Organization

The Board of Education is composed of nine members who serve four-year terms ending in 2014.

The board designates a superintendent to oversee the day-to-day operations of the school system. Superintendent Don Martin began his tenure in 1994 and manages about 7,600 employees. Click here for the organizational chart.

Calendar

Schools operate on a unified calendar, which begins August 25 and is scheduled to end on June 9.

Curriculum

Elementary students are generally taught in self-contained classes. In most schools, the average class size is 21 in kindergarten through third grade, and 26 in grades 4 and 5. Primary reading teachers, guidance counselors, media coordinators, curriculum coordinators and specialists in art, music and physical education add to regular instruction.

 

Middle schools provide a gradual transition to departmentalized teaching. In addition to continuing to build basic skills, students explore special interests in music, art, languages, life skills, technology and computers. The average class size is 27 to 29 students.

 

All high schools offer a comprehensive curriculum at regular, honors and Advanced Placement levels. Average class size is 28 to 31 students. The Career Center offers about 30 vocational programs and more than 30 Advanced Placement (college-level) courses. Advanced Placement and college-level courses also are offered at high schools and through dual enrollment with Forsyth Technical Community College and other local colleges. Parkland High School offers the International Baccalaureate Programme, a worldwide curriculum that students can use to earn college credit.

 

All schools provide programs for academically gifted students. Students identified as highly academically gifted can attend Brunson Elementary and Hanes Middle.

 

The school system provides programs and services for students with special needs. Identified exceptional children are served through resource teachers or specially designed classes in their regular schools, or at several locations throughout the school system. Services are available for students identified as intellectually disabled, physically disabled, visually impaired, hearing impaired/deaf, emotionally disabled, speech/language impaired, autistic, homebound/hospitalized, learning disabled, multihandicapped, severely/profoundly disabled, other health-impaired, and traumatic brain-injured. Younger children with special needs may also receive preschool services.

 

 

WS/FCS employs about 7,600 people, including about 4,040 classroom and part-time teachers. Students are also served by about 420 bus drivers, 575 food-service workers, 300 housekeepers, and a network of administrators, principals, guidance counselors, psychologists, social workers and other staff.

Budget

In 2010-11, the school system’s total budget was $670.6 million, including capital projects and child nutrition. Of the total, $254.9 million came from Forsyth County; that includes money for capital projects approved in a 2006 bond referendum. Typically, about 60 percent of the budget comes from the state; about 25 percent from Forsyth County; and the rest from federal and other sources.

Achievement

• WS/FCS met 82 percent of its federal testing goals in 2011. More than 80 percent of schools met or exceeded their state growth goals. Across the district, 69 percent of students in grades 3-8 were proficient in reading; 83 percent were proficient in math; and 72 percent were proficient in science. In high school, 75 percent of students were proficient in state-tested courses.
• The 2010-11 graduation rate increased 5.2 percentage points to 78.8 percent, surpassing the state rate for the first time. Generous support from the United Way of Forsyth County, the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, Graduate. It Pays., Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Communities in Schools has helped the school system increase the rate.
• Ten schools were named Honor Schools of Excellence: Clemmons Elementary; The Downtown School; Jefferson Elementary; Lewisville Elementary; Meadowlark Elementary; Vienna Elementary; Whitaker Elementary; Jefferson Middle; Meadowlark Middle; and West Forsyth High. Sherwood Forest Elementary was named a School of Excellence.
• Ten schools were named Schools of Distinction: Caleb’s Creek Elementary; Cash Elementary; Moore Elementary; Old Richmond Elementary; Piney Grove Elementary; Southwest Elementary; Union Cross Elementary; Hanes Middle; Paisley IB Magnet; and Reagan High.
• The average SAT score for seniors in math and reading was 1,009, and 1,475 with writing included.
• 3,099 students graduated in 2011.
• 19 students were named National Merit Semifinalists.
• 17 students were named N.C. Teaching Fellows recipients or alternates.
• High schools won three state athletic championships and one gold medal at the state Special Olympics. Students also won 17 individual state championships.
• Eight high schools were named JROTC Honor Units of Distinction: Atkins, Carver, East Forsyth, Glenn, Mount Tabor, Parkland, Reynolds and West Forsyth.
• Teacher of the Year: Iris Mudd, a science teacher at Northwest Middle.
• Principal of the Year: Kurt Telford, West Forsyth High.
• Middle Fork Elementary and Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy were named Signature Schools by the Piedmont Triad Education Consortium.
• Gina Webster of Walkertown Middle was named N.C. Media Coordinator of the Year.
• Suzanne Miller of Mount Tabor High was named N.C. Teacher of Excellence by the N.C. Department of Exceptional Children.
  

For More Information

For more information, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, PO Box 2513, Winston-Salem, NC, 27102-2513 or call 336-727-2696.

Demographics

Districtwide, 43.6 percent of the students are white, 29.2 percent are African-American, 20.6 percent are Hispanic, 4.0 percent are multiracial, 2.3 percent are Asian, and less than 1 percent are American Indian or Native Hawaiians/Pacific. You can see a list of demographics by school for 2011-12 here; similar figures are available for 2010-11 and 2009-10. 

A list of schools and their enrollments for 2011-12 is available here. You also can see the figures for 2010-11, 2009-10 and 2008-09. A list of historical enrollments since WS/FCS formed in 1963 can be found here. Data for 2011-12 will be available in mid-November 2011.