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Surry County Schools


At a glance
106thof 246 North Carolina districts▼ 18
Better than 56% of North Carolina districts
209 N Crutchfield St
Dobson, NC 27017
·(336) 386-8211·All North Carolina district rankings →
Statewide performance 2018–2026
2026: better than 56.9% of districts
20
Schools
7,318
Students
2
5-star schools
Top rankedSurry Early College32nd of 662 North Carolina high schools
Biggest riser
J Sam Gentry Middle up 115 spots statewide this year
Smallest classes
Westfield Elementary 11.7 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
5★
4★
3★
2★
1★
1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

Surry County Schools serves approximately 7,300 students across 20 schools in Surry County, including 11 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 4 high schools, and one alternative online/magnet school. The district is rated 3 stars and ranked #106 of 246 North Carolina districts, with free/reduced-price lunch eligibility ranging from 98.4% to 99.6% across its 19 traditional schools. Poverty is high and uniform, yet it does not determine success: graduation rates at all three comprehensive high schools exceed 93%, above the state average of 88.8%, and the district's outcomes range from elite state-level performance to serious academic struggles.

Surry Early College is the district's brightest star, ranked #32 of 662 high schools with 5 stars and extraordinary proficiency rates: 95% in Biology, 95% in English II, and 100% in Math III. Shoals Elementary ranks #79 of 1,492 elementary schools with 5 stars and 93% third-grade reading and math proficiency, despite a 98.7% free/reduced-price lunch rate. Pilot Mountain Middle is the top middle school, ranked in the 89th percentile with 4 stars, while East Surry High is the strongest traditional high school, beating state averages in English II, Math I, and Math III.

The lower end is equally notable. Flat Rock Elementary is the district's lowest-ranked school, sitting at the 12th percentile with just 16.1% of 5th graders proficient in math and 32.3% in reading, despite having the highest per-pupil spending in the district. North Surry High and Surry Central High both earned 1 star, with Math I proficiency near 25% to 28% versus the 42.1% state average and chronic absenteeism above 21%. Chronic absenteeism tracks performance closely; lower-performing schools tend to exceed 20%, while high performers like Shoals Elementary and Pilot Mountain Elementary stay in the low double digits. Math I at the high school level and 5th-grade reading are the clearest intervention points, while science is a relative bright spot.

AllElementaryMiddleHighAlternative
Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private




Districts nearby

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.

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