Enrollment
292
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Boone, NC
Watauga Innovation Academy
Federal NCES profile for Watauga Innovation Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370483003376
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watauga Innovation Academy earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #7 of 7
- public schools in Boone · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 73:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 33.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Watauga Innovation Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watauga Innovation Academy ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Boone, NC.
School address
District: Watauga County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370483003376 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
73:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+362% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watauga Innovation Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watauga Innovation Academy
Watauga Innovation Academy is a mid-sized high school in Boone, North Carolina, enrolling 292 students.
Class loads run heavy: 73:1 is larger than about 99% of North Carolina schools and 362% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 292 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 151 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #137, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 26/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 389 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Boone's high schools, it stands alongside Watauga High (1,289 students): Watauga Innovation Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (73:1 vs 13:1).
Watauga County Schools also operates Watauga High (1,289 students) and Hardin Park Elementary (854 students) alongside Watauga Innovation Academy.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Watauga Innovation Academy compares
Watauga Innovation Academy on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 73:1 | ▲ 362% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.9% | ▼ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 292 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
73:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
292
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
73:1
students per teacher
- 362% above state mean
Top 99% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
13.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,698
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 85.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.3%
Two or More 1.0%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 85.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.7, Watauga Innovation Academy is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watauga County Schools, which includes Watauga Innovation Academy.
$12,698
Per student
+6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.9%
State 56.5%
Federal 15.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Watauga Innovation Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hardin Park Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkway Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blowing Rock Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valle Crucis Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watauga Innovation Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,289
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar high schools in Boone
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~292 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watauga Innovation Academy's federal record.
- Compare Watauga Innovation Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Watauga County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Watauga Innovation Academy
How many students attend Watauga Innovation Academy?
Watauga Innovation Academy has 292 students enrolled. It is a high school in Boone, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watauga Innovation Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Watauga Innovation Academy is 73:1, which is 362% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 365% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watauga Innovation Academy?
33.9% of students at Watauga Innovation Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watauga Innovation Academy?
The largest demographic group at Watauga Innovation Academy is White at 85.3% of enrollment, in Boone, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watauga Innovation Academy?
Watauga Innovation Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Watauga Innovation Academy rank among public schools in Boone?
By Resource Investment Index, Watauga Innovation Academy ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Boone, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Boone on the city page.
Is Watauga Innovation Academy a good school?
Watauga Innovation Academy earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Watauga County Schools?
Besides Watauga Innovation Academy, Watauga County Schools also operates Watauga High (1,289 students), Hardin Park Elementary (854 students), and Parkway Elementary (610 students). See the Watauga County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.