Top Rankings
Watauga County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 8 public preschools serving 3,138 students in Watauga County Schools School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Watauga County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 64% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 61% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 17% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public preschool average of 59% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
11 Schools
994 Schools
# Students
4,746 Students
464,055 Students
# Teachers
396 Teachers
33,275 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1
District Rank
Watauga County Schools School District, which is ranked within the top 20% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 89% has decreased from 91% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#61 out of 325 school districts
(Top 20%)
(Top 20%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
65%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
63%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
74%
63%
Graduation Rate
89%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.30
0.72
# American Indian Students
14 Students
6,572 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
91 Students
18,458 Students
% Asian Students
2%
4%
# Hispanic Students
500 Students
105,943 Students
% Hispanic Students
11%
23%
# Black Students
54 Students
114,509 Students
% Black Students
1%
25%
# White Students
3,946 Students
189,147 Students
% White Students
83%
41%
# Hawaiian Students
2 Students
648 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
139 Students
28,778 Students
% of Two or more races Students
3%
6%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
114
23,104
# Students in K Grade:
333
72,144
# Students in 1st Grade:
325
74,289
# Students in 2nd Grade:
330
75,942
# Students in 3rd Grade:
321
68,925
# Students in 4th Grade:
337
69,686
# Students in 5th Grade:
346
66,668
# Students in 6th Grade:
334
5,021
# Students in 7th Grade:
368
3,684
# Students in 8th Grade:
354
3,629
# Students in 9th Grade:
447
214
# Students in 10th Grade:
419
194
# Students in 11th Grade:
375
187
# Students in 12th Grade:
343
368
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $11,948 is higher than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,930 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$57 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$57 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$11,948
$11,187
Spending / Student
$11,930
$11,612
Best Watauga County Schools School District Public Preschools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Blowing Rock Elementary School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 72%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
165 Morris Street
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(828) 295-3204
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(828) 295-3204
Grades: PK-8
| 431 students
Rank: #22.
Parkway Elementary School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 70%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
160 Parkway School Dr
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3032
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3032
Grades: PK-8
| 649 students
Rank: #33.
Hardin Park Elementary School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 60%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
361 Jefferson Road
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-8481
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-8481
Grades: PK-8
| 859 students
Rank: #44.
Valle Crucis Elementary School
(Math: 60% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
2998 Broadstone Road
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 963-4712
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 963-4712
Grades: PK-8
| 345 students
Rank: #55.
Cove Creek Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
930 Vanderpool Rd
Vilas, NC 28692
(828) 297-2781
Vilas, NC 28692
(828) 297-2781
Grades: PK-8
| 297 students
Rank: #66.
Bethel Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
138 Bethel School Rd
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 297-2240
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
(828) 297-2240
Grades: PK-8
| 143 students
Rank: #77.
Green Valley Elementary School
(Math: 46% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
189 Big Hill Road
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3606
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-3606
Grades: PK-8
| 268 students
Rank: #88.
Mabel Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
404 Mabel School Road
Zionville, NC 28698
(828) 297-2512
Zionville, NC 28698
(828) 297-2512
Grades: PK-8
| 146 students
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