Onslow County Schools
Onslow County Schools is a public school district based in Jacksonville, North Carolina, serving 27,551 students in 39 schools. By enrollment it ranks #11 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 91% of them. Its schools average 706 students each, more than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Dr Christopher M Barnes. It spends about $10,233 per student on day-to-day operations, 8% less than the North Carolina median. It has roughly 15.7 students per teacher.
How Onslow County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Onslow County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,233 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,708 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $320.8 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $297.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 1,754 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 15.7 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 437 | 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 Christopher M Barnes
Source: NC Department of Public Instruction, EDDIE, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
0 stories matchedWe haven't matched any stories to Onslow County Schools yet. Recent North Carolina coverage is on the North Carolina page.
Peer districts in North Carolina
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham Public SchoolsDurham | 31,865 | 57 | $12,723 | 15.0 | #9 |
| Gaston County SchoolsGastonia | 30,995 | 56 | $10,074 | 15.9 | #10 |
| Onslow County SchoolsJacksonville · this district | 27,551 | 39 | $10,233 | 15.7 | #11 |
| New Hanover County SchoolsWilmington | 25,155 | 42 | $11,358 | 15.3 | #12 |
| Pitt County SchoolsGreenville | 24,470 | 40 | $10,491 | 15.3 | #13 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington County Public SchoolsArlington, VA | 27,950 | $20,023 | 12.8 |
| Calcasieu ParishLake Charles, LA | 27,851 | $18,914 | 12.1 |
| Bay CountyPanama City, FL | 27,558 | $10,549 | 17.1 |
| Hall CountyGainesville, GA | 27,257 | $11,267 | 14.4 |
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-onslow-county-schools