Rowan-Salisbury Schools
Rowan-Salisbury Schools is a public school district based in Salisbury, North Carolina, serving 17,683 students in 32 schools. By enrollment it ranks #20 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 83% of them. Its schools average 553 students each, more than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Dr Kelly Withers. It spends about $10,804 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 17.3 students per teacher.
How Rowan-Salisbury compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Rowan-Salisbury | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,804 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,714 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $220.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $220.7 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 1,020 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 17.3 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 368 | 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 Kelly Withers
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harnett County SchoolsLillington | 20,095 | 29 | $9,660 | 17.3 | #18 |
| Davidson County SchoolsLexington | 17,985 | 35 | $9,233 | 16.2 | #19 |
| Rowan-Salisbury SchoolsSalisbury · this district | 17,683 | 32 | $10,804 | 17.3 | #20 |
| Wayne County Public SchoolsGoldsboro | 17,150 | 33 | $10,063 | 18.1 | #21 |
| Catawba County SchoolsNewton | 16,003 | 28 | $9,604 | 17.4 | #22 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jurupa UnifiedJurupa Valley, CA | 17,815 | $13,456 | 22.4 |
| Ontario-MontclairOntario, CA | 17,695 | $15,539 | 21.4 |
| Newport-Mesa UnifiedCosta Mesa, CA | 17,635 | $17,937 | 18.9 |
| ABC UnifiedCerritos, CA | 17,612 | $12,553 | 22.6 |
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-rowan-salisbury-schools