Total enrollment
1,322
+74 (+6%) vs SY 2020-21
4 schools in Clay County Schools
North Carolina · 1,322 students · 1 city
Clay County Schools runs the local public-school system inside North Carolina: 4 K-12 schools serving roughly 1,322 students, with 2 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high.
4-year change in Clay County Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
4
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Clay County Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 57.9% | #17 of 112 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,322 | #109 of 116 | #5,899 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 4 | #105 of 116 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.4:1 | #21 of 116 | #4,822 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 99.1% | #22 of 114 | #283 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 27.8% | #108 of 111 | #5,017 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Clay County Schools
Since 2017-18, the 3 district schools that reported both years went from 1,347 to 947 students (down 30%) and from 96 to 67 full-time teachers (down 30%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayesville Primary School | Hayesville | Elementary | PK-02 | 375 |
| Hayesville High | Hayesville | High | 09-12 | 366 |
| Hayesville Middle | Hayesville | Middle | 06-08 | 301 |
| Hayesville Elementary | Hayesville | Elementary | 03-05 | 280 |
About Clay County Schools
Clay County Schools is a thinly populated North Carolina school district running 4 schools with combined enrollment near 1,322.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Clay County Schools spans 2 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school.
On a per-school basis, Clay County Schools runs about 331 students per school, 42% meaningfully below the state mean of roughly 571.
Trend over the past 4 years. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment rose 6%: 1,248 students in SY 2020-21 versus 1,322 in SY 2024-25.
On this page, the community for Clay County Schools discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Parents, students, and educators in the area can post or comment.