Total enrollment
5,613
-89 (-2%) vs SY 2020-21
16 schools in McDowell County Schools
North Carolina · 5,712 students · 3 cities
From elementary through high school, McDowell County Schools runs 16 public K-12 schools (8 elementary, 3 middle, and 5 high), with combined enrollment of about 5,712.
4-year change in McDowell County Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
15
+1 (+7%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How McDowell County Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 51.0% | #56 of 112 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 5,712 | #57 of 116 | #1,673 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 16 | #50 of 116 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.1:1 | #33 of 116 | #5,596 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 98.0% | #64 of 114 | #432 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 41.8% | #91 of 111 | #3,825 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 McDowell County Schools
State test results across the district's 14 scored schools run from McDowell Academy for Innovation at 81.7% proficient to McDowell High School at 35.2%, a gap of 46.5 points. That is the 46th widest gap among 104 North Carolina districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 13 district schools that reported both years went from 6,056 to 5,432 students (down 10%) and from 425 to 363 full-time teachers (down 15%), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell High School | Marion | High | 09-12 | 1,379 |
| West McDowell Middle School | Marion | Middle | 06-08 | 550 |
| Glenwood Elementary School | Marion | Elementary | PK-05 | 435 |
| East McDowell Middle School | Marion | Middle | 06-08 | 392 |
| West Marion Elementary School | Marion | Elementary | PK-05 | 390 |
| Old Fort Elementary School | Old Fort | Elementary | PK-05 | 360 |
| Nebo Elementary School | Nebo | Elementary | PK-05 | 354 |
| Marion Elementary School | Marion | Elementary | PK-05 | 333 |
| Pleasant Gardens Elementary School | Marion | Elementary | PK-05 | 289 |
| Eastfield Global Magnet School | Marion | Elementary | PK-05 | 279 |
| McDowell Early College | Marion | High | 09-13 | 241 |
| North Cove Elementary School | Marion | Elementary | PK-05 | 230 |
| Foothills Community School | Marion | Middle | 06-08 | 200 |
| McDowell Academy for Innovation | Marion | High | 09-13 | 158 |
| McDowell Virtual Academy | Marion | High | 06-12 | 99 |
| The Summit Academy | Marion | High | 06-12 | 23 |
About McDowell County Schools
McDowell County Schools runs 16 public schools across North Carolina, collectively hosting roughly 5,712 students.
For a sense of the school types, McDowell County Schools comprises 8 elementary, 3 middle, and 5 high schools.
Average enrollment per school in McDowell County Schools is about 357, meaningfully below the North Carolina average of roughly 571.
Over the past 4-year window. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment stayed largely flat: 5,702 students in SY 2020-21 versus 5,613 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, McDowell County Schools opened 1 school, going from 14 to 15.
On this page, the community for McDowell County Schools discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.