Macon County Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Franklin, North Carolina - 12 schools

An equity score of 55/100 ranks Macon County Schools #107 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,154 per pupil, Macon County Schools ranks #86 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,450
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$13,154
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Macon County Schools operates 12 public schools serving 4,450 students, placing it among the smaller districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 2 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle 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 Macon County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,154 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 20.4% local, 56.4% state, and 23.2% 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 55/100, ranked #107 of 293 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 2 of 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 351:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 22.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 73.0% White, 22.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Macon Early College High School, with a diversity index of 50.8/100.

Its largest campus is Franklin High, enrolling 996 students (22% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Macon Virtual Academy, at 44 students, a 23x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Franklin High accounts for 22.3% of all Macon County Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Macon County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Macon County Schools school enrollment varies 23× across entities

Macon County Schools school enrollment ranges from 44 students (lowest) to 996 students (highest), a spread of 952 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Macon County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 60.7% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Macon County Schools student-counselor ratio is 351:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Macon County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 22.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within Macon County Schools is typically wider than the Macon County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

23.2%
Federal
56.4%
State
20.4%
Local

Funding Equity

55
Equity Score
107 / 293
State Rank
45
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 12 schools in Macon County Schools.

White 73.0%
Hispanic or Latino 22.2%
African American 0.8%
Multiracial 3.0%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 40.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Macon County Schools's schools, below the North Carolina average of 56.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Macon Early College High School 50.8
  2. 2 East Franklin Elementary 47.7
  3. 3 Franklin High 45.7
  4. 4 Highlands School 45.6
  5. 5 Macon Middle School 44.5

Programs & Resources

2 / 12
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
351:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
22.9%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Macon County Schools

School Enrollment
Franklin High
996
Mountain View Intermediate
614
Macon Middle School
576
South Macon Elementary
465
Iotla Valley Elementary
408
Cartoogechaye Elementary
354
Highlands School
344
East Franklin Elementary
315
Macon Early College High School
154
Union Academy
102
Nantahala School
97
Macon Virtual Academy
44

How Macon County Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The North Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Currituck County Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Asheboro City Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Alexander County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Person County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Watauga County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Macon County 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.

Wake County Schools
159,778 students · 197 schools · $11,859/pupil
Compare vs Macon County Schools →
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
144,197 students · 180 schools · $11,853/pupil
Compare vs Macon County Schools →
Guilford County Schools
68,894 students · 126 schools · $13,036/pupil
Compare vs Macon County Schools →
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools
52,717 students · 81 schools · $13,036/pupil
Compare vs Macon County Schools →
Cumberland County Schools
49,661 students · 86 schools · $12,412/pupil
Compare vs Macon County Schools →

Compare Macon County Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Wake County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Macon County Schools?

Macon County Schools has 12 schools, including 2 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle, 7 combined. Total enrollment is 4,450 students.

How much does Macon County Schools spend per student?

Macon County Schools spends $13,154 per student. The district has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #107 in North Carolina.

What is the demographic composition of Macon County Schools?

Macon County Schools students are 73.0% White, 22.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Macon County Schools?

Macon County Schools has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #107 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.