Harnett County Schools

1008 South Eleventh St
Lillington, NC 27546
(District boundaries shown in map)
3/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Harnett County Schools ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 7 public high schools serving 6,413 students in Harnett County Schools. This district's average high testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in North Carolina.
Public High Schools in Harnett County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 47% (versus the North Carolina public high school average of 58%), and reading proficiency score of 50% (versus the 58% statewide average).
Public High School in Harnett County School have a Graduation Rate of 86%, which is equal to the North Carolina average of 86%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Triton High School, with 89% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in North Carolina or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 62% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the North Carolina public high school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
29 Schools
760 Schools
# Students
20,091 Students
568,877 Students
# Teachers
1,152 Teachers
31,559 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
17:1
17:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Harnett County Schools, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 314 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 86% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#241 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(21-22)
38%
51%
41%
50%
54%
63%
(21-22)
86%
86%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.71
0.71
% American Indian
1%
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
28%
21%
% Black
24%
25%
% White
39%
44%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $9,495 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,168. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $9,641 is less than the state median of $11,592. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$191 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$194 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$9,495
$11,168
Spending / Student
$9,641
$11,592

Best Harnett County Schools Public High Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Harnett County Early College
(Math: 60-79% | Reading: ≥80% )
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
910 W. Harnett Street
Dunn, NC 28334
(910) 814-3470
Gr: 9-13 | 181 students Student-teacher ratio: 36:1 Minority enrollment: 67%
Rank: #22.
Triton High School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 55%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
215 Maynard Lake Road
Erwin, NC 28339
(910) 897-8121
Gr: 9-12 | 1,274 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 64%
Rank: #33.
Overhills High School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 57%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
2495 Ray Road
Spring Lake, NC 28390
(910) 436-1436
Gr: 9-12 | 1,981 students Student-teacher ratio: 27:1 Minority enrollment: 69%
Rank: #44.
Western Harnett High School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
10637 Nc Hwy 27 West
Lillington, NC 27546
(919) 499-5113
Gr: 9-12 | 1,324 students Student-teacher ratio: 24:1 Minority enrollment: 53%
Rank: #55.
Harnett Central High School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 48%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
2911 Harnett Central Rd
Angier, NC 27501
(919) 639-6161
Gr: 9-12 | 1,522 students Student-teacher ratio: 25:1 Minority enrollment: 59%
Rank: #66.
Harnett Virtual Academy
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
900 11th Strrt
Lillington, NC 27546
(910) 893-4072
Gr: K-12 | 100 students Minority enrollment: 56%
Rank: #77.
Star Academy
Alternative School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤5%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
900 11th Street
Lillington, NC 27546
(910) 893-4072
Gr: 6-12 | 31 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 81%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 29 schools
  • Grades: PK-13
  • Enrollment: 20,091 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 61%
  • : 86% (Top 50% in NC)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 38% (Btm 50%)
  • : 41% (Btm 50%)
  • : 54% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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