Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, the fifth-largest school system in North Carolina, serves about 47,800 students enrolled in 68 schools. Elementary and middle school parents may choose the neighborhood school or other schools within their residential assignment zone. Each of the school system's elementary and middle schools has a special theme and resources to enhance its educational program. High school students are assigned to a school based on where they live. The system's unique Career Center offers about 30 Advanced Placement (AP) courses and 30 vocational courses to high school students. AP courses also are offered at high schools. All schools in the system have guidance counselors and curriculum coordinators, as well as art, music, foreign language and physical education teachers.

Recent graduates were accepted at almost 200 colleges, universities, junior colleges and technical schools. Nearly 90 percent of 2002-03 graduates said that they planned to go one of these routes.

Countywide magnet schools include special programs that offer the International Baccalaureate curriculum, a specially designed small high school, and an extensive visual and performing arts programming.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has earned a national reputation for infusing technology into its day-to-instruction. It was one of only two school districts in the country selected as a recipient of a $1 million IBM Reinventing Education Grant for data integration, which allows teachers to make data-driven decisions to improve student performance.