Pilot Mountain Elementary

Pilot Mountain Elementary, a modestly sized elementary school in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, operated by Surry County Schools, hosts 353 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 467 students per school, that is 24% below typical.

Within Surry County Schools, which oversees 20 schools and 7,318 students, Pilot Mountain Elementary is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Pilot Mountain Elementary shows that the student body is overwhelmingly White (80%); the rest reads as 15% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Surry County as a whole.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 15.2:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 14.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 99% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Pilot Mountain Elementary is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 48.6%; this one delivers 70.2%, a residual of +21.7 points.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Surry County put median household income runs about $55,656, 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 13%. Pilot Mountain Elementary is one of 30 public schools in Surry County (combined enrollment of about 11,139 students).

The closest other public school is East Surry High, roughly 0.5 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 4 other public schools cluster around Pilot Mountain Elementary. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Pilot Mountain Elementary ranks 4th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 65.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Pilot Mountain Elementary has decreased 17%, going from 425 students in 2018 to 353 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked up from 76% to 80%.

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