Mcdowell County Schools School District

334 South Main St
Marion, NC 28752-0130
(District boundaries shown in map)
5/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Mcdowell 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 2024 school year, there are 8 public preschools serving 2,621 students in Mcdowell County Schools School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Mcdowell County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 53% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 47% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 23% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public preschool average of 58% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
15 Schools
976 Schools
# Students
5,824 Students
449,714 Students
# Teachers
411 Teachers
32,939 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

District Rank

Mcdowell County Schools School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 325 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 80% has decreased from 85% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#168 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Mcdowell County Schools  School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
51%
51%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Mcdowell County Schools  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
48%
50%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Mcdowell County Schools  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
63%
63%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Mcdowell County Schools  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
80%
86%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Mcdowell County Schools  School District and public school graduation rate of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.39
0.72
# American Indian Students
12 Students
6,715 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
53 Students
16,990 Students
% Asian Students
1%
4%
# Hispanic Students
843 Students
98,653 Students
% Hispanic Students
14%
22%
# Black Students
192 Students
113,088 Students
% Black Students
3%
25%
# White Students
4,500 Students
188,648 Students
% White Students
77%
42%
# Hawaiian Students
5 Students
659 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
276 Students
24,961 Students
% of Two or more races Students
5%
6%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
218
21,054
# Students in K Grade:
419
72,400
# Students in 1st Grade:
389
69,634
# Students in 2nd Grade:
433
71,332
# Students in 3rd Grade:
402
68,518
# Students in 4th Grade:
384
67,887
# Students in 5th Grade:
420
65,758
# Students in 6th Grade:
459
4,881
# Students in 7th Grade:
458
3,622
# Students in 8th Grade:
494
3,587
# Students in 9th Grade:
457
226
# Students in 10th Grade:
533
242
# Students in 11th Grade:
416
194
# Students in 12th Grade:
342
379
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $11,179 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,354. The school district revenue/student has declined by 12% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,398 is less than the state median of $11,785. The school district spending/student has declined by 14% over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$65 MM
$17,307 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Mcdowell County Schools  School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$66 MM
$17,964 MM
This chart displays total spending of Mcdowell County Schools  School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$11,179
$11,354
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Mcdowell County Schools  School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$11,398
$11,785
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Mcdowell County Schools  School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Mcdowell County Schools School District Public Preschools (2024)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Marion Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
209 Robert Street
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 652-2141
Grades: PK-5
| 360 students
Rank: #22.
Old Fort Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
128 Mauney Avenue
Old Fort, NC 28762
(828) 668-7646
Grades: PK-5
| 312 students
Rank: #3 - 43. - 4.
Eastfield Global Magnet School
Magnet School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
170 Eastfield School Road
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 652-3730
Grades: PK-5
| 263 students
Rank: #3 - 43. - 4.
Nebo Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
254 Nebo School Road
Nebo, NC 28761
(828) 652-4737
Grades: PK-5
| 352 students
Rank: #55.
Glenwood Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
1545 Old Hwy 221 South
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 738-4220
Grades: PK-5
| 443 students
Rank: #66.
North Cove Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
401 American Thread Road
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 756-4342
Grades: PK-5
| 220 students
Rank: #77.
Pleasant Gardens Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
100 John Roach Drive
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 724-4422
Grades: PK-5
| 296 students
Rank: #88.
West Marion Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
820 Marler Road
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 738-3353
Grades: PK-5
| 375 students

Recent Articles

Should Teacher Salaries be Public Information?
Should Teacher Salaries be Public Information?
Public school teachers are considered public servants – but does that make their salary details public information? Learn about the heated debate surrounding whether teacher salaries should be made public.
The Link Between Education and Incarceration: The NAACP Report
The Link Between Education and Incarceration: The NAACP Report
Education and the rate of incarceration have been linked in a recent NAACP report. Learn about the report and the troubling findings.
Bussing: North Carolina's New Student Assignment Plan
Bussing: North Carolina's New Student Assignment Plan
We analyze a new plan for student assignment in two North Carolina school districts and the public reaction to the idea of bussing students – as well as alternatives that have been proposed by education experts.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • District size: 15 schools
  • Grades: PK-13
  • Enrollment: 5,824 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 23%
  • : 80% (Btm 50% in NC)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 51% (Top 50%)
  • : 48% (Btm 50%)
  • : 63% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

Quick Links