By type & area
Schools Through Grade 12 in Clayton, Smithfield & Johnston County
3 schools through grade 12 in Clayton, Smithfield & Johnston County, 3 of them on the 2026-27 Direct Payment list. Johnston County east of Raleigh, a small private-school market led by one large Christian K-12 school and a Thales campus at Flowers Plantation.
About this data. School facts come from the NCES Private School Survey (2023-24, plus 2021-22 rows for schools that skipped the latest round). The Direct Payment flag comes from matching names, by county and with code, against the NCSEAA Direct Payment Schools table for 2026-27, downloaded October 30, 2026. Schools found only on the state list show a name and town and nothing else. Neither source reports tuition, so ask the school.
Funding note: A senior's award comes from the same tier table as a kindergartner's. Eleventh and twelfth graders can also sign up for tuition-free classes at Wake Tech, Durham Tech or Johnston Community College.
| School | Affiliation | Area | Grades | Direct Payment 2026-27 | Students (federal survey) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Hope 408 Covered Bridge Rd, Clayton 27520 | Christian | Clayton, Smithfield & Johnston County | 6-12 | ✓ Listed | 8 |
| Southside Christian School 1696 Amelia Church Rd, Clayton 27520 | Christian | Clayton, Smithfield & Johnston County | PK-12 | ✓ Listed | 388 |
| Star Christian Academy 4423 Wilsons Mills Rd, Smithfield 27577 | Christian | Clayton, Smithfield & Johnston County | K-12 | ✓ Listed | 81 |
| A ✓ on the Direct Payment column tells you | It does not tell you |
|---|---|
| NCSEAA can send Opportunity Scholarship and ESA+ money to this school for 2026-27 | That a seat is open or that your child will be admitted |
| The award goes to required tuition and fees, up to your tier amount | That the award will cover the full bill |
| The school accepted NCSEAA's testing and audit rules for scholarship students | Whether the school is accredited, which the state table does not show |
Find out which programs your child can use
About two minutes of questions. Then a Raleigh Edu Funding advisor phones you with an estimated tier, the programs that match and the deadlines coming up.