Caldwell County Schools

1914 Hickory Boulevard Sw
Lenoir, NC 28645
(District boundaries shown in map)
5/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Caldwell County Schools 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 2026 school year, there are 13 public preschools serving 4,941 students in Caldwell County Schools. 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 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, 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 81% has decreased from 89% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#175 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(21-22)
47%
51%
48%
50%
61%
63%
(21-22)
86%
86%

Students by Ethnicity:

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 $11,192. The school district revenue/student has grown by 13% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,023 is higher than the state median of $11,617. The school district spending/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$129 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$127 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,165
$11,192
Spending / Student
$12,023
$11,617

Best Caldwell County Schools Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Granite Falls Elementary School
(Math: 70% | Reading: 61%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
60 N Highland Avenue
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-2222
Gr: PK-5 | 593 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #22.
Lower Creek Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
630 Lower Creek Drive Ne
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-4022
Gr: PK-5 | 383 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 27%
Rank: #33.
Collettsville School
(Math: 58% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
4690 Collettsville School Rd
Collettsville, NC 28611
(828) 754-6913
Gr: PK-8 | 339 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 7%
Rank: #44.
Baton Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
1400 Baton School Road
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 728-9531
Gr: PK-5 | 347 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 14%
Rank: #55.
Valmead Elementary School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
111 Elizabeth Drive Nw
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-9612
Gr: PK-5 | 275 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 53%
Rank: #66.
Hudson Elementary School
(Math: 52% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
200 Roy Coffey Drive
Hudson, NC 28638
(828) 728-3712
Gr: PK-5 | 633 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #7 - 87. - 8.
Happy Valley Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
1350 Yadkin River Road
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-3496
Gr: PK-8 | 223 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 11%
Rank: #7 - 87. - 8.
Kings Creek Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
3680 Wilkesboro Boulevard
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-6039
Gr: PK-8 | 148 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 9%
Rank: #99.
Sawmills Elementary School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
4436 Sawmills School Road
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-2610
Gr: PK-5 | 336 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 21%
Rank: #1010.
Dudley Shoals Elementary School
(Math: 34% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
1500 Dudley Shoals Road
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-3457
Gr: PK-5 | 432 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 14%
Rank: #1111.
Davenport A+ School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
901 College Avenue Sw
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-6941
Gr: PK-5 | 446 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 64%
Rank: #1212.
Gamewell Elementary School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2904 Morganton Boulevard
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 758-1193
Gr: PK-5 | 519 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 29%
Rank: #1313.
Whitnel Elementary School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1425 Berkley Street Sw
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 728-6423
Gr: PK-5 | 267 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 35%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 25 schools
  • Grades: PK-13
  • Enrollment: 10,596 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 27%
  • : 86% (Btm 50% in NC)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 47% (Btm 50%)
  • : 48% (Btm 50%)
  • : 61% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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