High Schools in Jackson County Public Schools

Summary:

The Jackson County Public Schools district in North Carolina is home to four high schools serving grades 9-12. The data reveals a mix of high-performing and challenged schools within the district, providing valuable insights for parents and district leaders.

Jackson County Early College stands out as the top-performing high school, ranking 133 out of 641 North Carolina high schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school significantly outperforms the district and state averages on end-of-course (EOC) tests, particularly in English II and Math III, while spending the least per student among the high schools. In contrast, Blue Ridge Early College and Jackson Community School serve student populations with very high free/reduced lunch rates, indicating significant socioeconomic challenges that may require additional resources and support.

Smoky Mountain High School performs close to the district averages on EOC tests, with some areas exceeding the state average. The wide range in spending per student, from $7,254 at Jackson County Early College to $26,010 at Jackson Community School, suggests potential inequities in resource allocation within the district. Additionally, the student-teacher ratios vary considerably, from 10.8 at Blue Ridge Early College to 27.2 at Jackson County Early College, which may be an important factor in the schools' academic performance and ability to provide personalized attention to students.

District Detail

398 Hospital Road
Sylva, NC 28779-5196

(828) 586-2311

SchoolDigger Rank:
172^nd of 242 North Carolina districts

See the 2025 North Carolina District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-13
Students: 3,444

Primary Schools: 5
Middle Schools: 0
High Schools: 4
Alternative Schools: 0

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	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	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 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Smoky Mountain High School	Public	9-12	100 Smoky Mountain Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-2177	881	42	21.1	97.7%	585 (66.4%)	8 (0.9%)	185 (21.0%)	6 (0.7%)	49 (5.6%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (5.3%)	47.2	327^th of 641 public high schools	49.0%		39.8	372^nd of 640 public high schools	41.9%	45	43.1	56.3	38.5	71.8						$11,017	$880	$10,137
Jackson Community School	Public	5-12	3770 Skyland Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-4328	50	4	14.0	88.0%	38 (76.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.0%)	4.1	625^th of 641 public high schools	2.5%		4.3	623^rd of 640 public high schools	2.7%	2		7.1	5.6							$26,010	$1,858	$24,152
Blue Ridge Early College	Public	7-12	95 Bobcat Dr	Cashiers	28717	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 743-2646	127	8	16.3	97.6%	59 (46.5%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (51.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	27.4	477^th of 641 public high schools	25.6%		24.2	489^th of 640 public high schools	23.6%	12	43.5	55.0	20.0	17.6	43.5	24.0	43.5	24.0	36.0	$11,670	$875	$10,794
Jackson County Early College	Public	9-12	404 College Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 339-4499	113	2	47.0	97.3%	74 (65.5%)	2 (1.8%)	18 (15.9%)	4 (3.5%)	6 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.0%)	80.7	133^rd of 641 public high schools	79.3%		87	103^rd of 640 public high schools	83.9%	30	56.4	96.5	64.3	93.8						$7,254	$111	$7,144

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Summit Charter	2.13 mi	1
Macon County Schools	7.1 mi	12	113^th
Catamount School	13.04 mi	1	44^th
Transylvania County Schools	13.17 mi	9	103^rd
Haywood County Schools	24.92 mi	15	54^th

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.