Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Johnston County Public Schools

This page covers 12 middle schools in Johnston County Public Schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

12
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 12
1
rank
Riverwood Middle
Grades 06–08948 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
16.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
42%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Swift Creek Middle
Grades 06–08750 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
16.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
46%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
Selma Middle School
Grades 06–08359 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (9.8:1)
47
/100
Student:Teacher
9.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
99%
High economic need
4
rank
Clayton Middle
Grades 06–08573 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
15.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
58%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
The Innovation Academy at South Campus
Grades 06–08232 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.2:1)
47
/100
Student:Teacher
12.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
53%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Four Oaks Middle
Grades 06–08468 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
46
/100
Student:Teacher
15.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
67%
Near nat'l 52.2%
7
rank
McGee's Crossroads Middle
Grades 06–08749 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
46
/100
Student:Teacher
18.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
47%
Near nat'l 52.2%
8
rank
North Johnston Middle
Grades 06–08600 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
45
/100
Student:Teacher
15.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
72%
High economic need
9
rank
Benson Middle
Grades 05–08511 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
16.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
69%
High economic need
10
rank
Cleveland Middle
Grades 06–08936 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
18.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,360
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
36%
Low economic need
2 more middle schools in Johnston County Public Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Johnston County Public Schools
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
12
Middle Schools
48
Total Schools
49
#1 Score
46
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Riverwood Middle
Score: 49/100
Compare Johnston County Public Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.