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Welcome to the Murphy Elementary community. What's one thing that would make Murphy Elementary even better?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
467
Elementary
DISTRICT 273 · STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CHEROKEE COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370078000322
Murphy Elementary
315 Valley River Avenue, Murphy, NC 28906 · (828) 837-2424 · Cherokee County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY43-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL467 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.9:1
39 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.2:1 · STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
464 students
DISTRICT 97% · STATE 82%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
53.0%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
56.3%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 53 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 56 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all North Carolina schools, those numbers are about 51 and 52.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
57.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.5%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+9.0pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 57% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among North Carolina's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
467
-23 (-5%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
11.9:1
was 13.3:1
% White
83%
was 83%
% Hispanic
4%
was 3%
% Black
2%
was 4%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About Murphy Elementary
Murphy Elementary, a moderately sized primary school in Murphy, North Carolina, one of the schools within Cherokee County Schools, caters to 467 students, covering grades pre-K through 5.
Cherokee County Schools comprises 13 schools with combined enrollment of 2,992 students; Murphy Elementary is among them.
For racial and ethnic makeup, Murphy Elementary reports that the student body is overwhelmingly White (83%); the rest reads as 9% multiracial, 4% Hispanic, 2% Black.
Looking at school resources, On paper, Murphy Elementary has 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.9:1. The state averages around 14.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 99% of students at Murphy Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.
After controlling for student poverty, Murphy Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 57.5%.
In the broader community, ACS estimates for Cherokee County put median household income runs about $53,628, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Murphy Elementary is one of 13 public schools in Cherokee County (combined enrollment of about 2,992 students).
The closest other public school is Murphy High, roughly 1.1 miles away. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Murphy Elementary at 5th of 8; the average score across the group is 61.1%.
Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.
Over the past 7-year window. Murphy Elementary's enrollment has ticked down 5% since 2018, when it stood at 490 (now 467). The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 11.9:1 today.
On the community side, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.
Cherokee County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
29,562
Census ACS
Median income
$53,628
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
24%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
13
2,992 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Cherokee County Schools
- Murphy HighHigh · 424 students
- Murphy MiddleMiddle · 353 students
- Andrews ElementaryElementary · 330 students
- Ranger ElementaryElementary · 264 students
- Andrews HighHigh · 229 students
- Andrews MiddleMiddle · 167 students
Other schools in Murphy
- Murphy HighHigh · 424 students
- Murphy MiddleMiddle · 353 students
- Ranger ElementaryElementary · 264 students
- Peachtree ElementaryElementary · 166 students
- Tri-County Early College HighHigh · 153 students
- Hiwassee Dam HighHigh · 137 students
Nearby schools
- Murphy High1.1 mi · 424
- Murphy Middle1.1 mi · 353
- The Oaks Academy3.9 mi · 43
- Tri-County Early College High3.9 mi · 153
- Peachtree Elementary4.8 mi · 166
- Martins Creek Elementary4.9 mi · 137
Frequently asked questions
About Murphy ElementaryHow many students attend Murphy Elementary?
Murphy Elementary enrolls approximately 467 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does Murphy Elementary serve?
Murphy Elementary serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at Murphy Elementary?
Approximately 11.9:1 students per teacher at Murphy Elementary.
What is the student diversity at Murphy Elementary?
Student demographics at Murphy Elementary are roughly 83% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Black, 1% Asian, 9% Two or more.
What district is Murphy Elementary in?
Murphy Elementary is part of Cherokee County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.