Top Rankings
Watauga County Schools 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%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 11 public schools serving 4,658 students in Watauga County Schools. This district's average testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public schools in North Carolina.
Public Schools in Watauga County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 65% (versus the North Carolina public school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 63% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 18% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public school average of 58% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
11 Schools
2,734 Schools
# Students
4,658 Students
1,549,621 Students
# Teachers
336 Teachers
96,132 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Watauga County Schools, which is ranked within the top 20% of all 314 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 90% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#61 out of 325 school districts
(Top 20%)
(Top 20%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
(21-22)65%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
63%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
74%
63%
Graduation Rate
(21-22)89%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.32
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
2%
5%
% Hispanic
12%
22%
% Black
1%
24%
% White
82%
42%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $12,174 is higher than the state median of $11,168. The school district revenue/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,156 is higher than the state median of $11,592. The school district spending/student has grown by 7% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$57 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$57 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,174
$11,168
Spending / Student
$12,156
$11,592
Best Watauga County Schools Public Schools (2026)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Watauga High School
(Math: 85-89% | Reading: 73%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
300 Go Pioneers Drive
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-2407
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-2407
Gr: 9-12 | 1,289 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 19%
Rank: #22.
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
Gr: PK-8 | 409 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 9%
Rank: #33.
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
Gr: PK-8 | 610 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 18%
Rank: #44.
Watauga Innovation Academy
(Math: 70-79% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
300 Go Pioneers Drive
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-2407
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-2407
Gr: 9-12 | 292 students Minority enrollment: 15%
Rank: #55.
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
Gr: PK-8 | 854 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 30%
Rank: #66.
Valle Crucis Elementary School
(Math: 60% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
175 Pioneer Trail
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 963-4712
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 963-4712
Gr: PK-8 | 345 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 17%
Rank: #77.
Watauga Virtual Academy
(Math: 50-59% | Reading: 60-69%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
175 Pioneer Trail
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-7190
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 264-7190
Gr: K-8 | 10 students Minority enrollment: 40%
Rank: #88.
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
Gr: PK-8 | 289 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 13%
Rank: #99.
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
Gr: PK-8 | 128 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 10%
Rank: #1010.
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
Gr: PK-8 | 292 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 13%
Rank: #1111.
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
Gr: PK-8 | 140 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 9%
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools belong to Watauga County Schools?
Watauga County Schools manages 11 public schools serving 4,658 students.
What is the rank of Watauga County Schools?
Watauga County Schools is ranked #62 out of 314 school districts in North Carolina (top 20%) based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data for the 2021-2022 school year. This district ranks in the top 20% of North Carolina school districts for: Highest overall rank (Top 20%), Highest math proficiency (Top 20%), Highest graduation rate (Top 20%), Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%) and Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
What is the racial composition of students in Watauga County Schools?
82% of Watauga County Schools students are White, 12% of students are Hispanic, 3% of students are Two or more races, 2% of students are Asian, and 1% of students are Black.
What is the student/teacher ratio of Watauga County Schools?
Watauga County Schools has a student/teacher ratio of 13:1, which is lower than the North Carolina state average of 16:1.
What is Watauga County Schools's spending/student ratio?
The school district's spending/student of $12,156 is higher than the state median of $11,592. The school district spending/student has grown by 7% over four school years.
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