Cherokee County Schools

Cherokee County Schools is a small, high-poverty rural district in North Carolina serving roughly 2,992 students across 13 schools: 5 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 5 high/secondary schools, including Tri-County Early College High and The Oaks Academy.

Families will find dramatic differences in school performance despite nearly universal poverty: 12 of 13 schools have at least 96% of students receiving free/reduced lunch, yet outcomes range from the 72nd percentile to the 6th. Tri-County Early College High is the district’s clear standout, earning 4 stars and far outpacing other local high schools in Biology (90.5% proficient), English II, and graduation (94.6%) — all while spending the least per pupil ($7,830). Among elementary schools, Peachtree Elementary leads with strong 4th grade math and reading scores, while Hiwassee Dam Middle is the strongest middle school, especially in 6th grade math and 8th grade science. At the other end, The Oaks Academy sits at the 6th percentile with 0 stars, a 77.7% chronic absenteeism rate, and the highest per-pupil spending ($16,426). Andrews Elementary and Andrews Middle are also low-ranked, making the Andrews cluster the weakest pipeline in the district.

Two systemwide challenges stand out. Chronic absenteeism is an emergency — the district rate is 38.7% vs. 24.2% statewide, and every school exceeds the state average. Middle school math is the biggest academic gap, especially 8th grade math (31.3% proficient vs. 53.0% statewide), with Murphy Middle and Andrews Middle well below 30%. On the positive side, the district’s graduation rate is a strong 94.9%, and 8th grade science exceeds the state. Science is a genuine bright spot across several schools, and high-performing models like Tri-County Early College and Peachtree Elementary show that success is possible even in the district’s challenging context.