The Innovation Academy at South Campus

521 Martin Luther King Dr
Smithfield, NC 27577

sites.google.com/jcsnc.org/labschool

232 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

The Innovation Academy at South Campus, located in Smithfield, North Carolina, is a specialized "lab school" operating under the Johnston County Public Schools system. Designed as a personalized learning environment, the school focuses on a modern, project-based educational approach that prioritizes student agency and hands-on skill development. By utilizing flexible learning spaces and a curriculum tailored to individual needs, the academy aims to foster critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration in a way that differs from the traditional classroom model.

As a lab school, the institution serves as a hub for educational innovation, often exploring and implementing evidence-based teaching strategies that can be modeled across the district. The school maintains a close connection to the local community, emphasizing a culture of inclusivity and real-world application. With its emphasis on technology integration and student-led inquiry, The Innovation Academy seeks to prepare its learners not just for standard assessments, but for the evolving demands of the 21st-century workforce and post-secondary success.

232

Total Students

19.0

Full-Time Teachers

12.2

Student/Teacher Ratio

111.6%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for The Innovation Academy at South Campus
Demographic	Student Count
White	122
Hispanic	65
Black	33
Asian	2
Two or More	8
American Indian	2

White
122 (52.6 %)
Hispanic
65 (28.0 %)
Black
33 (14.2 %)
Two or More
8 (3.4 %)
Asian
2 (0.9 %)
American Indian
2 (0.9 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Johnston County Public Schools
Phone:	(919)934-6481
Website:	http://sites.google.com/jcsnc.org/labschool
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	232
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	19.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	12.2
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes participating without using any Provision or the CEO
Qualified Free Lunch:	259
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 6 76

Grade 7 82

Grade 8 74