Public schools in Durham, NC

72 open public schools with an address in Durham, operated by 17 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.

Public schools

NCES preliminary directory 2025–26

Reported students

45,341

71 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25

Median student–teacher ratio

14.4:1

North Carolina median 15.4:1

Charter schools

19 magnet · 3 virtual

An overview of Durham public schools

The federal directory lists 72 public schools in Durham, NC: 41 elementary, 9 middle, 15 high, 7 combined or other. The 71 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 45,341 students, an average of 639 per school. The largest campus is NC Virtual Academy (3,482 students), and the largest elementary school is Pearsontown Elementary (765).

Durham Public Schools operates the most schools here (56), plus 16 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.

Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 14.4:1, lower than the statewide school median of 15.4:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.

School choice options include 16 charter schools, 19 magnet schools, 3 virtual schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.

Among 19 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 15 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 12 of 19 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Bethesda Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	442	13.9:1
Burton Elementary Durham Public Schools · Magnet	PK–05	293	10.8:1
C C Spaulding Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	247	10.2:1
Central Park School For Children Central Park School For Children · Charter	KG–08	585	12.4:1
Club Boulevard Elementary Durham Public Schools · Magnet	KG–05	364	14.7:1
Community School of Digital & Visual Art Community School of Digital and Visual A · Charter	KG–08	204	15.5:1
Creekside Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	554	15.9:1
E K Powe Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	454	12.8:1
Easley Elementary Durham Public Schools · Magnet	PK–05	490	12.9:1
Eastway Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	331	10.5:1
Eno Valley Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	440	13.1:1
Fayetteville Street Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	261	12.7:1
Forest View Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	662	13:1
George Watts Elementary Durham Public Schools · Magnet	PK–05	358	14.3:1
Glenn Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	455	10.3:1
Global Scholars Academy Global Scholars Academy · Charter	KG–08	201	11.8:1
Hillandale Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	586	14.7:1
Holt Elementary Durham Public Schools · Magnet	PK–05	587	13.9:1
Hope Valley Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	539	11.1:1
Kestrel Heights School Kestrel Heights School · Charter	KG–08	421	14.4:1
KIPP Durham College Preparatory KIPP Durham College Preparatory · Charter	KG–08	380	14.9:1
Lakewood Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	439	11.3:1
Little River Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	326	11.4:1
Lyons Farm Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	608	16:1
Maureen Joy Charter School Maureen Joy Charter · Charter	KG–08	631	11.7:1
Merrick-Moore Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	445	12.6:1
Morehead Montessori Durham Public Schools · Magnet	PK–05	278	14.2:1
Murray-Massenburg Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	517	17.1:1
North Oak Academy North Oak Academy · Charter	KG–05	—	—
Oak Grove Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	395	11.6:1
Parkwood Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	491	13.9:1
Pearsontown Elementary Durham Public Schools · Magnet	PK–05	765	13.6:1
R N Harris Elementary Durham Public Schools · Magnet	PK–05	313	14.6:1
Reaching All Minds Academy Reaching All Minds Academy · Charter	KG–08	391	11:1
Research Triangle Charter Research Triangle Charter · Charter	KG–08	710	21.8:1
Sandy Ridge Elementary Durham Public Schools · Magnet	PK–05	589	17.9:1
Southwest Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	639	14.3:1
Spring Valley Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	543	16.5:1
The Institute Development Young Leaders The Institute for the Development of You · Charter	KG–08	419	16.2:1
W G Pearson Elementary Durham Public Schools · Magnet	PK–05	319	10:1
Y E Smith Elementary Durham Public Schools	PK–05	358	15.7:1

Middle schools in Durham

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Brogden Middle Durham Public Schools	06–08	753	16.9:1
George L Carrington Middle Durham Public Schools	06–08	771	15.2:1
James E Shepard Middle Durham Public Schools · Magnet	06–08	423	14.5:1
Lakewood Montessori Middle Durham Public Schools · Magnet	06–08	309	15.2:1
Lowe's Grove Middle Durham Public Schools · Magnet	06–08	564	19.8:1
Lucas Middle Durham Public Schools	06–08	400	16.9:1
Neal Middle Durham Public Schools · Magnet	06–08	706	14.7:1
Rogers-Herr Middle Durham Public Schools · Magnet	06–08	660	16.6:1
Sherwood Githens Middle Durham Public Schools	06–08	878	17.1:1

High schools in Durham

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
C E Jordan High Durham Public Schools	09–12	2,189	20.9:1
City of Medicine Academy Durham Public Schools	09–12	329	16.6:1
Durham Early College of Health Sciences Durham Public Schools	09–13	164	23.4:1
Durham School of Technology Durham Public Schools	09–12	219	13.5:1
Durham School of the Arts Durham Public Schools · Magnet	06–12	1,764	17.6:1
Durham's Performance Learning Center Durham Public Schools · Alternative School	09–12	122	7.3:1
Hillside High Durham Public Schools · Magnet	09–12	1,433	17.4:1
Holton Career and Resource Center Durham Public Schools · Career and Technical School	09–12	0	—
J D Clement Early College HS Durham Public Schools	09–12	380	26.3:1
Lakeview School Durham Public Schools · Alternative School	06–12	52	2.8:1
Northern High Durham Public Schools	09–12	1,281	18.3:1
Research Triangle High School Research Triangle High School · Charter	09–12	572	13.3:1
Riverside High Durham Public Schools	09–12	1,900	20.3:1
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi Durham Public Schools · Magnet	09–12	1,384	21.2:1
The School for Creative Studies Durham Public Schools · Magnet	06–12	350	10.2:1

Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Durham

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
DPS Hospital School Durham Public Schools	PK–12	0	0:1
Durham Charter School Durham Charter School · Charter	KG–12	1,010	13.9:1
Excelsior Classical Academy Excelsior Classical Academy · Charter	KG–12	1,032	24.8:1
Ignite Online Academy Durham Public Schools · Virtual	KG–12	363	13:1
NC Virtual Academy NC Virtual Academy · Charter · Virtual	KG–12	3,482	18.7:1
North Carolina Cyber Academy North Carolina Cyber Academy · Charter · Virtual	KG–12	2,461	17.1:1
Voyager Academy Voyager Academy · Charter	KG–12	1,360	13.4:1

Student demographics

Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment

White23%
Hispanic32.9%
Black34.6%
Asian2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
Multiracial6.6%

Enrollment-weighted across 69 Durham schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (45,341 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.

Questions about public schools in Durham

How many public schools are in Durham, NC?

The current NCES directory lists 72 open public schools with a location address in Durham: 41 elementary, 9 middle, 15 high, 7 combined or other. Together they reported 45,341 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.

Which school districts serve Durham?

Schools with an address in Durham belong to 17 education agencies, led by Durham Public Schools (56 schools), Central Park School For Children (1 school), Community School of Digital and Visual A (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.

What is the largest public high school in Durham?

C E Jordan High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Durham, with 2,189 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.

Are there charter schools in Durham?

Yes. 16 of the 72 public schools in Durham are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Central Park School For Children, Community School of Digital & Visual Art, Durham Charter School. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.

What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Durham schools?

The median reported student–teacher ratio across Durham public schools is 14.4:1, lower than the North Carolina school median of 15.4:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.

Does living in Durham guarantee a seat at a specific school?

No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.

Nearby North Carolina cities

Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All North Carolina cities