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D

Carter County School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12

Serves Watauga, and parts of Johnson City.

Watauga’s Schools page →

Students
4,450
Schools
14
Spent per student
$11,729
TN $13,059
The gist

What stands out about Carter County School District

  • Its letter, D: results better than 12% of Tennessee districts
  • Math proficiency 10 pts below the state
  • Graduation rate 12 pts below the state
  • Spends 10% less per student than the TN average
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

D: better than 12% of the 147 Tennessee 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 below the state, 2021–22
C
GraduationFour-year graduation well below the state, class of 2023
D−
The town it serves, and its School Grade
Watauga 364

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Watauga. Grade by grade →

PK–87 schoolsThis district
9–124 high schoolsThis district

Test scores vs. TN

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency21%
State average 31.1% · 2,864 students tested
Reading / language arts33%
State average 36.8% · 2,649 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)75%
State average 87.3% · 397 in the class

96% 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
$11,729 per student · 10% below TN
Spending
Classroom instruction 60%Support & administration 33%Other 7%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 20%State 54%Federal 25%

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

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

Enrollment over time
4,470’20
4,397’21
4,433’22
4,541’23
4,450’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 91%Hispanic 5%Two or more races 3%Black <1%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

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

Hampton Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Hampton
C
662 students
Happy Valley Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Johnson City
B
506 students
Central Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Johnson City
C−
267 students
Cloudland Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–6 · Roan Mountain
B−
262 students
Unaka Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Elizabethton
D
194 students
Valley Forge Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Elizabethton
B
186 students
Hunter Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–8 · Elizabethton
C
498 students
Carter County Online Academy
Other · Grades K–12 · Elizabethton
B−
123 students
Happy Valley Middle School
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Elizabethton
C
354 students
Carter County Alternative School
High · Grades 5–12 · Elizabethton
61 students
Cloudland High School
High · Grades 7–12 · Roan Mountain
C+
236 students
Happy Valley High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Elizabethton
C+
449 students
Hampton High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Elizabethton
C
368 students
Unaka High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Elizabethton
C+
284 students

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Elizabethton City School DistrictElizabethton
$13,471per 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 Tennessee.