Johnston County Public Schools Grows With the Local Community
Johnston County Public Schools offers traditional educational opportunities, as well as a wide variety of specialty programs.
Sponsored by: Johnston County Public Schools
The Johnston County Public Schools system in Triangle East – Smithfield, NC, is experiencing the reverse of the famous line, “If you build it, they will come.”
Instead, the people already are coming to Johnston County, which was recently touted as the fastest-growing county in the state and the ninth fastest-growing county in the nation.
And JCPS is responding by building newer and even better facilities and expanding its staff to provide a high-quality education for the children of all these residents.
“Johnston County citizens are fortunate to have three key components that make it an ideal location for family and business: a growing and diverse population that stabilizes the tax base, economic development and a thriving public school system,” JCPS Superintendent Dr. Eric C. Bracy says.
“As the population and correlated tax base continue to grow exponentially, it allows the school system to build newer, more innovative schools that will enhance learning environments for our students and provide more competitive paying jobs for our highly qualified employees,” he adds.
Johnston County is in a prime location for population growth. The county sits just southeast of the expansive Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle at the intersection of I-95 and I-40 and is only a few hours’ drive away from both the Atlantic Coast beaches and the Blue Ridge Mountains, making it attractive to young working professionals and families.
As a result, the JCPS student population has doubled over the past 15 years to more than 38,000, along with more than 5,000 employees. This has enabled the system to enjoy robust community support in terms of funding for new schools, partnerships with businesses and faith-based organizations, and parental involvement.
The encouragement is evident in the numbers, as the JCPS graduation rate has increased by more than 13 percent over the past four years and the dropout rate has decreased by nearly 50 percent.
Recently, the district was recognized as one of six in the state that has exceeded its pre-pandemic rate of achievement from 2019 and increased its overall performance composite score to above state average, having 60% of its schools exceed growth.
“Johnston County Public Schools has recently experienced substantial overall academic growth, making it the ideal system for parents looking for a district that emphasizes academic excellence and student achievement,” Bracy says. “Our school district prides itself on being more than just one of the best in the state. We also value fostering community relationships and lasting partnerships with educational and business partners nationwide.”
JCPS offers traditional educational opportunities, as well as a wide variety of specialty programs, including STEM, AVID, JoCo-Teach, International Baccalaureate, arts and athletics, just to name a few. The system also boasts a diverse student body and instructional staff. More than 45 languages are spoken by students and their families, and the Participate Program brings in teachers from around the world.
“Johnston County Public Schools employees have the opportunity to teach some of the most brilliant minds in the world,” Bracy notes. “Our students strive to achieve their best in academics, and our staff focuses on ensuring that our students are developed into productive citizens of society.”
And in the process, build a better future for Johnston County and beyond.