Enrollment
390
Elementary
DISTRICT 334 · STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MCDOWELL COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370294001184
West Marion Elementary School
820 Marler Road, Marion, NC 28752 · (828) 738-3353 · McDowell County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL390 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 44% of North Carolina public elementary schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded North Carolina public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
28 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.6:1 · STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
387 students
DISTRICT 96% · 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 39 | 10% |
| Kindergarten | 55 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 59 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 59 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 52 | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 56 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 70 | 18% |
This year's kindergarten class (55) is 21% smaller than its 5th grade class (70).
Student demographics
39%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 41% · 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
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
46.6%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
49.7%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 47 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 50 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
51.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.5%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+3.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 52% 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 →
Schools most like West Marion Elementary School
West Marion Elementary School's state test result (51.7% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Marion Elementary School this school | 390 | 99.2% | 51.7% |
| Iron Station Elementary Iron Station | 367 | 98.6% | 70.8% |
| King Elementary School King | 383 | 99.0% | 39.0% |
| Bogue Sound Elementary Newport | 416 | 99.3% | 76.1% |
| Prospect Elementary Monroe | 373 | 98.7% | 57.7% |
| Polk Central Elementary School Mill Spring | 379 | 99.2% | 59.5% |
Matched among North Carolina elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where West Marion Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In McDowell County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 51.7% | #766 of 1,297 | #6 of 8 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 49.7% | #913 of 1,296 | #7 of 8 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 46.6% | #742 of 1,300 | #7 of 8 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 390 | #931 of 1,485 | #2 of 8 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.2:1 | #519 of 1,377 | #3 of 8 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 39.4% | #1,182 of 1,379 | #5 of 8 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 99.2% | #472 of 1,414 | #2 of 8 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -12.2% | #504 of 937 | #3 of 6 |
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
390
+9 (+2%) vs 2020
+1% since 1990-91, when it was 385
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
was 12.3:1
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 | 390 | 27.5 | 14.2:1 | 99% (387) |
| 2023-24 | 393 | 30.3 | 13.0:1 | 99% (390) |
| 2022-23 | 377 | 30.6 | 12.3:1 | 71% (268) |
| 2020-21 | 381 | 31 | 12.3:1 | 61% (231) |
| 2017-18 | 444 | 33.8 | 13.1:1 | 99% (438) |
| 2015-16 | 467 | 34 | 13.7:1 | 99% (464) |
| 2010-11 | 528 | 33 | 16.0:1 | 65% (344) |
| 2000-01 | 614 | 38 | 16.2:1 | 38% (232) |
| 1990-91 | 385 | 19 | 20.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Marion Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 12% (444 to 390); teachers down 19% (33.8 to 27.5).
About West Marion Elementary School
West Marion Elementary School is a low-enrollment elementary school in Marion, North Carolina. Enrollment totals 390 students across pre-K through 5.
McDowell County Schools operates 16 schools. Combined enrollment is 5,712 students.
Of every 100 students at West Marion Elementary School, about 76 are White. Beyond that, enrollment is 13% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, and 3% Black. The White share of the county population is higher, at 88%. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, West Marion Elementary School scores 39%.
West Marion Elementary School reports a ratio of 14.2 students per teacher, from 27.5 full-time-equivalent teachers. That is in line with the 14.9:1 average for elementary schools in North Carolina. Student poverty is often measured by lunch eligibility; at West Marion Elementary School, 99% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The average for public schools in McDowell County is similar, at 98%.
On the allk12 Grade, West Marion Elementary School lands at C+, ahead of 44% of North Carolina public elementary schools.
The model predicts 48.5% for a school in North Carolina with West Marion Elementary School's free or reduced-price lunch share. West Marion Elementary School posts 51.7%.
In McDowell County, home to about 44,817 people, median household income comes to about $57,168, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 18%, and roughly 10% of residents are in poverty. There are 16 public schools in the county, enrolling about 5,712, West Marion Elementary School among them.
Foothills Community School, about 3.3 miles away, is the closest public school. Counting only straight-line distance, 3 other public schools are within five miles. West Marion Elementary School places 4th of 7 on proficiency among the closest schools that report scores.
The NCES locale for West Marion Elementary School is Rural: Fringe, which covers schools in rural territory close to an urban area.
There was little change in enrollment from 2020-21 (381) to 2024-25 (390). Federal data show the ratio rising from 12.3:1 to 14.2:1.
This page is set up for the West Marion Elementary School community to discuss homework, tutoring, and testing dates. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
McDowell County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
44,817
Census ACS
Median income
$57,168
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
16
5,712 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in McDowell County Schools
- McDowell High SchoolHigh · 1,379 students
- West McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 550 students
- Glenwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 435 students
- East McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 392 students
- Old Fort Elementary SchoolElementary · 360 students
- Nebo Elementary SchoolElementary · 354 students
Other schools in Marion
- McDowell High SchoolHigh · 1,379 students
- West McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 550 students
- Glenwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 435 students
- East McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 392 students
- Marion Elementary SchoolElementary · 333 students
- Pleasant Gardens Elementary SchoolElementary · 289 students
Other West Marion Elementary schools
2 other US public schools in 3 states are named West Marion Elementary. West Marion Elementary School is the 2nd largest of the 3.
- West Marion Elementary SchoolLoretto, KY · 400 students
- WEST MARION ELEMENTARYFoxworth, MS · 234 students
Nearby schools
- Foothills Community School3.3 mi · 200
- Glenwood Elementary School4.5 mi · 435
- Pleasant Gardens Elementary School4.9 mi · 289
- The Summit Academy5.1 mi · 23
- McDowell High School5.4 mi · 1,379
- McDowell Virtual Academy5.6 mi · 99
Frequently asked questions
About West Marion Elementary SchoolHow large is West Marion Elementary School?
West Marion Elementary School enrolls approximately 390 students in grades PK-05.
Is West Marion Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
West Marion Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many students per teacher at West Marion Elementary School?
Approximately 14.2:1 students per teacher at West Marion Elementary School.
What is the racial breakdown of students at West Marion Elementary School?
At West Marion Elementary School, the student body is approximately 76% White, 13% Hispanic, 3% Black, 1% Asian, 7% Two or more.
What district is West Marion Elementary School in?
West Marion Elementary School is part of McDowell County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.