Summary
Tuscola High is a traditional public high school in Waynesville, NC, serving 873 students in grades 9–12 as part of Haywood County Schools, a district ranked in the 74th percentile statewide. Tuscola itself ranks 216th of 662 North Carolina high schools—the upper third of the state—with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Among nearby traditional comprehensive high schools, Tuscola is the second-strongest option, trailing Pisgah High but finishing well ahead of Smoky Mountain High, Enka High, and Erwin High. Elite early-college programs like Haywood Early College rank higher, but they operate on a different model with selective admission and should not be considered direct comparisons.
Academically, Tuscola exceeds state averages on every End-of-Course exam. Its signature subject is Math I, where 67.1% of students are proficient versus just 42.1% statewide—a remarkable 25-point gap, especially because Math I is typically one of North Carolina's toughest tests. Math III proficiency is 78.5%, also strong. English II and Biology scores top state averages by smaller margins. Tuscola's graduation rate stands at 92.6%, above the district's 91.1% and the state's 88.8%, and the school has stayed above 90% for four straight years. Chronic absenteeism has also improved significantly, falling from a post-pandemic high of 32.2% to 19.7%, which is now below the statewide rate.
Tuscola serves an overwhelmingly low-income student population, yet its economically disadvantaged students rank in the 68th percentile statewide, meaning the school gets better results with these students than most NC schools do. Special education outcomes are even stronger, improving from the 50th percentile to the 79th percentile in two years. The main watch item is English language learners, whose results have fluctuated widely in recent years and currently rank at the 35th percentile. For parents comparing schools, the closest and fairest benchmark is Pisgah High, which edges Tuscola in every tested subject, while Tuscola in turn holds a clear edge over the comparable schools in nearby Jackson and Buncombe Counties.
Thank you for your feedback!