Yancey 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.

Burnsville, North Carolina - 7 schools

An equity score of 67/100 ranks Yancey County Schools #57 of 297 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,455 per pupil, Yancey County Schools ranks #55 of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,038
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$14,455
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Yancey County Schools operates 7 public schools serving 2,038 students, placing it among the smallest districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 2 middle, 2 elementary, 1 high 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 Yancey County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,455 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 18.4% local, 63.8% state, and 17.9% 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 67/100, ranked #57 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 (8 AP courses district-wide), a 301.7:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 39.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.7% White, 15.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Burnsville Elementary, with a diversity index of 45.9/100.

Its largest campus is Mountain Heritage High, enrolling 642 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is South Toe Elementary, at 107 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Mountain Heritage High accounts for 30.0% of all Yancey County Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Yancey County 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Yancey County Schools school enrollment varies 6.0× across entities

Yancey County Schools school enrollment ranges from 107 students (lowest) to 642 students (highest), a spread of 535 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Yancey County Schools reports 54.0% 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

Yancey County Schools student-counselor ratio is 302:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Yancey County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 39.8% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

17.9%
Federal
63.8%
State
18.4%
Local

Funding Equity

67
Equity Score
57 / 297
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 7 schools in Yancey County Schools.

White 81.7%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
Multiracial 1.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 29.5/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Burnsville Elementary 45.9
  2. 2 Mountain Heritage High 34.7
  3. 3 East Yancey Middle 31.7
  4. 4 South Toe Elementary 28.7
  5. 5 Cane River Middle 20.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
301.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
39.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Yancey County Schools

School Enrollment
Mountain Heritage High
642
Blue Ridge Elementary
382
Burnsville Elementary
350
East Yancey Middle
259
Cane River Middle
210
Micaville Elementary
188
South Toe Elementary
107

How Yancey 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
Madison County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Wake Preparatory Academy Similar size Lower spending No revenue-mix data
Union Academy Charter School Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Camden County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Yancey County Schools has 7 schools, including 1 high, 2 combined, 2 middle, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,038 students.

How much does Yancey County Schools spend per student?

Yancey County Schools spends $14,455 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #57 in North Carolina.

What is the demographic composition of Yancey County Schools?

Yancey County Schools students are 81.7% White, 15.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Yancey County Schools?

Yancey County Schools has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #57 out of 297 districts in North Carolina.