School district or education agency · NCES 3704830

Watauga County Schools

Sugar Grove, NC

District overview See comparisons

Students4,746

Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.

Schools11

operational schools · 2023–24

Students4,746

students in linked records

Latest attendance year2022–23

federal comparable series

Latest finance record$13,003

per student

District, state and country

How does this district compare?

State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.

MeasureDistrictNCUnited States

Academic standing2025

58th percentile45th percentile45th percentile

This district is 13 percentile points higher than the state figure and 13 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students chronically absent2022–23

18.2%28.7%27.8%

This district is 10.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 9.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Revenue per studentFY 2023

$13,456$13,391$19,509

This district is $65 per student higher than the state figure and $6,053 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Spending per studentFY 2023

$13,003$12,316$15,859

This district is $687 per student higher than the state figure and $2,856 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Capital outlay per studentFY 2023

$375$1,359$1,964

This district is $984 per student lower than the state figure and $1,589 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Equipment spending per studentFY 2023

$224$215$336

This district is $9 per student higher than the state figure and $112 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Special-education spending per studentFY 2023

$1,700$1,306$1,793

This district is $394 per student higher than the state figure and $93 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Salaries per studentFY 2023

$8,013$7,126$8,742

This district is $887 per student higher than the state figure and $729 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Benefits per studentFY 2023

$3,453$2,889$3,769

This district is $564 per student higher than the state figure and $316 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023

$10,264$5,278$11,715

This district is $4,986 per student higher than the state figure and $1,451 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt retired per studentFY 2023

$985$656$869

This district is $329 per student higher than the state figure and $116 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Students per teacher2023–24

12:115:115:1

This district is 3.0 students per teacher lower than the state figure and 3.0 students per teacher lower than the U.S. figure.

Students per counselor2023–24

297:1340:1376:1

This district is 43 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 79 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.

District staff per 1,000 students2023–24

144.2128.4138.9

This district is 15.8 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 5.3 staff per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.

Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24

15.114.718.5

This district is 0.4 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 3.4 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24

1.10.50.9

This district is 0.6 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.2 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.

Regular diplomas among completers2023–24

100.0%99.3%99.0%

This district is 0.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24

1.6%2.0%2.6%

This district is 0.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24

2.4%1.5%2.9%

This district is 0.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools

4.2%8.7%12.0%

This district is 4.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools

16.8%11.9%14.0%

This district is 4.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools

2.0%1.9%3.9%

This district is 0.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools

95.5%92.5%95.8%

This district is 3.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24

+1.6%+0.9%+0.5%

This district is 0.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records

23.7%50.8%50.6%

This district is 27.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 26.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment

2.6%7.8%4.5%

This district is 5.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment

7.7%15.6%9.0%

This district is 7.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment

9.9%13.3%6.7%

This district is 3.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment

21.1%6.9%5.1%

This district is 14.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 16.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate

11.1%15.6%14.4%

This district is 4.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment · 2023–24

Who attends this district?

Pre-K114 students

2.4%

Kindergarten–grade 51,992 students

42.0%

Grades 6–81,056 students

22.3%

Grades 9–121,584 students

33.4%

See enrollment for every grade

Pre-Kindergarten114

Kindergarten333

Grade 1325

Grade 2330

Grade 3321

Grade 4337

Grade 5346

Grade 6334

Grade 7368

Grade 8354

Grade 9447

Grade 10419

Grade 11375

Grade 12343

Students by race and ethnicity

White3,946 (83.1%)

Hispanic/Latino500 (10.5%)

Two or more races139 (2.9%)

Asian91 (1.9%)

Black or African American54 (1.1%)

American Indian or Alaska Native14 (0.3%)

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander2 (0.0%)

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.

Early learning · 2023–24

How much public pre-K is reported?

114Students enrolled in pre-K

3Pre-K teachers, full-time equivalent

38.0:1Reported pre-K students per pre-K teacher

Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment

District2.4%

NC1.5%

United States2.9%

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.

Current staffing · 2023–24

How many staff members support students?

684.4All district staff, full-time equivalent

396.3Teachers, full-time equivalent

16School counselors, full-time equivalent

5School psychologists, full-time equivalent

71.5Instructional aides, full-time equivalent

0.8Librarians and media specialists, full-time equivalent

17.7School administrators, full-time equivalent

46.4Student support staff, full-time equivalent

See detailed staffing

Pre-K teachers3 FTE

Kindergarten teachers26.7 FTE

Elementary teachers260.1 FTE

Secondary teachers104.6 FTE

Ungraded teachers2 FTE

Elementary school counselors9.6 FTE

Secondary school counselors5 FTE

Instructional coordinators10.5 FTE

District administrators9.5 FTE

District administrative support13.6 FTE

School administrative support25.5 FTE

Other support staff71.7 FTE

Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.

High-school outcomes · 2023–24

How many students completed school or dropped out?

349Total completers

349Regular diplomas

25Reported dropouts, grades 9–12

Regular diplomas among completers

District100.0%

NC99.3%

United States99.0%

Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12

District1.6%

NC2.0%

United States2.6%

Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.

Teachers and staff

Teacher workforce

Loading the district’s workforce comparison…

Graduation · 2022–23

How many students graduated within four years?

Loading the district's official graduation record…

Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot

How many students may need specialized support?

Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.

4.2%Students learning English185 students · 10 of 11 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District4.2%

NC8.7%

U.S.12.0%

16.8%Students receiving IDEA special-education services764 students · 11 of 11 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District16.8%

NC11.9%

U.S.14.0%

2.0%Students with Section 504 plans81 students · 9 of 11 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District2.0%

NC1.9%

U.S.3.9%

1.5%English learners also receiving IDEA services67 students · 11 of 11 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District1.5%

NC1.3%

U.S.1.7%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.

Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22

What did the district report about teachers and preschool?

95.5%Teachers reported as certified

111Children ages 3–5 in district preschool

Teacher certification comparison

District95.5%

NC92.5%

United States95.8%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.

Community context · 2024

How many school-age children live in poverty?

This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.

4,926children ages 5 to 17

547estimated to live in families below the poverty line

11.1%about 1 in 9 school-age children

District11.1%

NC15.6%

United States14.4%

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.

District geography · 2024–25

What area does this district cover?

NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.

Loading the official district boundary…

Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.

Comparable districts

Districts serving a similar student population

These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in NC receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.

Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public SchoolsElizabeth City, NC4,719 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Currituck County SchoolsBarco, NC4,554 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Dare County SchoolsBuxton, NC5,102 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Alexander County SchoolsTaylorsville, NC4,365 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Macon County SchoolsFranklin, NC4,460 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →

Student outcomes

How are students doing?

Four views answer different questions. State test percentages show grade-level expectations; the national research trend shows change over time; graduation and dropout measures describe high-school outcomes.

Nationally comparable trend · 2019–2025

Are results improving over time?

58^thlatest estimated national standing

20192022202320242025

6 percentile points lower than 2019.

Annual dropout · 2023–24

How many high-school students left during the year?

1.6%of students enrolled in grades 9–12

District1.6%

NC2.0%

U.S.2.6%

Lower is better. This annual rate is not the opposite of the graduation rate because the measures use different students and time periods.

State proficiency standards differ and should not be used for cross-state rankings. Graduation ranges and privacy protections are preserved exactly. The academic trend uses Stanford Education Data Archive estimates and is not a state proficiency percentage.

Academic results · 2025

How do results differ among student groups?

Students not economically disadvantaged2,468 assessments

71 out of 100

White students3,319 assessments

62 out of 100

Mal2,087 assessments

59 out of 100

Fem1,917 assessments

58 out of 100

Economically disadvantaged students1,536 assessments

37 out of 100

Hispanic students417 assessments

26 out of 100

A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.

District makeup

What kinds of schools are in the district?

9Elementary schools

2High schools

8Rural setting

3Town setting

School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.

District finances

How is the district funded, and how does it spend?

Sources of funds

Where the money comes from

Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.

13.9%Federal

56.9%State

29.2%Local

Uses of funds

Where the money goes

Annual spending for each enrolled student.

$13,003Total current spending per student

$8,121Instruction per student

$4,346Support services per student

Revenue by source: percentages and dollars

$8.9MFederal revenue13.9% of total revenue

$36.4MState revenue56.9% of total revenue

$18.7MLocal revenue29.2% of total revenue

How operating money was used

$8,121Instructionper student

$4,346Student and instructional supportper student

$1,700Special educationper student

$1,010Building operations and maintenanceper student

$413Student transportationper student

$536Food servicesper student

$192Technologyper student

People costs

$38.1MSalaries$8,013 per student

$16.4MEmployee benefits$3,453 per student

Equipment, buildings and debt

$1.1MEquipmentFY 2023

$1.8MCapital outlay$375 per student

$719KConstructionincluded in capital outlay

$48.8MDebt outstanding at year end$10,264 per student

$31.8MNew debt issuedFY 2023

$4.7MDebt principal retiredFY 2023

$1.5MInterest paid on debtFY 2023

Selected federal program revenue

$795KTitle I$167 per student

$1.1MIDEA special education$227 per student

$72KCareer and technical education$15 per student

$1.4MChild nutrition$302 per student

What changed since FY 2022

Operating spending per student

FY 2022$12,698

FY 2023$13,003

Capital spending per student

FY 2022$206

FY 2023$375

Debt outstanding per student

FY 2022$4,639

FY 2023$10,264

Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.

Attendance

How has chronic absence changed?

2020–216.4%

288 of 4,472 students

2021–2218%

823 of 4,562 students

2022–2318.2%

840 of 4,628 students

Specialized support and security · 2021–22

What specialized roles were reported?

5Sworn law-enforcement officer FTE11 reporting schools

1Security staff FTE11 reporting schools

Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.

Learning opportunities

What do district schools offer?

Algebra I2 reporting schools

Calculus2 reporting schools

Biology2 reporting schools

Chemistry2 reporting schools

Physics2 reporting schools

Computer science2 reporting schools

Advanced Placement2 reporting schools

Dual enrollment2 reporting schools

Gifted programs11 reporting schools

International Baccalaureate2 reporting schools

Athletics2 reporting schools

Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.

Safety and discipline

What was reported across district schools?

146Out-of-school suspensions11 reporting schoolsSee schools →197In-school suspensions11 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Law-enforcement referrals11 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests11 reporting schoolsSee schools →

Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.

Technology and safety · 2021–22

What access and incident data is available?

82%Schools reporting Wi-Fi11 reporting schools

100%Schools reporting fiber11 reporting schools

0Student devices reported10 reporting schools

Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.

Six questions parents ask

What the available data says

Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.

Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?18.2% chronically absent2022–23 · 4,628 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?6 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$13,003current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?297:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →

Data status

8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.

See all sources →