Top Rankings
Watauga County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 9 public middle schools serving 3,162 students in Watauga County Schools School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public middle schools in North Carolina.
Public Middle Schools in Watauga County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 63% (versus the North Carolina public middle school average of 48%), and reading proficiency score of 61% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 17% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public middle school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
11 Schools
882 Schools
# Students
4,746 Students
494,023 Students
# Teachers
396 Teachers
31,644 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Watauga County Schools School District, which is ranked within the top 20% 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 90% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#61 out of 325 school districts
(Top 20%)
(Top 20%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
(21-22)65%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
63%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
74%
63%
Graduation Rate
(21-22)89%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.30
0.71
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
2%
4%
% Hispanic
11%
20%
% Black
1%
25%
% White
83%
44%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $11,948 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 $11,930 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$57 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$57 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$11,948
$11,187
Spending / Student
$11,930
$11,612
Best Watauga County Schools School District Public Middle Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Blowing Rock Elementary School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 72%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
165 Morris Street
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(828) 295-3204
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(828) 295-3204
Grades: PK-8
| 431 students
Rank: #22.
Parkway Elementary School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 70%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
160 Parkway School Dr
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3032
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3032
Grades: PK-8
| 649 students
Rank: #33.
Hardin Park Elementary School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 60%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
361 Jefferson Road
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-8481
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-8481
Grades: PK-8
| 859 students
Rank: #44.
Valle Crucis Elementary School
(Math: 60% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
2998 Broadstone Road
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 963-4712
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 963-4712
Grades: PK-8
| 345 students
Rank: #55.
Watauga Virtual Academy
(Math: 50-59% | Reading: 60-69%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
175 Pioneer Trail
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-7190
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-7190
Grades: K-8
| 24 students
Rank: #66.
Cove Creek Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
930 Vanderpool Rd
Vilas, NC 28692
(828) 297-2781
Vilas, NC 28692
(828) 297-2781
Grades: PK-8
| 297 students
Rank: #77.
Bethel Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
138 Bethel School Rd
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 297-2240
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 297-2240
Grades: PK-8
| 143 students
Rank: #88.
Green Valley Elementary School
(Math: 46% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
189 Big Hill Road
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3606
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3606
Grades: PK-8
| 268 students
Rank: #99.
Mabel Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
404 Mabel School Road
Zionville, NC 28698
(828) 297-2512
Zionville, NC 28698
(828) 297-2512
Grades: PK-8
| 146 students
Recent Articles
The 15 Biggest Failures of the American Public Education System
The world is in a constant state of change and those who fail to adjust fall behind. Unfortunately, the American public education system has not kept up with the times and is currently facing a number of serious problems. Keep reading to learn about the biggest failures affecting the modern U.S. public education system as well as some of the trends that could spark change.
Florida Governor Calls for More Funding for State鈥檚 Public School System
Florida Governor Rick Scott has introduced a state budget for next year that pumps one billion more dollars into the public school system. We鈥檒l look at his reasons for the increase and the responses to the proposal.
Can Your Child鈥檚 School Meet the National Standards?
The article discusses the challenges public schools face in meeting national educational standards. It examines current performance trends, identifies key issues affecting student achievement, and explores potential solutions for improving academic outcomes across U.S. public schools.
