Enrollment
221
Elementary
STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MOUNTAIN DISCOVERY CHARTER SCHOOL·NCES 370012902614
Mountain Discovery
890 Jenkins Branch Rd N, Bryson City, NC 28713 · (828) 488-1222 · Swain County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY43-RURALCHARTERREGULAR SCHOOL221 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
16.2:1
14 FTE teachers
STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 82%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 31 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 26 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 31 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 22 | 10% |
| Grade 4 | 22 | 10% |
| Grade 5 | 24 | 11% |
| Grade 6 | 24 | 11% |
| Grade 7 | 20 | 9% |
| Grade 8 | 21 | 10% |
This year's kindergarten class (31) is 48% larger than its 8th grade class (21).
Student demographics
37%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Where Mountain Discovery ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 221 | #1,337 of 1,485 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.2:1 | #1,059 of 1,377 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 36.6% | #1,213 of 1,379 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
221
+33 (+18%) vs 2020
+26% since 2010-11, when it was 175
Student : Teacher
16.2:1
was 15.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 221 | 13.6 | 16.2:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 193 | 11.4 | 16.9:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 174 | 10.8 | 16.1:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 188 | 12 | 15.7:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 180 | 14.5 | 12.4:1 | 16% (29) |
| 2015-16 | 186 | 14 | 13.3:1 | 22% (41) |
| 2010-11 | 175 | 12 | 14.6:1 | 0% (0) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Mountain Discovery.
Since 2017-18: students up 23% (180 to 221); teachers down 6% (14.5 to 13.6).
About Mountain Discovery
Mountain Discovery is a public low-enrollment elementary school in Bryson City, North Carolina. Enrollment stands at 221 students, covering kindergarten through 8. The school is 53% below the average for elementary schools in North Carolina.
Mountain Discovery reports to Mountain Discovery Charter School.
White students are 79% of those enrolled at Mountain Discovery. Other groups make up 9% multiracial and 8% Native American. Swain County as a whole is about 60% White, so the school's share is higher. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 37%.
The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.2:1. The school has 13.6 full-time-equivalent teachers. By comparison, the average for elementary schools in North Carolina is 14.9:1.
Census data for Swain County show median household income comes to about $52,349, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 21%, and roughly 14% of residents are in poverty. The county has 9 public schools and about 3,393 students.
A public school about 0.6 miles away, Swain County Middle School, is the closest to Mountain Discovery. Inside a five-mile radius, there are 6 other public schools.
Mountain Discovery is coded as Rural: Remote in federal locale data. Mountain Discovery is run as a public charter school.
The school grew from 188 students in 2020-21 to 221 in 2024-25.
This community page is for conversations about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Swain County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
14,013
Census ACS
Median income
$52,349
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
21%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
14%
Below federal line
Schools in county
9
3,393 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Bryson City
- Swain County High SchoolHigh · 536 students
- Swain County Middle SchoolMiddle · 453 students
- Swain County West ElementaryElementary · 403 students
- Swain County East ElementaryElementary · 338 students
- Cherokee Extension SchoolCombined · 110 students
- Swain AcademyHigh · 32 students
Nearby schools
- Swain County Middle School0.6 mi · 453
- Cherokee Extension School0.9 mi · 110
- Swain County High School2.3 mi · 536
- Swain Academy2.3 mi · 32
- Swain County West Elementary2.7 mi · 403
- Swain County East Elementary4.5 mi · 338
Frequently asked questions
About Mountain DiscoveryHow large is Mountain Discovery?
Mountain Discovery enrolls approximately 221 students in grades KG-08.
What age range does Mountain Discovery serve?
Mountain Discovery serves students from grade KG through grade 08.
How many teachers does Mountain Discovery have?
Mountain Discovery employs 14 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 16.2:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Mountain Discovery?
At Mountain Discovery, the student body is approximately 79% White, 1% Hispanic, 2% Black, 1% Asian, 9% Two or more.
What district is Mountain Discovery in?
Mountain Discovery is part of Mountain Discovery Charter School.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.