Madison 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Marshall, North Carolina - 7 schools

An equity score of 78/100 ranks Madison County Schools #25 of 297 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,167 per pupil, Madison County Schools ranks #43 of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,108
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$15,167
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Madison County Schools operates 7 public schools serving 2,108 students, placing it among the smallest districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 3 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Madison County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,167 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 17.7% local, 65.7% state, and 16.6% 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 78/100, ranked #25 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 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 233:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 46.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.2% White, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Madison Early College High, with a diversity index of 25.6/100.

Its largest campus is Madison Middle School, enrolling 468 students (23% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Madison Velocity Learning Center, at 19 students, a 25x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Madison Middle School accounts for 22.2% of all Madison County Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Madison County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: middle. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Madison County Schools school enrollment varies 25× across entities

Madison County Schools school enrollment ranges from 19 students (lowest) to 468 students (highest), a spread of 449 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

Madison County Schools reports 52.3% 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Madison County Schools student-counselor ratio is 233:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Madison County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 46.9% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

16.6%
Federal
65.7%
State
17.7%
Local

Funding Equity

78
Equity Score
25 / 297
State Rank
45
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Madison County Schools.

White 92.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Multiracial 2.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 14.4/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Madison Early College High 25.6
  2. 2 Hot Springs Elementary 20.1
  3. 3 Madison Middle School 18.2
  4. 4 Brush Creek Elementary 13.7
  5. 5 Mars Hill Elementary 11.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
233:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
46.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Madison County Schools

School Enrollment
Madison Middle School
468
Mars Hill Elementary
445
Madison High School
377
Brush Creek Elementary
356
Madison Early College High
270
Hot Springs Elementary
128
Madison Velocity Learning Center
19

How Madison County Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Whiteville City Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Union Academy Charter School Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Polk County Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Halifax County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Yancey County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Madison 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 · $11,691/pupil
Compare vs Madison County Schools →
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
144,197 students · 180 schools · $12,198/pupil
Compare vs Madison County Schools →
Guilford County Schools
68,894 students · 126 schools · $12,897/pupil
Compare vs Madison County Schools →
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools
52,717 students · 81 schools · $13,811/pupil
Compare vs Madison County Schools →
Cumberland County Schools
49,661 students · 86 schools · $12,118/pupil
Compare vs Madison County Schools →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Madison 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 Madison County Schools?

Madison County Schools has 7 schools, including 1 middle, 3 elementary, 3 high. Total enrollment is 2,108 students.

How much does Madison County Schools spend per student?

Madison County Schools spends $15,167 per student. The district has an equity score of 78/100, ranking #25 in North Carolina.

What is the demographic composition of Madison County Schools?

Madison County Schools students are 92.2% White, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% African American, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Madison County Schools?

Madison County Schools has an equity score of 78/100, ranking #25 out of 297 districts in North Carolina.