Is The Innovation Academy at South Campus a good school?

Yes. The Innovation Academy at South Campus ranks in the top 8.1% of North Carolina middle schools.

How many students attend The Innovation Academy at South Campus?

In the 2023-24 school year, 262 students attended The Innovation Academy at South Campus.

What is the racial makeup of The Innovation Academy at South Campus?

Students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus are 48% White, 29% Hispanic, 18% African American, 4% Two or more races.

The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Summary:

The Innovation Academy at South Campus is a public middle school located in Smithfield, North Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 232 students. As part of the Johnston County Public Schools district, which is ranked 90 out of 242 districts in the state, this school has consistently outperformed its peers and earned a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The Innovation Academy at South Campus stands out for its exceptional academic performance, with students scoring significantly higher than the district and state averages in Mathematics, Reading, and Science. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school ranked 64 out of 793 middle schools in North Carolina, demonstrating a strong commitment to academic excellence. The school's performance is particularly impressive in Mathematics, where 6th-grade students scored 67.3% proficient or better, 7th-grade students scored 86.8% proficient or better, and 8th-grade students scored 65.8% proficient or better, all significantly higher than the district and state averages.

The Innovation Academy at South Campus also excels in supporting the academic achievement of diverse student subgroups, including female students, male students, African American students, Hispanic students, and students with low socioeconomic status. The school's diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 52.59% White, 14.22% African American, 28.02% Hispanic, and other ethnicities, provides a rich learning environment. When compared to nearby schools within the Johnston County Public Schools district, such as Riverwood Middle, Cleveland Middle, and Smithfield Middle, The Innovation Academy at South Campus stands out as a top-performing school, consistently delivering exceptional academic results across various metrics.

Detail:

Public 6-8

521 Martin Luther King Dr
Smithfield, NC 27577

(919) 934-6481

District: Johnston County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
64^th of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,168

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 262

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.1%

Hispanic:

29.0%

African American:

17.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.9%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare The Innovation Academy at South Campus to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details The Innovation Academy at South Campus ranks better than 91.9% of middle schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 12 ranked middle schools in the Johnston County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.75. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details The Innovation Academy at South Campus has the smallest middle school student body size in the Johnston County Public Schools District. Student population at The Innovation Academy at South Campus is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (48.1%), Hispanic (29%), African American (17.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Johnston County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at The Innovation Academy at South Campus is 15.4. 6 middle schools in the Johnston County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare The Innovation Academy at South Campus employs 17 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at The Innovation Academy at South Campus is $8,168. 8 middle schools in the Johnston County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

The Innovation Academy at South Campus:

SchoolDigger ranks The Innovation Academy at South Campus 64^th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See The Innovation Academy at South Campus in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Johnston County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Johnston County Public Schools 90^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for The Innovation Academy at South Campus

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Rank History for all students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	62.42	269^th	737	63.5%
2021	72.52	185^th	741	75.0%
2022	88.63	71^st	786	91.0%
2023	92.45	50^th	784	93.6%
2024	89.75	64^th	793	91.9%

See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	98.51	3^rd	473	99.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	75.49	96^th	639	85.0%
2021	84.02	46^th	633	92.7%
2022	95.86	13^th	689	98.1%
2023	98.73	4^th	735	99.5%
2024	93.94	24^th	743	96.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	49.70	370^th	684	45.9%
2021	72.02	171^st	706	75.8%
2022	86.05	80^th	733	89.1%
2023	89.84	57^th	731	92.2%
2024	89.92	56^th	738	92.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	66.59	74^th	478	84.5%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	47.07	302^nd	448	32.6%
2022	66.34	127^th	450	71.8%
2023	76.86	19^th	452	95.8%
2024	75.35	26^th	461	94.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	70.91	180^th	697	74.2%
2021	70.53	183^rd	711	74.3%
2022	88.77	67^th	748	91.0%
2023	93.44	31^st	747	95.9%
2024	87.45	75^th	751	90.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	51.95	214^th	519	58.8%
2021	88.82	33^rd	533	93.8%
2022	89.14	41^st	550	92.5%
2023	84.64	57^th	559	89.8%
2024	89.49	40^th	560	92.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	81.20	51^st	493	89.7%
2021	65.11	121^st	522	76.8%
2022	94.37	16^th	541	97.0%
2023	95.20	19^th	553	96.6%
2024	92.92	32^nd	564	94.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	46.21	353^rd	624	43.4%
2021	62.41	212^th	632	66.5%
2022	82.61	100^th	658	84.8%
2023	88.49	58^th	656	91.2%
2024	83.70	96^th	652	85.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Tuesday, November 5, 2019

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Enrollment information for The Innovation Academy at South Campus

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2018	46	20	0	25	0	2	93
2019	101	30	0	53	2	10	196
2020	152	43	0	85	2	9	291
2021	156	37	1	88	4	6	292
2022	143	32	2	87	2	6	272
2023	122	33	2	65	2	8	232
2024	126	46	2	76	1	11	262

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	93	6.0	15.5	65.6
2019	196	10.1	19.2	45.4
2020	291	16.9	17.1	37.8
2021	292	16.0	18.2	30.1
2022	272	15.0	18.1	31.6
2023	232	19.0	12.2	52.6
2024	262	17.0	15.4	98.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	93	6.0	15.5	65.6
2019	196	10.1	19.2	45.4
2020	291	16.9	17.1	37.8
2021	292	16.0	18.2	30.1
2022	272	15.0	18.1	31.6
2023	232	19.0	12.2	52.6
2024	262	17.0	15.4	98.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$360 (4.4%)	$7,808 (95.6%)	$8,168

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on The Innovation Academy at South Campus

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 269^th of 737 Middle schools	Ranks 50^th of 784 Middle schools	30.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (The Innovation Academy at South Campus)	74	83.1	9.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Johnston County Public Schools)	51.9	54.7	2.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.8	52.3	6.5%
6th Grade Reading (The Innovation Academy at South Campus)	70	70.4	0.4%
6th Grade Reading (Johnston County Public Schools)	55.5	48.1	7.4%
6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	60	49.3	10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (The Innovation Academy at South Campus)	45.8	70.2	24.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Johnston County Public Schools)	51.8	55	3.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.4	50.1	8.3%
7th Grade Reading (The Innovation Academy at South Campus)	62.5	79.8	17.3%
7th Grade Reading (Johnston County Public Schools)	52.8	52.9	0.1%
7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	58.8	50.2	8.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	196	232	18.4%
African American	30	33	10%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	53	65	22.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	101	122	20.8%
Two or More Races	10	8	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.4%	52.6%	7.2%

Schools Near The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOG Mathematics (2024)				EOG Reading (2024)				EOG Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
The Innovation Academy at South Campus	Public	6-8	521 Martin Luther King Dr	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 934-6481	262	17	15.4	98.9%	126 (48.1%)	46 (17.6%)	76 (29.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.2%)	89.8	64^th of 793 public middle schools	91.9%		92.5	50^th of 784 public middle schools	93.6%	14		67.3	86.8	65.8		76.6	79.4	73.4		91.1	$8,168	$360	$7,808
Smithfield Middle	Public	6-8	1455 Buffalo Rd	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 934-4696	530	43	12.3	99.4%	61 (11.5%)	172 (32.5%)	273 (51.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.3%)	23.1	632^nd of 793 public middle schools	20.3%		28.3	573^rd of 784 public middle schools	26.9%	59		28.8	23.5	31.9		38.6	35.9	39.8		58.1	$10,489	$1,415	$9,074
Selma Middle School	Public	6-8	1533 Hwy 301 N	Selma	27576	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 965-2555	335	36	9.2	99.1%	31 (9.3%)	84 (25.1%)	207 (61.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.0%)	25	620^th of 793 public middle schools	21.8%		19.6	655^th of 784 public middle schools	16.5%	35		37.8	46.5	32.4		37.8	32.6	29.5		49.5	$10,296	$1,265	$9,031
Four Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	1475 Boyette Road	Four Oaks	27524	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 963-4022	486	33	14.9	99.4%	235 (48.4%)	57 (11.7%)	173 (35.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.9%)	60.2	286^th of 793 public middle schools	63.9%		40.6	456^th of 784 public middle schools	41.8%	170		55.8	48.1	48.5		49.1	57.8	53.3		80.2	$9,812	$944	$8,868
North Johnston Middle	Public	6-8	435 Oil Company Road	Micro	27555	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 284-3374	595	41	14.5	99.5%	299 (50.3%)	60 (10.1%)	209 (35.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.5%)	62.5	272^nd of 793 public middle schools	65.7%		62.4	265^th of 784 public middle schools	66.2%	7		62.4	45.1	56.0		54.1	42.5	55.6		87.0	$8,490	$818	$7,672
Swift Creek Middle	Public	6-8	325 Norris Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 262-0750	698	45	15.6	99.6%	350 (50.1%)	116 (16.6%)	196 (28.1%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.4%)	62.7	269^th of 793 public middle schools	66.1%		54.3	341^st of 784 public middle schools	56.5%	72		57.5	59.0	54.3		50.2	47.1	59.1		75.4	$8,637	$480	$8,156
Cleveland Middle	Public	6-8	2323 Cornwallis Road	Garner	27529	Wake County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-7500	923	50	18.3	99.7%	453 (49.1%)	204 (22.1%)	193 (20.9%)	18 (2.0%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	51 (5.5%)	73	188^th of 793 public middle schools	76.3%		78.2	153^rd of 784 public middle schools	80.5%	35		60.3	59.4	77.9		54.0	57.5	62.2		77.2	$7,527	$410	$7,117
Clayton Middle	Public	6-8	490 Guy Rd	Clayton	27520	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-5811	582	40	14.7	99.5%	192 (33.0%)	154 (26.5%)	195 (33.5%)	9 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.0%)	54.6	341^st of 793 public middle schools	57.0%		56.5	319^th of 784 public middle schools	59.3%	22		45.3	47.2	42.5		49.0	54.4	56.5		78.0	$9,361	$587	$8,774
McGee's Crossroads Middle	Public	6-8	13353 NC Highway 210	Benson	27504	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 894-6003	736	42	17.6	99.6%	392 (53.3%)	103 (14.0%)	209 (28.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.1%)	64.3	257^th of 793 public middle schools	67.6%		53.6	352^nd of 784 public middle schools	55.1%	95		58.4	53.8	44.3		62.6	49.6	59.3		80.2	$8,319	$639	$7,679
Benson Middle	Public	5-8	1600 N Wall Street	Benson	27504	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 894-3889	493	33	15.0	99.4%	173 (35.1%)	101 (20.5%)	187 (37.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (6.3%)	51.4	380^th of 793 public middle schools	52.1%		38.7	476^th of 784 public middle schools	39.3%	96	46.7	57.5	45.8	52.8	35.8	49.6	38.9	51.2	52.5	69.6	$9,496	$899	$8,596

The Innovation Academy at South Campus

The Innovation Academy at South Campus:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Johnston County Public Schools:

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Rank History for The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for all students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for Special Education students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for Female students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for Disabled students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for Male students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for African American students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for Hispanic students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Rank History for White students at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

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Enrollment information for The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Student/Teacher Ratio The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Per Pupil Expenditures for The Innovation Academy at South Campus

Impact of COVID-19 on The Innovation Academy at South Campus

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