New Hanover County Schools
New Hanover County Schools is a public school district based in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving 25,155 students in 42 schools. By enrollment it ranks #12 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 90% of them. Its schools average 599 students each, more than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Dr Chris Barnes. It spends about $11,358 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 15.3 students per teacher.
How New Hanover County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | New Hanover County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $11,358 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,937 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $299.5 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $293.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 1,649 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 15.3 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 375 | 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 Chris Barnes
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onslow County SchoolsJacksonville | 27,551 | 39 | $10,233 | 15.7 | #11 |
| New Hanover County SchoolsWilmington · this district | 25,155 | 42 | $11,358 | 15.3 | #12 |
| Pitt County SchoolsGreenville | 24,470 | 40 | $10,491 | 15.3 | #13 |
| Alamance-Burlington SchoolsBurlington | 22,661 | 38 | $10,280 | 16.4 | #14 |
| Buncombe County SchoolsAsheville | 22,452 | 45 | $11,425 | 15.1 | #15 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manteca UnifiedManteca, CA | 25,248 | $11,831 | 23.4 |
| West Contra Costa UnifiedRichmond, CA | 25,244 | $15,242 | 22.0 |
| Madison Metropolitan School DistrictMadison, WI | 25,155 | $15,324 | 11.6 |
| Sioux Falls School District 49-5Sioux Falls, SD | 25,051 | $9,846 | 14.8 |
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-new-hanover-county-schools