Watauga County Schools
Public school district · Watauga County · North Carolina · NCES district ID 3704830
Watauga County Schools spent $13,003 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 60% of the other North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $12,366). Its 11 schools enrolled 4,658 students in 2024-25; 56.9% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,322 per student, up 2.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 91% (North Carolina: 86.5%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · 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 Watauga County Schools in enrollment (4,374 to 5,269 students) and Watauga County Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$63,969,000 in revenue: 56.9% state, 29.2% local and 13.9% federal. Total spending including $1,784,000 of capital outlay was $66,211,000, or $13,927 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$36,381,000 57%
- Local$18,683,000 29%
- Federal$8,905,000 14%
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 150 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
4,754 students in 2022-23, 4,746 students in 2023-24, 4,658 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 | 4,754 | 398.9 | 11.9 |
| 2023-24 | 4,746 | 396.3 | 12.0 |
| 2024-25 | 4,658 | 335.0 | 13.9 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$20,091,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,226 per student
Watauga County Schools booked $20,091,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 399 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 $50,372 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 63 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 | $12,887,000 | 64.1% |
| Special education | $2,492,000 | 12.4% |
| Vocational | $1,024,000 | 5.1% |
| Other programs | $3,688,000 | 18.4% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,876 in 2018-19, $3,889 in 2019-20, $4,044 in 2020-21, $4,150 in 2021-22, $4,226 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 Watauga County Schools scored proficient or above: 61% in reading and 63% 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 | 61% | 48% | 2,126 |
| Math | 63% | 50% | 2,126 |
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.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
91% of the 371 students in Watauga County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.5% across North Carolina. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 91% | 86.5% |
| Students in the class | 371 | 120,822 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
9 elementary schools, 3,077 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin Park Elementary | 854 | 11.8 | 36.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Parkway Elementary | 610 | 14.6 | 31.5% | Not Title I |
| Blowing Rock Elementary | 409 | 14.6 | 17.4% | Not Title I |
| Valle Crucis Elementary | 345 | 12.6 | 37.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Green Valley Elementary | 292 | 10.6 | 57.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Cove Creek Elementary | 289 | 12.6 | 37.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Mabel Elementary | 140 | 8.8 | 60.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Bethel Elementary | 128 | 7.7 | 46.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Watauga Virtual Academy | 10 | 4.4 | 50.0% | Not Title I |
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.
2 high schools, 1,581 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga High | 1,289 | 15.6 | 29.8% | Not Title I |
| Watauga Innovation Academy | 292 | 60.9 | 38.4% | Not Title I |
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 Watauga County Schools
- Website: wataugaschools.org
- Phone: (828) 264-7190
- Office: 175 Pioneer Trail, Boone, NC 28607
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 Watauga County Schools
- North Carolina districts by spending per studentWatauga County Schools ranks 60 of 150 North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($13,003).#60 of 150
- Every school district in North CarolinaWatauga County Schools is the number 66 by size of 332 North Carolina districts, with 4,754 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#66 of 332
- Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public SchoolsThe next larger North Carolina district: 4,834 students in fall 2022, $13,931 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,931
- Alexander County Schools DistrictThe next smaller North Carolina district: 4,525 students in fall 2022, $12,929 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,929
- Compare Watauga County Schools with Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Watauga High, its largest high school1,289 students in 2024-25, 15.6 per teacher.1,289
- Teacher salary spending across North CarolinaWatauga County Schools spent $50,372 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,503); spending, not a salary.$50,372
- 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 Watauga County Schools
How many schools and students are in Watauga County Schools?
11 schools were open in 2024-25 (9 elementary, 2 high), enrolling 4,658 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Watauga County Schools spend per student?
$13,003 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 at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,366 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,322 per student, up 2.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Watauga County Schools' money come from?
$63,969,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 56.9% state, 29.2% local and 13.9% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Watauga County Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 547 of the 4,926 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 11.1%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Watauga County Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$20,091,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,226 per student. Divided by the 399 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $50,372 per teacher, more than 63 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 Watauga County Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Watauga County Schools scored proficient or above: 61% in reading and 63% 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 the graduation rate in Watauga County Schools?
91% of the 371 students in Watauga County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.5% across North Carolina. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Watauga County Schools' NCES district ID?
3704830. 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 four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.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
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.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: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
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