The Council of the Great City Schools recently added North Carolina’s Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to its ranks, bringing the number of urban public school districts represented by the Council to 77.

The district was formed in 1963 with the merger of the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County districts and is the fourth-largest system in North Carolina and the 81st-largest in the nation.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools serves more than 53,000 students in 81 schools and is led by Tricia McManus, who has served as superintendent since 2021.

Prominent graduates of the district include professional basketball player Chris Paul, Emmy-award winning comedian and writer Jerrod Carmichael, and singer and songwriter Ben Folds.