Mountain Discovery Charter School
Public school district · Swain County · North Carolina · NCES district ID 3700129
Mountain Discovery Charter School spent $12,477 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 68% of the other North Carolina districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,241). Its one school enrolled 221 students in 2024-25; 71.0% of its revenue came from the state.
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among North Carolina districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Mountain Discovery Charter School in enrollment (155 to 188 students) and Mountain Discovery Charter School itself.
Where the money came from
$2,321,000 in revenue: 71.0% state, 15.9% local and 13.1% federal. Total spending including $93,000 of capital outlay was $2,265,000, or $13,017 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$1,648,000 71%
- Local$368,000 16%
- Federal$305,000 13%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 178 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
174 students in 2022-23, 193 students in 2023-24, 221 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 174 | 10.8 | 16.1 |
| 2023-24 | 193 | 11.4 | 16.9 |
| 2024-25 | 221 | 13.6 | 16.2 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$580,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,333 per student
Mountain Discovery Charter School booked $580,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 11 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $53,555 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 88 in 100 North Carolina districts with a figure (state median $49,503, 293 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Carolina teacher salary at $53,644 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $503,000 | 86.7% |
| Special education | $77,000 | 13.3% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,297 in 2018-19, $3,138 in 2019-20, $3,218 in 2020-21, $3,569 in 2021-22, $3,333 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Mountain Discovery Charter School scored proficient or above: 46-65% in reading and 35-54% in math, against 48% in reading and 50% in math across North Carolina. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within North Carolina, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | North Carolina | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 46-65% | 48% | 109 |
| Math | 35-54% | 50% | 109 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
1 elementary school, 221 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Discovery | 221 | 16.2 | not reported | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Mountain Discovery Charter School
- Website: mountaindiscovery.org
- Phone: (828) 488-1222
- Office: 890 Jenkins Branch Rd N, Bryson City, NC 28713
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Mountain Discovery Charter School
- North Carolina districts by spending per studentMountain Discovery Charter School ranks 57 of 178 North Carolina districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,477).#57 of 178
- Every school district in North CarolinaMountain Discovery Charter School is the number 304 by size of 332 North Carolina districts, with 174 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#304 of 332
- Charlotte Secondary SchoolThe next larger North Carolina district: 175 students in fall 2022, $13,371 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,371
- VERITAS Community SchoolThe next smaller North Carolina district: 169 students in fall 2022, $12,089 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,089
- Compare Mountain Discovery Charter School with Charlotte Secondary SchoolEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Teacher salary spending across North CarolinaMountain Discovery Charter School spent $53,555 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,503); spending, not a salary.$53,555
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Mountain Discovery Charter School
How many schools and students are in Mountain Discovery Charter School?
One school was open in 2024-25 (1 elementary), enrolling 221 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Mountain Discovery Charter School spend per student?
$12,477 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the North Carolina median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,241 and the U.S. figure is $16,260.Where does Mountain Discovery Charter School's money come from?
$2,321,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 71.0% state, 15.9% local and 13.1% federal (NCES F-33).How much does Mountain Discovery Charter School spend on teacher salaries?
$580,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,333 per student. Divided by the 11 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $53,555 per teacher, more than 88 in 100 North Carolina districts (state median $49,503). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Carolina teacher salary at $53,644 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Mountain Discovery Charter School do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Mountain Discovery Charter School scored proficient or above: 46-65% in reading and 35-54% in math, against 48% in reading and 50% in math across North Carolina. North Carolina's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is Mountain Discovery Charter School's NCES district ID?
3700129. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25