13% less than the North Carolina median. It has roughly 17.3 students per teacher.
How Harnett County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Harnett County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $9,660 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,019 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $193.7 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $190.8 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 1,161 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 17.3 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 353 | 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 →Brooks Matthews
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County SchoolsAsheville | 22,452 | 45 | $11,425 | 15.1 | #15 |
| Public Schools of Robeson CountyLumberton | 21,301 | 37 | $10,546 | 15.9 | #16 |
| Iredell-Statesville SchoolsStatesville | 21,017 | 38 | $9,505 | 16.6 | #17 |
| Harnett County SchoolsLillington · this district | 20,095 | 29 | $9,660 | 17.3 | #18 |
| Davidson County SchoolsLexington | 17,985 | 35 | $9,233 | 16.2 | #19 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport School DistrictBridgeport, CT | 20,022 | $18,420 | 14.6 |
| Palm Springs UnifiedPalm Springs, CA | 20,008 | $16,422 | 20.0 |
| Berkeley County SchoolsMartinsburg, WV | 20,006 | $11,795 | 14.9 |
| East Side Union HighSan Jose, CA | 20,001 | $12,685 | 22.2 |
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-harnett-county-schools