Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools formed in 1963 with the merger of the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County school systems. It is the fourth-largest system in North Carolina and the 78th largest in the nation.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools serves about 53,000 students with the goal of providing a quality education for each child. The school system has 42 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 15 high schools, and 9 special schools, for a total of 80 schools.

Districtwide, 36.7 percent of the students are white; 28.5 percent are African-American; 27.4 percent are Hispanic; 4.5 percent are multiracial; 2.6 percent are Asian; less than 1 percent are American Indian.