Rocky Mount Today

There were 13,676 students enrolled in Nash County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 12.7% more than the previous year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Southern Nash High School registered the highest enrollment among Nash County's 24 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 1,041 students.

Despite steady enrollment, North Carolina schools continue to face significant funding challenges. The state's per-student spending remains nearly $5,000 below the national average, limiting resources for teachers, classrooms, and student support programs. In fact, North Carolina ranks 48th out of 50 states in per-student funding (after adjusting for regional costs).

Staffing shortages have also become a growing concern, with teacher turnover rising to 11.5% in the most recent school year. Low salaries and high workloads make it difficult to retain experienced educators, potentially increasing class sizes and affecting learning quality.

School name	Total Enrollment in 2022-23	Total Enrollment in 2023-24	% Change
Southern Nash High School	1,042	1,041	-0.1%
Northern Nash High School	1,044	1,000	-4.2%
Rocky Mount High School	1,047	956	-8.7%
Nash Central High School	903	858	-5%
Rocky Mount Preparatory	960	841	-12.4%
Red Oak Middle School	802	807	0.6%
Southern Nash Middle School	-	789	-
Nashville Elementary School	667	660	-1%
Red Oak Elementary School	226	657	190.7%
Benvenue Elementary School	581	606	4.3%
Coopers Elementary School	548	565	3.1%
Englewood Elementary School	568	552	-2.8%
Winstead Avenue Elementary School	548	547	-0.2%
Bailey Elementary School	-	544	-
Nash Central Middle School	556	523	-5.9%
Rocky Mount Middle School	418	445	6.5%
G. R. Edwards Middle School	410	432	5.4%
M. B. Hubbard Elementary School	409	412	0.7%
NRM Early College High School	384	402	4.7%
Spring Hope Elementary School	-	352	-
Middlesex Elementary School	323	341	5.6%
Williford Elementary School	149	174	16.8%
CITI High School	107	86	-19.6%
Tar River Academy	82	86	4.9%