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C+

Caldwell County Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 8 towns

Serves Lenoir, Sawmills, Granite Falls, Hudson, Gamewell, Cajah's Mountain, Rhodhiss and Cedar Rock, and parts of Hickory, Blowing Rock and Rutherford College.

Lenoir’s School Grade C+ better than 44% of North Carolina school districts

Students
10,667
Schools
25
Spent per student
$12,425
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
17:1
Free or reduced lunch
95%
Debt
$14.7M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Caldwell County Schools

  • Its letter, C+: results better than 44% of North Carolina districts
  • 17 students per teacher
  • Debt of $14.7M, about $1,380 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

C+: better than 44% of the 325 North Carolina school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math below the state, 2021–22
B−
GraduationFour-year graduation below the state, class of 2023
C
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
C+Lenoir 18,372C+Sawmills 5,105C+Granite Falls 4,964C+Hudson 3,786C+Gamewell 3,713C+Cajah's Mountain 2,702Rhodhiss 996Cedar Rock 302

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Lenoir. Grade by grade →

PK–54 elementary schoolsThis district
6–8William Lenoir MiddleThis district
9–12Hibriten HighThis district

Test scores vs. NC

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency47%
State average 50.8% · 5,082 students tested
Reading / language arts48%
State average 49.9% · 5,634 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)84%
State average 86.5% · 897 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$12,425 per student · 5% below NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 64%Support & administration 30%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 19%State 62%Federal 19%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
10,691’20
10,773’21
10,758’22
10,665’23
10,667’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 72%Hispanic 15%Two or more races 6%Black 5%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

25 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with North Carolina’s other public schools.

Hudson Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Hudson
B
665 students20:1
Granite Falls Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Granite Falls
A−
647 students18:1
Gamewell Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lenoir
C
459 students17:1
Dudley Shoals Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Granite Falls
C+
433 students16:1
Davenport A+ School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lenoir
C
429 students17:1
Lower Creek Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lenoir
B
396 students17:1
Baton Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Granite Falls
B+
357 students15:1
Sawmills Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Granite Falls
C
351 students17:1
Whitnel Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lenoir
D
330 students20:1
Collettsville School
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Collettsville
B
321 students16:1
Valmead Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lenoir
305 students17:1
Happy Valley Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Lenoir
C+
234 students19:1
Kings Creek Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Lenoir
B
153 students14:1
Horizons Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Lenoir
D−
29 students2:1
Caldwell Online Academy
Other · Grades 4–12 · Lenoir
138 students
Hudson Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Hudson
B−
551 students17:1
Granite Falls Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Granite Falls
B−
518 students15:1
William Lenoir Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Lenoir
C+
512 students17:1
Gamewell Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Lenoir
C+
457 students15:1
Gateway School
High · Grades 6–12 · Granite Falls
D
53 students6:1
South Caldwell High
High · Grades 9–12 · Hudson
B+
1,272 students19:1
Hibriten High
High · Grades 9–12 · Lenoir
B
818 students21:1
West Caldwell High
High · Grades 9–12 · Lenoir
B−
634 students18:1
Caldwell Early College
High · Grades 9–13 · Hudson
A+
387 students25:1
Caldwell Applied Sciences Academy
High · Grades 9–12 · Hudson
A
218 students21:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Burke County SchoolsConnelly Springs, Valdese
$12,539per student
Catawba County SchoolsConover, Newton
$11,777per student
Hickory City SchoolsBrookford, Long View
$12,093per student
Newton-Conover City SchoolsConover, Newton
$13,217per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within North Carolina.