District profile / North Carolina
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools
52,430
Students
2024-25 school year
81
Schools
2024-25 school year
$10,626
Spending per student
FY2020-21 · about the same as the North Carolina median
14.2
Students per teacher
2024-25 · North Carolina median 15.7
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools is a public school district based in Winston Salem, North Carolina, serving 52,430 students in 81 schools. By enrollment it ranks #4 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 97% of them. Its schools average 647 students each, more than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Dr Randy Bridges. It spends about $10,626 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 14.2 students per teacher. We've matched 38 news stories to the district.
How Winston Salem / Forsyth County compares
Winston Salem / Forsyth CountyNorth Carolina median, districts with 1,000+ students
Spending and staffing
Where the money comes from$581.3 million in revenue · FY2020-21
Federal 13%State 61%Local 26%
| Measure | Winston Salem / Forsyth County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,626 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,087 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $624.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $581.3 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 3,688 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 14.2 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 369 | 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 Randy Bridges
Source: NC Department of Public Instruction, EDDIE, checked 2026-11-09. Report a change
In the news
38 stories matchedLeadership
What's on the agenda for Tuesday's WS/FCS school board meeting?
Teaching & learning
A look at the new WS/FCS board and the top issues ahead for members
Leadership
Democrats secure all 9 WS/FCS school board seats
Teaching & learning
Democrats secure all nine Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education seats
Teaching & learning
What's next for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools after Democrats win all 9 seats?
Teaching & learning
Forsyth County latest race results | WS/FCS BOE, Board of Commissioners, Sheriff's race results
Leadership
WXII's Kelly Kendall breaks down WS/FCS school board seats in race as November election is underway
Leadership
WS/FCS Board of Education: 16 candidates, 9 seats, all the answers in one spot
Teaching & learning
WS/FCS Board Race: What Voters Need to Know
Teaching & learning
WS/FCS November 2026 district news and updates
School safety
WS/FCS investigates fight after West Forsyth-Parkland JV game, vows discipline
Teaching & learning
Around 2,500 WS/FCS students to be rezoned in 2027-28
Teaching & learning
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools approves $198,500 review of Central Office
Leadership
Cook Elementary’s future discussed at Winston-Salem Forsyth County School board meeting
Leadership
District 2 Republican candidates for WS/FCS board answer voters’ questions
Teaching & learning
Traditional or early start? WS/FCS seeks school calendar feedback
Leadership
At-large Democratic candidates running for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education address voters’ questions
Teaching & learning
What are the key issues in the WS/FCS Board of Education race?
Leadership
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School board election to reshape leadership
Teaching & learning
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools investigating viral video involving alleged racial slur
Teaching & learning
WS/FCS investigating viral video
Technology & AI
WS/FCS responds to incident involving racial slur after being made aware of social media post
Teaching & learning
WS/FCS looks to fill 83 EC vacancies, add 14 more positions
Leadership
WS/FCS candidate Jill Berlin: Adjust resources to help enrollment
Leadership
WS/FCS candidate Allen Daniel: We must stabilize the learning environment
Leadership
WS/FCS candidate Robert Barr: Community must play role in superintendent search
Leadership
WS/FCS candidate Lee Childress: Leadership must listen to school employees in the trenches
Teaching & learning
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to hold public hearing on renaming of Special Children’s School
Leadership
WS/FCS candidate Mike Klinetobe: I will be proactive
Leadership
WS/FCS candidate Curtis Fentress: Trust will be restored with capable management
Peer districts in North Carolina
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford County SchoolsGreensboro | 67,620 | 120 | $11,254 | 15.1 | #3 |
| Winston Salem / Forsyth County SchoolsWinston Salem · this district | 52,430 | 81 | $10,626 | 14.2 | #4 |
| Cumberland County SchoolsFayetteville | 49,002 | 86 | $10,286 | 16.8 | #5 |
| Union County Public SchoolsMonroe | 41,404 | 52 | $9,737 | 16.5 | #6 |
| Johnston County Public SchoolsSmithfield | 37,320 | 48 | $9,681 | 17.0 | #7 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha Public SchoolsOmaha, NE | 52,524 | $14,665 | 16.7 |
| Klein ISDKlein, TX | 52,437 | $9,834 | 14.7 |
| St. Johns CountySt Augustine, FL | 52,324 | $8,771 | 18.4 |
| District of Columbia Public SchoolsWashington, DC | 52,299 | $24,535 | 11.0 |
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-winston-salem-forsyth-county-schools