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Watauga County Schools School District

175 Pioneer Trail
Boone, NC 28607
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

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 2025-26 school year, there are 9 public elementary schools serving 3,162 students in Watauga County Schools School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public elementary schools in North Carolina.
ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Elementary Schools in Watauga County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 63% (versus the North Carolina public elementary school average of 50%), and reading proficiency score of 61% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 17% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public elementary school average of 57% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
11 Schools
2,174 Schools
# Students
4,746 Students
1,091,007 Students
# Teachers
396 Teachers
73,903 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.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#61 out of 325 school districts
(Top 20%)
(21-22)
65%
51%
63%
50%
74%
63%
(21-22)
89%
86%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.30
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
2%
4%
% Hispanic
11%
21%
% Black
1%
25%
% White
83%
43%
% 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.
This School District
This State (NC)
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 ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Elementary Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Blowing Rock Elementary School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 72%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
165 Morris Street
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(828) 295-3204
Gr: PK-8 | 431 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 8%
Rank: #22.
Parkway Elementary School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 70%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
160 Parkway School Dr
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3032
Gr: PK-8 | 649 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 16%
Rank: #33.
Hardin Park Elementary School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 60%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
361 Jefferson Road
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-8481
Gr: PK-8 | 859 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 29%
Rank: #44.
Valle Crucis Elementary School
(Math: 60% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2998 Broadstone Road
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 963-4712
Gr: PK-8 | 345 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 16%
Rank: #55.
Watauga Virtual Academy
(Math: 50-59% | Reading: 60-69%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
175 Pioneer Trail
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-7190
Gr: K-8 | 24 students Student-teacher ratio: 4:1 Minority enrollment: 12%
Rank: #66.
Cove Creek Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
930 Vanderpool Rd
Vilas, NC 28692
(828) 297-2781
Gr: PK-8 | 297 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 12%
Rank: #77.
Bethel Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
138 Bethel School Rd
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 297-2240
Gr: PK-8 | 143 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 9%
Rank: #88.
Green Valley Elementary School
(Math: 46% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
189 Big Hill Road
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3606
Gr: PK-8 | 268 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 10%
Rank: #99.
Mabel Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
404 Mabel School Road
Zionville, NC 28698
(828) 297-2512
Gr: PK-8 | 146 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 3%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 11 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 4,746 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 17%
  • : 89% (Top 20% in NC)
  • : Top 20%
  • : 65% (Top 20%)
  • : 63% (Top 30%)
  • : 74% (Top 30%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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