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Albertus Ledbetter HouseAlbertus Ledbetter House · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Schools in Old Fort

Old Fort’s public schools

McDowell County Schools has no state test or graduation results we can use, so there is no Schools grade for Old Fort. Each school below is shown with its own results.

—Not gradedK–12Where will my kid go?4/7schools above North Carolina’s middle

Tests spring 2022, when 100% of students in North Carolina’s tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s graduation rate (U.S. Department of Education). How TownRatings grades schools

Reading proficiency
48%
2021–22
Math proficiency
51%
2021–22
Graduate on time
84%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$13.4K
▲ 3% vs NC $13.0K
FY2024
Students per teacher
15.0
NC 16.0 · smaller classes
Schools in town
1
3,280 students on the public path
In brief

Old Fort’s schools, in brief

School by school

4 of Old Fort’s 7 district schools with test results score above the middle of North Carolina’s 2,529 public schools. McDowell Early College places highest (better than 97%); East McDowell Middle School lowest (32%). See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools in Old Fort, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–5Old Fort Elementary SchoolMcDowell County SchoolsC+
6–83 middle schoolsDepends on your addressC to B+
9–123 high schoolsDepends on your addressB+ to A+

Which school depends on your address. To confirm it, ask the McDowell County Schools.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

McDowell County SchoolsGrades PK–12 · 15 schools · 5,613 students, down 2% since 2020–21 · 15.0 per teacher (NC 16.0)
$13,412NC $13,045 · FY2024
B−
Test scores · 2021–22

Below the state in reading

Reading48%
State average 49.9% · 3082 students tested
Math51%
State average 50.8% · 2721 students tested

Old Fort vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the North Carolina towns that share Old Fort’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
Old Fort—McDowell County Schools

Every school in Old Fort

7 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with North Carolina’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Old Fortby address
Old Fort Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5
C+
360 students15:1Rate it →
Also serving Old Fortin other towns
West McDowell Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Marion
C+
550 students15:1Rate it →
East McDowell Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Marion
C
392 students11:1Rate it →
Foothills Community School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Marion
B+
200 students18:1Rate it →
McDowell High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Marion
B+
1,379 students16:1Rate it →
McDowell Early College
High · Grades 9–12 · Marion
A+
241 students20:1Rate it →
McDowell Academy for Innovation
High · Grades 9–12 · Marion
A+
158 students23:1Rate it →

Questions about Old Fort’s schools

Are Old Fort’s schools good?

There’s no Schools grade for Old Fort. McDowell County Schools has no state test or graduation results we can use, so there is no Schools grade for Old Fort. Each school below is shown with its own results. School by school, 4 of its 7 district schools with test results score above the middle of North Carolina’s public schools on their 2020–21 results.

What school district is Old Fort in?

McDowell County Schools.

Where do Old Fort kids go to high school?

One of three high schools, depending on your address: McDowell High School, McDowell Early College and McDowell Academy for Innovation.

Parents talk

What Old Fort families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Old Fort → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). Stars are from neighbors.