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W A Young Elementary

Q: Is W A Young Elementary a good school?

W A Young Elementary ranks 953 rd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

953^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 36% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

W A Young Elementary is a public elementary school in Morganton, North Carolina, serving 293 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Burke County Schools district, which is ranked 121 out of 242 districts in the state.

Academically, W A Young Elementary has shown mixed performance compared to state and district averages. While the school's gifted and talented students have performed well, with a 5-star rating in 2021-2022, the school's overall proficiency rates in 3rd-5th grade math and reading have generally been lower than the state and district. However, the school did outperform the state and district in 4th grade math in 2024-2025. The school's performance for students in different subgroups also varies, with the school's white students and students with disabilities struggling compared to their peers statewide.

W A Young Elementary faces significant challenges, with nearly 99% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school's per-student spending of $10,309 in 2018-2019 was higher than the state average, but it is unclear how this funding is being utilized to support student learning. Compared to nearby schools in the Burke County district, W A Young's academic performance is mixed, with some schools, such as Drexel Elementary and Mull Elementary, outperforming it in recent years, while others, like Hillcrest Elementary and Mountain View Elementary, have also struggled.

327

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,309

Per pupil spending ?

95.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

325 Conley Road
Morganton, NC 28655

(828) 584-0632

District: Burke County Schools

Students who attend W A Young Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Table Rock Middle
High:	Freedom High

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.2%

Asian:

9.8%

Two or more races:

7.0%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare W A Young Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 42nd percentile in 2015 → 36th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (48% vs 57% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg56%

North Carolina avg57%

953^rd of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 36%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 42% (2015) to bottom 36% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 14Elementary Schools in the Burke County Schools

121^st of 242Burke County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	37.9	953 of 1490	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.4	499 of 1505	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.7	645 of 1502	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.0	629 of 1514	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.8	808 of 1489	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.6	979 of 1473	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.5	833 of 1434	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	49.1	759 of 1429	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	32.3	1043 of 1425	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	44.2	840 of 1440	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.3	787 of 1390	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.4	838 of 1403	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	60.1	600 of 1388	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.5	422 of 1381	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	71.5	365 of 1363	73.2%	★★★★☆
2009	68.3	432 of 1354	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.0	469 of 1324	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	45.1	819 of 1293	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	68.9	355 of 1276	72.2%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	34.9	405 of 634	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.7	774 of 878	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.2	883 of 897	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.4	984 of 1451	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.6	539 of 1455	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.0	680 of 1459	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.0	652 of 1458	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.3	807 of 1440	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.9	957 of 1424	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.0	831 of 1405	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.7	99 of 710	86.1%	★★★★☆
2024	53.0	429 of 669	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	70.2	14 of 500	97.2%	★★★★★
2019	65.9	83 of 612	86.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	872 of 1437	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	70.1	321 of 1450	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	66.9	375 of 1437	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	65.6	350 of 1366	74.4%	★★★★☆
2021	54.9	497 of 1329	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.8	958 of 1361	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.8	672 of 1332	49.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	42.5	853 of 1450	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.9	433 of 1464	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	58.9	591 of 1461	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.5	591 of 1464	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.2	762 of 1444	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.5	931 of 1430	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.8	794 of 1413	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	15.3	1078 of 1172	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	39.0	766 of 1166	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.0	911 of 1183	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.9	853 of 1194	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.7	1034 of 1172	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	1035 of 1183	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.0	1039 of 1178	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Gifted and Talented (2025)86th percentile+50 vs school

Male (2025)41st percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2022)36th percentile-22 vs school

Female (2025)32nd percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)8th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics55%-6 vs state

Reading46%-7 vs state

Science36%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near W A Young Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
W A Young Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	325 Conley Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 584-0632	327	25	12.9	95.4%	246 (75.2%)	4 (1.2%)	22 (6.7%)	32 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.0%)	37.9	953^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	36.0%		64.4	499^th of 1505 public elementary schools	66.8%	454	62.8	68.2	36.2				46.5	61.4	29.8				36.2		$10,309	$1,352	$8,957
Glen Alpine Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	302 London Street	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 584-0661	295	22	13.2	99.0%	180 (61.0%)	14 (4.7%)	49 (16.6%)	20 (6.8%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (10.2%)	60.4	557^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.6%		52.6	706^th of 1505 public elementary schools	53.1%	149	72.5	57.8	75.5				43.1	51.1	52.8				71.7		$10,621	$1,368	$9,253
Forest Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	304 Ann Street	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-5906	305	19	15.8	99.0%	78 (25.6%)	25 (8.2%)	175 (57.4%)	7 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.6%)	23.1	1217^th of 1490 public elementary schools	18.3%		22.3	1239^th of 1505 public elementary schools	17.7%	22	46.3	35.7	43.2				26.8	45.2	40.9				56.8		$10,628	$1,562	$9,066
Oak Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2363 Nc 181	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 433-1533	310	20	15.2	99.0%	194 (62.6%)	40 (12.9%)	38 (12.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	34 (11.0%)	29.1	1102^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	26.0%		26.7	1169^th of 1505 public elementary schools	22.3%	67	41.8	42.6	38.9				36.4	55.3	42.6				59.3		$9,195	$1,040	$8,155
Salem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1329 Salem Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-5901	476	28	17.0	98.7%	377 (79.2%)	3 (0.6%)	65 (13.7%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.6%)	70.7	378^th of 1490 public elementary schools	74.6%		73.5	352^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	76.6%	26	77.0	75.8	68.7				54.0	58.1	50.7				74.6		$9,182	$1,028	$8,153
Mountain View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	805 Bouchelle St	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-1584	762	52	14.5	97.8%	287 (37.7%)	58 (7.6%)	346 (45.4%)	12 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	56 (7.3%)	28.6	1107^th of 1490 public elementary schools	25.7%		34.7	1015^th of 1505 public elementary schools	32.6%	92	55.0	54.1	44.9				25.2	45.9	41.1				52.3		$9,734	$1,324	$8,410
Hillcrest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 Tennessee Street	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-4258	254	18	14.0	97.6%	38 (15.0%)	17 (6.7%)	182 (71.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	25.1	1181^st of 1490 public elementary schools	20.7%		25.7	1184^th of 1505 public elementary schools	21.3%	3	52.9	42.2	57.1				32.4	37.8	40.5				42.9		$11,197	$1,694	$9,503
New Dimensions	Public, Charter	K-8	550 Lenoir Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	The New Dimensions School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-5753	569	39	14.7	33.0%	500 (87.9%)	21 (3.7%)	13 (2.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.4%)	58.1	596^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.0%		58.5	608^th of 1505 public elementary schools	59.6%	12	76.6	62.7	46.4	56.9	60.4	66.7	57.8	56.7	48.2	60.0	73.6	70.8	60.7	72.9
Mull Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1140 Old NC 18 South	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-5785	291	20	14.2	98.6%	203 (69.8%)	8 (2.7%)	48 (16.5%)	13 (4.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.8%)	64	499^th of 1490 public elementary schools	66.5%		78.5	272^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	81.9%	227	58.7	78.1	73.1				30.4	65.6	67.3				69.2		$11,063	$1,857	$9,205
Drexel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Alta Vista Street	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-3160	477	29	16.4	98.7%	316 (66.2%)	23 (4.8%)	55 (11.5%)	41 (8.6%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	35 (7.3%)	51	733^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	50.8%		66.1	473^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	68.6%	260	56.1	63.9	46.5				54.5	48.6	49.3				74.6		$9,435	$1,433	$8,002

Frequently Asked Questions about W A Young Elementary

How many students attend W A Young Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 327 students attended W A Young Elementary.

Is W A Young Elementary a good school?

W A Young Elementary ranks 953^rd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is W A Young Elementary in?

Burke County Schools

What schools do graduates of W A Young Elementary attend?

Students who attend W A Young Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Table Rock Middle
High : Freedom High

What is the racial makeup of W A Young Elementary?

Students at W A Young Elementary are 75% White, 10% Asian, 7% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 1% African American.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.