Summary:
The Swain County Schools district in North Carolina is home to two elementary schools: Swain County West Elementary and Swain County East Elementary. While both schools serve students in grades K-5, they exhibit notable differences in their student demographics, academic performance, and resource allocation.
Swain County West Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (74.69%) compared to Swain County East (47.79%), while Swain County East has a much larger proportion of Native American students (30.68%) than Swain County West (9.43%). Academically, Swain County West outperforms Swain County East on state standardized tests, with higher proficiency rates in subjects like 3rd grade math. However, Swain County West serves a more economically disadvantaged student population, with 99.26% of its students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 69.91% at Swain County East.
Despite the higher per-student spending at Swain County East Elementary ($12,145 vs. $10,938 at Swain County West), the academic performance gap persists. Both schools have seen a decline in their statewide rankings over the past three years, going from 3-star to 2-star ratings, which raises concerns about the overall quality of education in the Swain County Schools district. Understanding the factors behind these differences and the district's declining performance could inform future decisions to improve educational outcomes for all students in the area.
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