Total enrollment
3,444
-98 (-3%) vs SY 2020-21
9 schools in Jackson County Public Schools
North Carolina · 3,444 students · 4 cities
Jackson County Public Schools's footprint covers 9 public K-12 schools with combined enrollment of about 3,444 (an average of 383 per school).
4-year change in Jackson County Public Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
9
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Jackson County Public Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 47.3% | #71 of 112 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 3,444 | #77 of 116 | #2,823 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 9 | #77 of 116 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.3:1 | #96 of 116 | #7,315 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 97.6% | #67 of 114 | #458 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 55.5% | #67 of 111 | #2,270 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 Jackson County Public Schools
State test results across the district's 8 scored schools run from Jackson Co Early College at 60.4% proficient to Smokey Mountain Elementary at 34.5%, a gap of 25.9 points. That is the 88th widest gap among 104 North Carolina districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 9 district schools that reported both years went from 3,730 to 3,444 students (down 8%) and from 246 to 199 full-time teachers (down 19%), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky Mountain High School | Sylva | High | 09-12 | 881 |
| Fairview School | Sylva | Elementary | PK-08 | 797 |
| Cullowhee Valley School | Cullowhee | Elementary | PK-08 | 570 |
| Scotts Creek School | Sylva | Elementary | PK-08 | 422 |
| Smokey Mountain Elementary | Whittier | Elementary | PK-08 | 340 |
| Blue Ridge School | Cashiers | Elementary | PK-06 | 144 |
| Blue Ridge Early College | Cashiers | High | 07-13 | 127 |
| Jackson Co Early College | Sylva | High | 09-13 | 113 |
| Jackson Community School | Sylva | High | 05-12 | 50 |
About Jackson County Public Schools
Jackson County Public Schools runs 9 public schools across North Carolina, collectively teacheing roughly 3,444 students.
For a sense of the school types, Jackson County Public Schools consists of 5 elementary and 4 high schools.
On a per-school basis, Jackson County Public Schools runs about 383 students per school, 33% noticeably below the state mean of roughly 571.
Over the past 4-year window. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment fell 3%: 3,542 students in SY 2020-21 versus 3,444 in SY 2024-25.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Jackson County Public Schools discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Parents, students, and educators in the area can post or comment.