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B+

Surry County Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 3 towns

Serves Mount Airy, Dobson and Pilot Mountain.

Mount Airy’s School Grade B+ better than 66% of North Carolina school districts

Students
7,318
Schools
20
Spent per student
$12,463
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
15:1
Free or reduced lunch
98%
Debt
$29.1M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Surry County Schools

  • Its letter, B+: results better than 68% of North Carolina districts
  • Math proficiency 9 pts above the state
  • 15 students per teacher
  • Debt of $29.1M, about $3,979 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B+: better than 68% 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 well above the state, 2021–22
B+
GraduationFour-year graduation above the state, class of 2023
B+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Mount Airy. Grade by grade →

PK–2Bruce H. Tharrington PrimaryMount Airy City Schools
3–5Jones IntermediateMount Airy City Schools
6–8Mount Airy MiddleMount Airy City Schools
9–12Mount Airy HighMount Airy City Schools

Test scores vs. NC

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency60%
State average 50.8% · 3,466 students tested
Reading / language arts54%
State average 49.9% · 3,771 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)90%
State average 86.5% · 630 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
$12,463 per student · 4% below NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 60%Support & administration 32%Other 8%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 15%State 66%Federal 19%

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

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

Enrollment over time
7,291’20
7,300’21
7,340’22
7,352’23
7,318’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 66%Hispanic 27%Two or more races 4%Black 2%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

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

Franklin Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Mount Airy
B+
473 students13:1
Pilot Mountain Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Pilot Mountain
B+
353 students15:1
Dobson Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Dobson
B+
350 students15:1
Cedar Ridge Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Lowgap
B−
348 students14:1
Rockford Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Dobson
B−
335 students13:1
White Plains Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Mount Airy
A−
328 students15:1
Copeland Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Dobson
A−
274 students13:1
Shoals Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Pinnacle
A
235 students13:1
Flat Rock Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Mount Airy
B−
217 students13:1
Westfield Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Pilot Mountain
B+
212 students12:1
Mountain Park Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · State Road
B
188 students12:1
Surry Online Magnet School
Other · Grades K–12 · Dobson
B−
121 students
Central Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Dobson
B
502 students16:1
Pilot Mountain Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Pilot Mountain
B
401 students16:1
J Sam Gentry Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Mount Airy
B
320 students14:1
Meadowview Magnet Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Mount Airy
B
318 students13:1
North Surry High
High · Grades 9–12 · Mount Airy
B+
792 students17:1
Surry Central High
High · Grades 9–12 · Dobson
B
679 students17:1
East Surry High
High · Grades 9–12 · Pilot Mountain
A−
576 students18:1
Surry Early College
High · Grades 9–13 · Dobson
A+
296 students

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.