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B

Burke County Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 8 towns

Serves Morganton, Valdese, Drexel, Hildebran, Glen Alpine, Connelly Springs, Rutherford College and Rhodhiss, and parts of Hickory and Long View.

Morganton’s School Grade B better than 56% of North Carolina school districts

Students
11,667
Schools
26
Spent per student
$12,539
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
17:1
Free or reduced lunch
99%
Debt
$18.9M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Burke County Schools

  • Its letter, B: results better than 56% of North Carolina districts
  • 17 students per teacher
  • Debt of $18.9M, about $1,619 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B: better than 56% 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 above the state, 2021–22
B
GraduationFour-year graduation above the state, class of 2023
B
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
BMorganton 17,849BValdese 4,712BDrexel 1,764BHildebran 1,691BGlen Alpine 1,552BConnelly Springs 1,550BRutherford College 1,220Rhodhiss 996

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Morganton. Grade by grade →

PK–53 elementary schoolsThis district
6–82 middle schoolsThis district
9–122 high schoolsThis district

Test scores vs. NC

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency54%
State average 50.8% · 5,539 students tested
Reading / language arts50%
State average 49.9% · 6,092 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)88%
State average 86.5% · 994 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
$12,539 per student · 4% below NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 60%Support & administration 34%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 18%State 62%Federal 20%

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

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

Enrollment over time
11,733’20
11,632’21
11,770’22
11,690’23
11,667’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 62%Hispanic 21%Two or more races 6%Asian 6%Black 4%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

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

Mountain View Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Morganton
C
762 students15:1
Valdese Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Valdese
B
530 students18:1
Drexel Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Morganton
B
477 students16:1
Salem Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Morganton
B+
476 students17:1
Ray Childers Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Hickory
C+
460 students16:1
George Hildebrand Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Connelly Springs
C+
327 students15:1
W A Young Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Morganton
C+
327 students13:1
Oak Hill Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Morganton
B−
310 students15:1
Forest Hill Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Morganton
C
305 students16:1
Hildebran Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Hildebran
C+
297 students19:1
Glen Alpine Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Morganton
B
295 students13:1
Mull Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Morganton
B−
291 students14:1
Icard Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Connelly Springs
B+
265 students13:1
Hillcrest Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Morganton
D
254 students14:1
North Liberty
Other · Grades PK–12 · Morganton
D−
72 students6:1
East Burke Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Connelly Springs
B
630 students16:1
Heritage Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Valdese
B+
475 students16:1
Liberty Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Morganton
B−
453 students16:1
Walter R Johnson Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Morganton
C
441 students13:1
Table Rock Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Morganton
C+
427 students14:1
Hallyburton Academy
High · Grades 6–12 · Drexel
D−
73 students8:1
Freedom High
High · Grades 9–12 · Morganton
B+
1,299 students23:1
East Burke High
High · Grades 9–12 · Connelly Springs
A−
874 students23:1
Patton High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Morganton
A
756 students24:1
Draughn High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Valdese
A−
661 students27:1
Burke Middle College
High · Grades 11–12 · Morganton
A+
130 students

Left off: 1 school reporting no students for 2024–25.

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Caldwell County SchoolsGranite Falls
$12,425per student
Catawba County SchoolsConover, Newton
$11,777per student
Newton-Conover City SchoolsConover, Newton
$13,217per student
Hickory City SchoolsBrookford
$12,093per 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.