Top Rankings
Caldwell County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 13 public preschools serving 4,941 students in Caldwell County Schools School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Caldwell County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 47% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 45% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 26% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public preschool average of 59% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
25 Schools
994 Schools
# Students
10,596 Students
464,055 Students
# Teachers
740 Teachers
33,275 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Caldwell County Schools School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 86% has decreased from 89% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#175 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
47%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
48%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
61%
63%
Graduation Rate
86%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.44
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
14%
23%
% Black
5%
25%
% White
73%
41%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $12,165 is higher than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,023 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$129 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$127 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,165
$11,187
Spending / Student
$12,023
$11,612
Best Caldwell County Schools School District Public Preschools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Granite Falls Elementary School
(Math: 70% | Reading: 61%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
60 N Highland Avenue
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-2222
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-2222
Grades: PK-5
| 593 students
Rank: #22.
Lower Creek Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
630 Lower Creek Drive Ne
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-4022
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-4022
Grades: PK-5
| 383 students
Rank: #33.
Collettsville School
(Math: 58% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
4690 Collettsville School Rd
Collettsville, NC 28611
(828) 754-6913
Collettsville, NC 28611
(828) 754-6913
Grades: PK-8
| 339 students
Rank: #44.
Baton Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
1400 Baton School Road
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 728-9531
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 728-9531
Grades: PK-5
| 347 students
Rank: #55.
Valmead Elementary School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
111 Elizabeth Drive Nw
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-9612
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-9612
Grades: PK-5
| 275 students
Rank: #66.
Hudson Elementary School
(Math: 52% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
200 Roy Coffey Drive
Hudson, NC 28638
(828) 728-3712
Hudson, NC 28638
(828) 728-3712
Grades: PK-5
| 633 students
Rank: #7 - 87. - 8.
Happy Valley Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
1350 Yadkin River Road
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-3496
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-3496
Grades: PK-8
| 223 students
Rank: #7 - 87. - 8.
Kings Creek Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
3680 Wilkesboro Boulevard
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-6039
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-6039
Grades: PK-8
| 148 students
Rank: #99.
Sawmills Elementary School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
4436 Sawmills School Road
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-2610
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-2610
Grades: PK-5
| 336 students
Rank: #1010.
Dudley Shoals Elementary School
(Math: 34% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
1500 Dudley Shoals Road
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-3457
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-3457
Grades: PK-5
| 432 students
Rank: #1111.
Davenport A+ School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
901 College Avenue Sw
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-6941
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-6941
Grades: PK-5
| 446 students
Rank: #1212.
Gamewell Elementary School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
2904 Morganton Boulevard
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 758-1193
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 758-1193
Grades: PK-5
| 519 students
Rank: #1313.
Whitnel Elementary School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
1425 Berkley Street Sw
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 728-6423
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 728-6423
Grades: PK-5
| 267 students
Recent Articles
Texas Schools: The Voucher/School Choice Debate
The issue of school choice and a voucher system is currently being revisited in Houston and across the state of Texas, with strong opinions on both sides of the debate.
Fuel Up to Play 60 Focuses on Integrating Fitness and Wellness into the School Day
What if NFL players came to your school? With the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, sponsored by the National Dairy Council and the NFL, nutrition and exercise are promoted during the school day. NFL players participate in the program by coming to schools and talking to students about fitness. Learn more about the program and some of the schools that are implementing it.
What Parents Need to Know About Lunch Shaming
Students all over the nation go hungry every day not because their schools don’t offer lunch, but because they refuse them to children with outstanding debts. Read on to learn about the horror that is lunch shaming and what can be done about it.
