Enrollment
10
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Boone, NC
Watauga Virtual Academy
Federal NCES profile for Watauga Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 83/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370483003559
👥 S:T ratio 96
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watauga Virtual Academy earns 83/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Boone · Resource Index
- 83
- Resource Index · Higher
- 1:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 34.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Watauga Virtual Academy has class sizes smaller than 99% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watauga Virtual Academy ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Boone, NC.
School address
District: Watauga County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370483003559 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-94% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watauga Virtual Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watauga Virtual Academy
Watauga Virtual Academy is a small elementary school in Boone, North Carolina, enrolling 10 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 1:1, Watauga Virtual Academy is leaner than roughly 99% of North Carolina schools and 94% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.1% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of North Carolina schools, with 10 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 100% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 54/100).
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Boone's elementary schools, it stands alongside Two Rivers Community School (163 students): Watauga Virtual Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (1:1 vs 12.5:1).
Watauga County Schools also operates Watauga High (1,289 students) and Hardin Park Elementary (854 students) alongside Watauga Virtual 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 Virtual Academy compares
Watauga Virtual 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 | 1:1 | ▼ 94% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.1% | ▼ 48% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 10 | top 100% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
1:1
Leaner classes than 100% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
10
Bigger than 1% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
1:1
students per teacher
- 94% below state mean
Top 1% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 100% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 60.0%
Hispanic or Latino 30.0%
Asian 10.0%
Largest group: White at 60.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.0, Watauga Virtual Academy is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watauga County Schools, which includes Watauga Virtual 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 Virtual Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardin Park Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkway Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blowing Rock Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valle Crucis Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watauga Virtual 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 elementary schools in Boone
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~10 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watauga Virtual Academy's federal record.
- Compare Watauga Virtual 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 Virtual Academy
How many students attend Watauga Virtual Academy?
Watauga Virtual Academy has 10 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Boone, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watauga Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Watauga Virtual Academy is 1:1, which is 94% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 94% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watauga Virtual Academy?
34.1% of students at Watauga Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watauga Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at Watauga Virtual Academy is White at 60.0% of enrollment, in Boone, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watauga Virtual Academy?
Watauga Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 83/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Watauga Virtual Academy rank among public schools in Boone?
By Resource Investment Index, Watauga Virtual Academy ranks #1 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 Virtual Academy a good school?
Watauga Virtual Academy earns 83/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. 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 Virtual 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.