Total enrollment
1,872
-59 (-3%) vs SY 2020-21
6 schools in Swain County Schools
North Carolina · 1,872 students · 1 city
Parents inside Swain County Schools pick from 6 public K-12 options, with combined enrollment of about 1,872 students (an average school size of 312).
4-year change in Swain County Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
6
+1 (+20%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Swain County Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 45.8% | #77 of 112 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,872 | #99 of 116 | #4,669 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 6 | #95 of 116 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.9:1 | #90 of 116 | #7,096 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 93.0% | #75 of 114 | #604 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 55.4% | #68 of 111 | #2,282 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 Swain County Schools
State test results across the district's 4 scored schools run from Swain County West Elementary at 54.6% proficient to Swain County East Elementary at 40.9%, a gap of 13.7 points. That is the 99th widest gap among 104 North Carolina districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 4 district schools that reported both years went from 1,973 to 1,730 students (down 12%) and from 131 to 101 full-time teachers (down 23%), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swain County High School | Bryson City | High | 09-12 | 536 |
| Swain County Middle School | Bryson City | Middle | 06-08 | 453 |
| Swain County West Elementary | Bryson City | Elementary | KG-06 | 403 |
| Swain County East Elementary | Bryson City | Elementary | KG-05 | 338 |
| Cherokee Extension School | Bryson City | Combined | KG-12 | 110 |
| Swain Academy | Bryson City | High | 09-12 | 32 |
About Swain County Schools
Swain County Schools is a sparse North Carolina school district running 6 schools with combined enrollment near 1,872.
On the school-mix side, Swain County Schools consists of 2 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high schools, and 1 combined or other.
Average enrollment per school in Swain County Schools is about 312, lower than the North Carolina average of roughly 571.
Five-year track record. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment decreased 3%: 1,931 students in SY 2020-21 versus 1,872 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Swain County Schools gained 1 school, going from 5 to 6.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Swain County Schools discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.