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Smoky Mountain High School

Q: Is Smoky Mountain High School a good school?

Smoky Mountain High School ranks 370 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

370^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 44% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Smoky Mountain High School serves about 881 students in grades 9–12 in Sylva, NC, as part of Jackson County Public Schools. Once a strong western North Carolina high school, it has declined from the 76th percentile statewide in 2017–18 to its current 44th percentile, earning a 2-star rating. It now sits in the middle of the pack among North Carolina’s 662 high schools. That said, the school graduates students at a solid rate: 89.7% of seniors earned diplomas in 2025–26, beating both the district and state averages. Smoky Mountain also serves a largely low-income student population, with a reported free/reduced-price lunch rate near 98% after a recent policy change.

Academically, the school’s biggest bright spot is math. Math III proficiency skyrocketed from 36.7% to 77.7% in just three years, far exceeding the state average. Yet that strength hasn’t spread to the rest of the curriculum. English II proficiency sits at 55.6%, well behind the state’s 64.6%, and Math I—the gateway algebra course—has slipped to just 37.2%. Chronic absenteeism, meanwhile, has been cut in half since 2020–21, down to 25.5%. Smoky Mountain also stands out for excellent results with Native American students, ranking 2nd among 14 schools statewide for three consecutive years, and its special education students now rank in the 80th percentile. Areas of concern include lagging outcomes for Hispanic, English Learner, and gifted/talented students.

Compared with nearby schools, Smoky Mountain holds a middle position in the region. Jackson County Early College, less than a mile away, ranks in the 86th percentile with exceptional proficiency across all tested subjects, though it uses a different early-college model. Tuscola High School is also clearly stronger, while Franklin High is nearly tied with Smoky Mountain in overall rank. Swain County High School ranks below it. The clear next steps for Smoky Mountain are improving English II and Math I outcomes while preserving the momentum gained in upper-level math.

881

Students ?

21.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,017

Per pupil spending ?

97.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

100 Smoky Mountain Drive
Sylva, NC 28779-5600

(828) 586-2177

District: Jackson County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Smoky Mountain High School:

Elementary:	Cullowhee Valley School
	Fairview School
	Scotts Creek School
	Smokey Mountain Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.4%

Hispanic:

21.0%

American Indian:

5.6%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Smoky Mountain High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2016 → 44th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 21 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg60%

370^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From top 35% (2016) to bottom 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3High Schools in the Jackson County Public Schools

184^th of 246Jackson County Public 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	44.7	370 of 662	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.2	327 of 641	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.8	372 of 640	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	378 of 626	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.9	296 of 621	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.2	239 of 594	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.5	120 of 514	76.7%	★★★★☆
2018	67.4	114 of 469	75.7%	★★★★☆
2017	54.2	165 of 476	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	48.0	176 of 507	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	46.2	206 of 531	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	44.4	192 of 451	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	42.6	211 of 505	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.7	168 of 502	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.7	228 of 506	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.4	141 of 499	71.7%	★★★★☆
2009	68.8	84 of 490	82.9%	★★★★☆
2008	66.7	93 of 477	80.5%	★★★★☆
2007	64.9	105 of 453	76.8%	★★★★☆
2006	54.2	202 of 431	53.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	52.8	113 of 330	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.3	105 of 334	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.1	52 of 364	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	88.7	21 of 349	94.0%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.7	245 of 289	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.2	212 of 273	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.0	165 of 262	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.4	163 of 226	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	65.4	22 of 156	85.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.3	305 of 629	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.1	298 of 610	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.4	359 of 602	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.9	374 of 588	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.5	286 of 594	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.8	166 of 475	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.8	78 of 475	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	77.7	65 of 449	85.5%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.3	346 of 407	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	50.7	263 of 412	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	68.8	123 of 403	69.5%	★★★★☆
2023	70.4	119 of 403	70.5%	★★★★☆
2022	64.5	157 of 398	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	82.4	11 of 337	96.7%	★★★★★
2019	64.5	105 of 325	67.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.9	433 of 474	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	22.4	388 of 462	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.1	373 of 454	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	387 of 449	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.0	237 of 436	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.5	117 of 370	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	84.3	23 of 354	93.5%	★★★★★
2018	76.7	39 of 340	88.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.3	336 of 620	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.1	336 of 606	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.7	344 of 613	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	350 of 597	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.5	201 of 544	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.3	108 of 432	75.0%	★★★★☆
2019	63.6	63 of 446	85.9%	★★★★☆
2018	68.2	66 of 424	84.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.5	389 of 624	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.1	323 of 601	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.1	361 of 607	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.7	360 of 602	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.0	281 of 585	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.1	149 of 481	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.6	166 of 488	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.3	158 of 463	65.9%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.8	169 of 265	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.3	99 of 253	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	85.5	24 of 261	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	7.8	240 of 249	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	27.2	175 of 226	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.3	2 of 14	85.7%	★★★★★
2025	86.7	2 of 15	86.7%	★★★★★
2024	71.9	2 of 15	86.7%	★★★★★
2023	55.8	4 of 16	75.0%	★★★★☆
2022	47.9	7 of 15	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.3	1 of 17	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	82.6	1 of 16	93.8%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.5	75 of 372	79.8%	★★★★☆
2025	41.7	185 of 352	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.6	149 of 349	57.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.1	342 of 551	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.8	302 of 542	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.8	418 of 553	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	401 of 537	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.1	315 of 534	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.6	202 of 439	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.5	205 of 444	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.3	221 of 427	48.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Native American (2026)86th percentile+42 vs school

Special Education (2026)80th percentile+36 vs school

Disabled (2022)66th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)52nd percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)46th percentile~ school

White (2026)38th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)38th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)36th percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)15th percentile-29 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)15th percentile-29 vs school

Hispanic (2026)9th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III78%+9 vs state

Biology56%-3 vs state

English II56%-9 vs state

Math I37%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Smoky Mountain High School

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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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)		EOG Reading (2026)		EOG Science (2026)	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 (2025)	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	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%)	44.7	370^th of 662 public high schools	44.1%		47.2	327^th of 641 public high schools	49.0%	43	55.9	55.6	37.2	77.7						$11,017	$880	$10,137
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%)	87.5	95^th of 662 public high schools	85.6%		80.7	133^rd of 641 public high schools	79.3%	38	93.8	87.1	100.0	88.6						$7,254	$111	$7,144
Jackson Community School	Public	9-12	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%)	1.9	652^nd of 662 public high schools	1.5%		4.1	625^th of 641 public high schools	2.5%	27	13.6	14.3	539.3							$26,010	$1,858	$24,152
Cherokee Central High School	Public	6-12	200 Ravensford Drive	Cherokee	28719	Swain County	Cherokee Central High School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(828) 554-5030	693	91	7.6	99.6%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	693 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Central Haywood High	Public	9-12	62 Joy Lane	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 627-9944	63	7	8.5	93.7%	48 (76.2%)	2 (3.2%)	10 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.2%)	2.1	649^th of 662 public high schools	2.0%		4.6	622^nd of 641 public high schools	3.0%	27	12.9	5.9		27.8						$18,725	$2,409	$16,316
Swain Academy	Public	9-12	1417 Fontana Rd	Bryson City	28713	Swain County	Swain County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 488-3120	32	3	9.7	84.4%	17 (53.1%)	2 (6.3%)	2 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (9.4%)	2.2	648^th of 662 public high schools	2.1%					(n/a)	15.0	13.3		540.3
Swain County High School	Public	9-12	1415 Fontana Road	Bryson City	28713	Swain County	Swain County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 488-2152	536	28	19.3	98.1%	361 (67.4%)	2 (0.4%)	35 (6.5%)	3 (0.6%)	97 (18.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.1%)	39.1	408^th of 662 public high schools	38.4%		30.3	442^nd of 641 public high schools	31.0%	34	51.1	62.9	20.5	70.5						$12,889	$1,251	$11,638
Franklin High	Public	9-12	100 Panther Drive	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 524-6467	996	47	21.2	46.3%	685 (68.8%)	8 (0.8%)	260 (26.1%)	6 (0.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (3.4%)	44.8	369^th of 662 public high schools	44.3%		48.6	313^th of 641 public high schools	51.2%	56	54.0	62.6	36.5	74.2						$9,457	$662	$8,795
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%)	40.2	403^rd of 662 public high schools	39.1%		27.4	477^th of 641 public high schools	25.6%	74	35.7	23.5	48.0	85.0	60.0	36.4	50.0	36.4	45.5	$11,670	$875	$10,794
Macon Early College High School	Public	9-12	77 Siler Farm Road	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 524-2002	154	2	74.3	98.1%	98 (63.6%)	1 (0.6%)	45 (29.2%)	3 (1.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.9%)	79.5	142^nd of 662 public high schools	78.5%		74.6	158^th of 641 public high schools	75.4%	16	73.5	97.1	88.9	76.7						$5,764	$103	$5,661

Frequently Asked Questions about Smoky Mountain High School

What district is Smoky Mountain High School in?

Jackson County Public Schools

Is Smoky Mountain High School a good school?

Smoky Mountain High School ranks 370^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Smoky Mountain High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 881 students attended Smoky Mountain High School.

What is the racial makeup of Smoky Mountain High School?

Students at Smoky Mountain High School are 66% White, 21% Hispanic, 6% American Indian, 5% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Smoky Mountain High School?

Smoky Mountain High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cullowhee Valley School
Elementary : Fairview School
Elementary : Scotts Creek School
Elementary : Smokey Mountain Elementary

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.