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Burke County Schools

At a glance

83^rdof 246 North Carolina districts▲ 38

Better than 66% of North Carolina districts

Elementary 14 Middle 5 High 6 Alternative 2Grades PK, KG-12

700 East Parker Road
Morganton, NC 28680·(828) 439-4311·All North Carolina district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 66.3% of districts

Schools

11,667

Students

Top rankedSalem Elementary275^th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools

▲

Biggest riser

W A Young Elementary up 426 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Icard Elementary 12.7 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

1★

4 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare North Carolina districts →See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

Burke County Schools, a high-poverty public district in western North Carolina, serves roughly 11,667 students across 26 schools — 14 elementary, 5 middle, 6 high, and 1 alternative program. The district ranks 83rd of 246 in the state (66th percentile, 3 stars), and while every school has a free/reduced-price lunch rate above 95%, performance varies widely.

The clear standouts are Salem Elementary and Icard Elementary. Salem ranks 275th of 1,492 elementary schools (82nd percentile, 4 stars) and beats district and state averages in every reported subject. Icard ranks 290th, with 81.6% proficiency in 3rd grade math and an impressive leap from 588th to 290th in one year. At the high school level, Draughn High School (201st of 662) and Patton High School (202nd) lead the district. Draughn excels in math — 77.9% in Math I and 85.1% in Math III — while Patton beats district and state averages in all four EOC subjects and graduates 94.4% of students. Burke Middle College, an early-college program for grades 11-12, posts the district's highest math rate: 87.5% proficiency in Math III.

The biggest challenge is reading. District reading proficiency trails state averages in the upper elementary and middle grades. Hillcrest Elementary posts just 25.6% and Forest Hill Elementary 38.6% proficiency in 5th grade reading, while Walter R Johnson Middle sits at 40.1% in 6th grade reading. The alternative schools — Hallyburton Academy and North Liberty — serve high-need populations and report extreme chronic absenteeism of 84.4% and 57.7%, respectively, far above the district norm. These specialized programs should not be compared with traditional schools. Overall, Burke County offers strong options in math and science, especially at Salem, Icard, Draughn, and Patton, but families should look closely at literacy support at lower-performing schools.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	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
Heritage Middle	Public	6-8	1951 Enon Road	Valdese	28690	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 874-0731	475	29	16.1	99.2%	349 (73.5%)	19 (4.0%)	43 (9.1%)	30 (6.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (6.3%)	61.7	280^th of 778 public middle schools	64.0%		66.5	237^th of 773 public middle schools	69.3%	43								55.3	66.3	73.5				50.0	62.6	53.2		76.9	$8,601	$890	$7,711
Table Rock Middle	Public	6-8	1585 Nc 126	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-5212	427	31	14.0	99.1%	282 (66.0%)	34 (8.0%)	53 (12.4%)	20 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.7%)	56.2	337^th of 778 public middle schools	56.7%		49.2	390^th of 773 public middle schools	49.5%	53								46.3	66.7	65.0				49.0	53.3	51.6		85.4	$9,032	$751	$8,280
East Burke High	Public	9-12	3695 East Burke Boulevard	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 397-5541	874	38	23.1	99.4%	655 (74.9%)	16 (1.8%)	86 (9.8%)	71 (8.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (5.0%)	44.1	377^th of 662 public high schools	43.1%		56.3	254^th of 641 public high schools	60.4%	123	52.1	62.7	49.0	62.5															$9,240	$806	$8,435
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%)	20.5	1272^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	14.7%		23.1	1217^th of 1490 public elementary schools	18.3%	55					53.3	45.7	36.4				48.9	37.0	38.6				52.3		$10,628	$1,562	$9,066
Freedom High	Public	9-12	511 Independence Boulevard	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-1310	1,299	57	22.7	99.8%	595 (45.8%)	93 (7.2%)	459 (35.3%)	54 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	98 (7.5%)	42	392^nd of 662 public high schools	40.8%		30.4	440^th of 641 public high schools	31.4%	48	54.9	56.4	49.6	61.3															$8,511	$796	$7,716
George Hildebrand Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8078 G Hildebrand Sch Road	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 879-9595	327	22	14.7	98.5%	277 (84.7%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.4%)	12 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	17 (5.2%)	67.8	458^th of 1492 public elementary schools	69.3%		77.1	291^st of 1490 public elementary schools	80.5%	167					67.3	69.6	66.7				51.0	76.8	63.2				75.4		$10,687	$1,383	$9,305
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%)	58.2	612^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.0%		60.4	557^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.6%	55					76.7	69.1	64.2				74.4	54.5	47.2				62.3		$10,621	$1,368	$9,253
Hildebran Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	703 US Hwy 70 West	Hildebran	28637	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 397-3181	297	16	18.5	96.0%	225 (75.8%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.7%)	28 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (6.4%)	56.7	630^th of 1492 public elementary schools	57.8%		53.2	687^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.9%	57					56.5	63.0	61.0				54.3	69.6	51.2				80.5		$10,444	$1,872	$8,572
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%)	36	981^st of 1492 public elementary schools	34.2%		25.1	1181^st of 1490 public elementary schools	20.7%	200					67.6	45.7	58.1				61.8	37.1	25.6				65.1		$11,197	$1,694	$9,503
Icard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3087 Icard School Road	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 397-3491	265	21	12.7	98.9%	188 (70.9%)	1 (0.4%)	32 (12.1%)	32 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.5%)	76.6	290^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.6%		58.5	588^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.5%	298					81.6	72.1	76.9				68.4	60.5	61.5				82.1		$9,629	$1,361	$8,268
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%)	51.9	694^th of 1492 public elementary schools	53.5%		64	499^th of 1490 public elementary schools	66.5%	195					63.6	49.0	81.1				47.7	47.1	62.2				83.8		$11,063	$1,857	$9,205
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%)	30.4	1082^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	27.5%		29.1	1102^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	26.0%	20					46.0	53.8	52.2				34.0	48.1	52.2				63.0		$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%)	77.2	275^th of 1492 public elementary schools	81.6%		70.7	378^th of 1490 public elementary schools	74.6%	103					76.3	77.3	78.3				65.0	64.9	63.3				78.3		$9,182	$1,028	$8,153
Valdese Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	298 Praley Street	Valdese	28690	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 874-0704	530	30	17.8	99.4%	422 (79.6%)	11 (2.1%)	44 (8.3%)	25 (4.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (4.5%)	59.4	593^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	60.3%		56.5	623^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	58.2%	30					62.2	53.3	78.7				62.2	45.6	60.6				81.9		$8,594	$1,111	$7,483
Hallyburton Academy	Public	6-12	205 South Main Street	Drexel	28619	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-4184	73	9	8.4	95.9%	45 (61.6%)	5 (6.8%)	12 (16.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	10 (13.7%)								(n/a)	18.8																		$18,048	$1,530	$16,517
North Liberty	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	523 Enola Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-9656	72	11	6.3	95.8%	51 (70.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (16.7%)	3 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.8%)	4 (5.6%)								(n/a)																			$33,576	$5,487	$28,088
East Burke Middle	Public	6-8	3519 Miller Bridge Road	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 397-7446	630	40	15.9	99.2%	459 (72.9%)	14 (2.2%)	59 (9.4%)	58 (9.2%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (1.0%)	32 (5.1%)	64.9	249^th of 778 public middle schools	68.0%		50.7	383^rd of 773 public middle schools	50.5%	134								74.1	58.9	57.9				56.2	61.1	59.5		74.4	$8,638	$679	$7,959
Liberty Middle	Public	6-8	529 Enola Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-1330	453	29	15.6	99.3%	307 (67.8%)	15 (3.3%)	80 (17.7%)	16 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.7%)	63.4	265^th of 778 public middle schools	65.9%		65	252^nd of 773 public middle schools	67.4%	13								79.8	63.4	51.0				57.6	58.5	54.4		73.2	$8,674	$830	$7,844
Ray Childers Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1183 Cape Hickory Road	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 324-1340	460	29	15.7	99.3%	304 (66.1%)	6 (1.3%)	58 (12.6%)	61 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.5%)	65.5	497^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.7%		64.9	487^th of 1490 public elementary schools	67.3%	10					65.2	74.0	79.7				55.1	57.1	57.8				78.1		$10,027	$1,439	$8,588
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%)	63.5	527^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.7%		37.9	953^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	36.0%	426					71.7	73.9	56.1				52.2	63.0	63.4				75.6		$10,309	$1,352	$8,957
Walter R Johnson Middle	Public	6-8	701 Lenoir Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 430-7340	441	34	12.9	99.3%	94 (21.3%)	24 (5.4%)	284 (64.4%)	13 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.9%)	43.4	450^th of 778 public middle schools	42.2%		29.2	554^th of 773 public middle schools	28.3%	104								45.9	57.5	71.1				40.1	46.2	45.3		72.7	$8,789	$1,074	$7,715
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%)	72.2	375^th of 1492 public elementary schools	74.9%		51	733^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	50.8%	358					75.3	76.2	66.2				62.4	74.6	57.4				75.0		$9,435	$1,433	$8,002
Patton High School	Public	9-12	701 Enola Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-3000	756	31	24.3	98.9%	530 (70.1%)	10 (1.3%)	165 (21.8%)	22 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.6%)	67.9	202^nd of 662 public high schools	69.5%		54.2	267^th of 641 public high schools	58.3%	65	69.3	72.4	72.2	74.7															$9,266	$744	$8,523
Draughn High School	Public	9-12	709 Lovelady Road NE	Valdese	28690	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 879-4200	661	24	27.3	98.2%	495 (74.9%)	13 (2.0%)	69 (10.4%)	43 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	36 (5.4%)	68.2	201^st of 662 public high schools	69.6%		59	235^th of 641 public high schools	63.3%	34	62.7	66.3	77.9	85.1															$9,112	$776	$8,336
Burke Middle College	Public	11-12	1001 Burkemont Ave	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 448-3175	130	3	43.3	97.7%	69 (53.1%)	2 (1.5%)	14 (10.8%)	40 (30.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.8%)								(n/a)				87.5															$4,804	$268	$4,536
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%)	38.3	938^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.1%		28.6	1107^th of 1490 public elementary schools	25.7%	169					69.9	56.1	54.8				48.8	43.9	42.3				60.6		$9,734	$1,324	$8,410
Burke Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1951 Enon Road	Valdese	28690	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(828) 448-3175	0	2	11.9		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Caldwell County Schools	4.26 mi	25	162^nd
NC Health and Human Services	5.58 mi	11
The New Dimensions School	6.07 mi	1	107^th
Governor Morehead School for the Blind	6.5 mi	3
NC School for the Deaf	6.52 mi	1

See the top NC North Carolina districts

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.