An equity score of 61/100 ranks Jackson County Public Schools #81 of 297 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,568 per pupil, Jackson County Public Schools ranks #86 of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,557
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$13,568
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Jackson County Public Schools operates 9 public schools serving 3,557 students, placing it among the smaller districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 2 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Jackson County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,568 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 23.8% local, 51.8% state, and 24.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 61/100, ranked #81 of 297 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (11 AP courses district-wide), a 225.2:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 44.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 60.3% White, 24.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Smokey Mountain Elementary, with a diversity index of 71.8/100.
Its largest campus is Smoky Mountain High School, enrolling 881 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Jackson Community School, at 50 students, a 18x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Smoky Mountain High School accounts for 24.8% of all Jackson County Public Schools student enrollment
That concentration means Jackson County Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Jackson County Public Schools school enrollment varies 18× across entities
Jackson County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 50 students (lowest) to 881 students (highest), a spread of 831 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Jackson County Public Schools reports 58.2% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Jackson County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 225:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Jackson County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 44.6% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Comparisons are relative to Jackson County Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in North Carolina
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Jackson County Public Schools?
Jackson County Public Schools has 9 schools, including 2 high, 7 combined. Total enrollment is 3,557 students.
How much does Jackson County Public Schools spend per student?
Jackson County Public Schools spends $13,568 per student. The district has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #81 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Jackson County Public Schools?
Jackson County Public Schools students are 60.3% White, 24.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American, 1.0% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Jackson County Public Schools?
Jackson County Public Schools has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #81 out of 297 districts in North Carolina.