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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WATAUGA COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370483001943

Watauga High

300 Go Pioneers Drive, Boone, NC 28607 · (828) 264-2407 · Watauga County
GRADES 09–12HIGH32-TOWNREGULAR SCHOOL1,289 STUDENTS
Enrollment
1,289
High
DISTRICT 791 · STATE 761
Student : Teacher
15.6:1
82 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.6:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
33%
426 students
DISTRICT 45% · STATE 82%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 933026%
Grade 1034126%
Grade 1133726%
Grade 1228122%
Student demographics
33%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 32% · STATE 71% · US 70%
White
1,04281%
DISTRICT 82% · STATE 42% · US 43%
Hispanic
15912%
DISTRICT 12% · STATE 22% · US 30%
Black
161%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 25% · US 15%
Asian
272%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 4% · US 6%
Two+
383%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 6% · US 5%
Native American
71%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 1% · US 1%
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
Male
61948%
Female
67052%

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Test scores

NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)
English Language Arts
75.5%
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 76 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 · methodology
Tier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
61.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
68.8%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-7.0pp
below demographic expectation

What this means: About 62% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 69% 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 →

Where Watauga High ranks

Among high schools
MeasureThis schoolIn North Carolina
State test proficiency
ranked highest first
61.8%#114 of 468
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
56.3%#103 of 464
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
75.5%#90 of 448
Enrollment
ranked largest first
1,289#121 of 598
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
15.6:1#88 of 473
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
33.0%#442 of 474
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
33.0%#469 of 527
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked fastest growth first
+15.5%#45 of 164
Ranked against other public high 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.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
1,289
+60 (+5%) vs 2020
+2% since 1990-91, when it was 1,262
Student : Teacher
15.6:1
was 12.9:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-251,28982.415.6:133% (426)
2023-241,279104.612.2:133% (423)
2022-231,27299.312.8:133% (417)
2020-211,2299512.9:118% (227)
2017-181,116102.610.9:122% (245)
2015-161,35110113.4:133% (440)
2010-111,4208117.5:125% (360)
2000-011,54411413.5:113% (198)
1990-911,2629513.3:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Watauga High.

About Watauga High

Watauga High is a high school located in Boone, North Carolina, in Watauga County. A total of 1,289 students attend the school, which covers grades 9 through 12. Against the 761-student average for high schools in North Carolina, enrollment here is 69% higher.

A total of 11 schools make up Watauga County Schools, with 4,658 students enrolled.

The student body at Watauga High is 81% White. Beyond that, enrollment is 12% Hispanic, 3% multiracial, and 2% Asian. The White share of the county population is higher, at 90%. Pick two students at random and there is a 33% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.

At Watauga High, 82.4 full-time-equivalent teachers work with students, a ratio of about 15.6:1. On average, high schools in North Carolina have 19.6:1, compared with 15.6:1 here. Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch make up 33% of enrollment.

Compared with North Carolina schools that have similar shares of low-income students, Watauga High's results are 7.0 points below predicted: 61.8% against 68.8%.

In Watauga County (population about 55,123), the median household income is $51,693, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 48%, and roughly 9% of residents are in poverty. Watauga High is one of 12 public schools in the county.

Watauga Innovation Academy is the public school closest to Watauga High, less than a tenth of a mile away. The count of other public schools within five miles is 5. Compared with its nearest neighbors, Watauga High ranks 5th of 7 on average proficiency.

Its NCES locale code is Town: Distant: the school is in a town some distance from an urbanized area.

Enrollment has grown by 60 students since 2020-21, to 1,289. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, the ratio rose from 12.9:1 to 15.6:1.

If you have questions about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news at Watauga High, you can post them here. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.

Watauga County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
55,123
Census ACS
Median income
$51,693
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
48%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
12
4,821 students

Quick facts

School name
Watauga High
District
Watauga County Schools
Address
300 Go Pioneers Drive, Boone, NC 28607
Phone
(828) 264-2407
County
Watauga County
Level
High
Grade range
09–12
Total enrollment
1,289
Teachers (FTE)
82
Student–teacher ratio
15.6:1
Free and reduced lunch
426 (33%)
Locale
32-Town: Distant
NCES ID
370483001943
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Watauga County Schools
Other schools in Boone
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Watauga High
How large is Watauga High?
Watauga High enrolls approximately 1,289 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does Watauga High serve?
Watauga High serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many teachers does Watauga High have?
Watauga High employs 82 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.6:1.
What is the student diversity at Watauga High?
Student demographics at Watauga High are roughly 81% White, 12% Hispanic, 1% Black, 2% Asian, 3% Two or more.
What district is Watauga High in?
Watauga High is part of Watauga County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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