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Forest Hill Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1272^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Forest Hill Elementary is a small school in Morganton, NC, that serves about 305 students in grades PK–5 as part of Burke County Schools. In the latest school year, it ranked 1,272 out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools—the 15th percentile—earning a 1-star rating. That continues a steady decline from the 40th-percentile range the school held between 2016 and 2021. Roughly 99% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, but as the comparisons below show, poverty alone does not explain the results.

The school's scores trail the district and state in every grade and subject. In 5th grade math, just 36.4% of students were proficient versus 65.6% across Burke County Schools, and 4th grade reading was 37.0% compared to 55.7% districtwide. Among nearby elementary schools, Forest Hill ranks at the bottom. The most striking comparison is Salem Elementary, 2.6 miles away, which has nearly the same poverty rate (98.7%) yet ranks in the 82nd percentile statewide and posted 78.3% proficiency in 5th grade math. Schools like Drexel Elementary (75th percentile), W A Young Elementary (65th), and Valdese Elementary (60th) also serve similar populations and outperform Forest Hill by wide margins.

Forest Hill does have strengths. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 6.9%, versus 24.2% statewide, and the school spends more per student ($10,628) than several better-performing neighbors. The data instead points to schoolwide instructional challenges, with especially severe outcomes for English Language Learner students (3rd percentile statewide), male students (10th), and low-income students (13th). Proficiency also tends to drop between 3rd and 5th grade, suggesting gaps widen over time. Given strong attendance and proof from nearby high-poverty schools that higher achievement is possible, Forest Hill is a high-priority school for improvement, especially in early literacy, English language development, and upper-elementary math.

305

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

96.8%

Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)

304 Ann Street
Morganton, NC 28655

(828) 437-5906

District: Burke County Schools

Students who attend Forest Hill Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Liberty Middle
High:	Patton High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

57.4%

White:

25.6%

African American:

8.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Forest Hill Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 41st percentile in 2016 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (45% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg61%

1,272^nd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 26 pts since 2016

From bottom 41% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

83^rd of 246Burke County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.5	1272 of 1492	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.1	1217 of 1490	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.3	1239 of 1505	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.9	1155 of 1502	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.5	1145 of 1514	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.9	884 of 1489	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.4	834 of 1473	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.4	837 of 1434	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	42.3	884 of 1429	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	44.7	842 of 1425	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	65.6	476 of 1440	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	62.1	508 of 1390	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	70.3	351 of 1403	75.0%	★★★★☆
2012	74.7	303 of 1388	78.2%	★★★★☆
2011	86.5	105 of 1381	92.4%	★★★★★
2010	85.1	116 of 1363	91.5%	★★★★★
2009	88.1	74 of 1354	94.5%	★★★★★
2008	86.5	105 of 1324	92.1%	★★★★★
2007	81.4	150 of 1293	88.4%	★★★★☆
2006	67.2	384 of 1276	69.9%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	32.8	646 of 897	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	11.9	504 of 519	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.8	555 of 563	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	499 of 533	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	443 of 514	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.7	439 of 485	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.1	458 of 497	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	30.9	326 of 421	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.6	1073 of 1447	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.3	1059 of 1451	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	1277 of 1455	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.0	1062 of 1459	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.3	942 of 1458	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.1	798 of 1440	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.6	961 of 1424	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.4	1033 of 1405	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	30.3	652 of 710	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.3	789 of 981	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.3	734 of 961	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.5	759 of 951	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.5	740 of 915	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.6	818 of 893	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	36.0	547 of 843	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.5	539 of 865	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.7	563 of 851	33.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.5	1245 of 1434	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.1	969 of 1437	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.7	1048 of 1450	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.5	1031 of 1437	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.8	1055 of 1366	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.8	711 of 1329	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.1	572 of 1361	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.7	655 of 1332	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.4	1305 of 1451	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.8	1276 of 1450	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.4	1136 of 1464	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.5	1174 of 1461	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	1221 of 1464	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.8	892 of 1444	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.4	666 of 1430	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.6	620 of 1413	56.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	710 of 1146	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.3	1016 of 1172	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.5	1028 of 1166	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	88.0	74 of 1194	93.8%	★★★★★
2021	82.8	153 of 1172	86.9%	★★★★☆
2019	53.7	554 of 1183	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.4	361 of 1178	69.4%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2026)38th percentile+23 vs school

Disabled (2018)28th percentile-14 vs school

Female (2026)26th percentile+11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)20th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)13th percentile~ school

Male (2026)10th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)8th percentile-10 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)3rd percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science52%-15 vs state

Mathematics45%-18 vs state

Reading41%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Forest Hill Elementary

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	—	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		96.8%	0%	$10,628	$1,562	$9,066
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		96.1%	0%	$9,734	$1,324	$8,410
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		90.9%	0%	$11,197	$1,694	$9,503
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	—	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		95.4%	0%	$9,182	$1,028	$8,153
New Dimensions	Public, Charter	K-8	550 Lenoir Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	The New Dimensions School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 437-5753	569	39	14.7	33.0%	500 (87.9%)	21 (3.7%)	13 (2.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.4%)	44.4	837^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.9%		58.1	596^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.0%	241	76.1	71.4	51.4	54.2	50.9	67.9	52.2	50.0	45.7	50.0	62.3	69.8	52.9	69.8	100%	0%
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	—	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		95.6%	2.2%	$11,063	$1,857	$9,205
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		95%	2.5%	$10,309	$1,352	$8,957
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	—	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		81.1%	10.8%	$9,195	$1,040	$8,155
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	—	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		97.7%	0%	$10,621	$1,368	$9,253
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	—	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		94.1%	4.4%	$9,435	$1,433	$8,002

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest Hill Elementary

Is Forest Hill Elementary a good school?

Forest Hill Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.7% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Forest Hill Elementary attend?

Students who attend Forest Hill Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Liberty Middle
High : Patton High School

What district is Forest Hill Elementary in?

Burke County Schools

How many students attend Forest Hill Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 305 students attended Forest Hill Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Forest Hill Elementary?

Students at Forest Hill Elementary are 57% Hispanic, 26% White, 8% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2026

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.