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Glenwood Elementary School

Q: Is Glenwood Elementary School a good school?

Glenwood Elementary School ranks 1004 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1004^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Glenwood Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Marion, North Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 429. The school is part of the McDowell County Schools district, which is ranked 98 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of the McDowell County Schools district, Glenwood Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to the district and the state of North Carolina in terms of proficiency rates on the End-of-Grade (EOG) tests for Mathematics, Reading, and Science. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Glenwood's 3rd-grade Mathematics proficiency rate was 47%, compared to 61.9% for the district and 64.1% for the state. Additionally, the school's statewide ranking has declined over the years, from being ranked 442 out of 1,473 North Carolina elementary schools in 2018-2019 to being ranked 1,004 out of 1,490 in 2024-2025, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school also has particularly low performance among certain student subgroups, such as White students and Low Socioeconomic Status students.

While Glenwood Elementary School is underperforming, some of the nearby schools in the McDowell County Schools district, such as Old Fort Elementary and Marion Elementary, are performing significantly better on standardized tests and have higher statewide rankings. The extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Glenwood Elementary School, exceeding 99% in recent years, indicates that the school serves a population with significant economic disadvantages, which may contribute to the lower academic performance observed.

435

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,691

Per pupil spending ?

99.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1545 Old Hwy 221 South
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 738-4220

District: McDowell County Schools

Students who attend Glenwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	East McDowell Middle School
High:	McDowell Early College
	McDowell High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.7%

Two or more races:

6.9%

Hispanic:

6.4%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Glenwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2015 → 33rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (48% vs 57% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg55%

North Carolina avg57%

1,004^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 32 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to bottom 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 8Elementary Schools in the McDowell County Schools

98^th of 242McDowell 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
2025	34.9	1004 of 1490	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.7	982 of 1505	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.3	744 of 1502	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.4	767 of 1514	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.1	736 of 1489	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.9	442 of 1473	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	66.0	487 of 1434	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.2	474 of 1429	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.2	634 of 1425	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.1	515 of 1440	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.0	587 of 1390	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.1	571 of 1403	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	78.5	240 of 1388	82.7%	★★★★☆
2011	75.0	296 of 1381	78.6%	★★★★☆
2010	76.0	276 of 1363	79.8%	★★★★☆
2009	59.2	624 of 1354	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	42.6	834 of 1324	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	42.4	853 of 1293	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.8	854 of 1276	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	34.3	429 of 646	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.8	180 of 878	79.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.0	88 of 897	90.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	30.7	1071 of 1451	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.7	894 of 1455	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.7	727 of 1459	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.2	946 of 1458	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.3	729 of 1440	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.3	466 of 1424	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.4	616 of 1405	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	52.9	390 of 582	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.2	930 of 1437	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.5	1070 of 1450	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	54.5	606 of 1437	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.8	572 of 1366	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.0	441 of 1329	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.9	335 of 1361	75.4%	★★★★☆
2018	65.1	394 of 1332	70.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.1	878 of 1450	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	1021 of 1464	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.1	720 of 1461	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.6	602 of 1464	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.1	698 of 1444	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.4	404 of 1430	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	71.0	371 of 1413	73.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	43.8	416 of 821	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	14.4	1089 of 1172	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	1091 of 1166	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	37.4	805 of 1183	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.2	960 of 1194	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.7	982 of 1172	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.8	597 of 1183	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.5	614 of 1178	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2025)49th percentile+17 vs school

Male (2025)39th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)35th percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2021)34th percentile-17 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)33rd percentile-17 vs school

Female (2025)26th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)7th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics51%-9 vs state

Reading48%-4 vs state

Science37%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Glenwood Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Glenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1545 Old Hwy 221 South	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 738-4220	435	27	15.9	99.3%	364 (83.7%)	5 (1.1%)	28 (6.4%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.9%)	34.9	1004^th of 1490 public elementary schools	32.6%		36.7	982^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	34.8%	22	47.0	50.9	56.7	40.9	54.4	50.0	36.7	$10,691	$1,210	$9,481
West Marion Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	820 Marler Road	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 738-3353	390	28	14.1	99.2%	298 (76.4%)	12 (3.1%)	50 (12.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.9%)	42.3	874^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.3%		48.1	781^st of 1505 public elementary schools	48.1%	93	76.1	56.0	29.0	56.5	54.0	33.9	59.0	$11,463	$1,657	$9,807
Eastfield Global Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	170 Eastfield School Road	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 652-3730	279	21	13.2	97.8%	161 (57.7%)	6 (2.2%)	99 (35.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.7%)	56.1	632^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	57.6%		58.6	606^th of 1505 public elementary schools	59.7%	26	66.7	54.3	69.2	44.4	52.2	59.0	66.7	$11,548	$1,932	$9,616
Marion Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	209 Robert Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 652-2141	333	23	14.6	99.1%	222 (66.7%)	14 (4.2%)	68 (20.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (8.1%)	62.2	528^th of 1490 public elementary schools	64.6%		70.5	393^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	73.9%	135	88.0	78.5	55.4	56.0	78.5	41.5	47.7	$9,997	$1,489	$8,507
Pleasant Gardens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 John Roach Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 724-4422	289	21	13.4	99.0%	214 (74.0%)	3 (1.0%)	48 (16.6%)	5 (1.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.9%)	48.2	777^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.9%		57.2	632^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	58.0%	145	55.3	44.7	53.2	44.7	44.7	66.0	70.2	$10,413	$1,532	$8,881
Nebo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	254 Nebo School Road	Nebo	28761	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 652-4737	354	22	15.8	99.2%	272 (76.8%)	8 (2.3%)	51 (14.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.9%)	47.6	788^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.1%		35.4	1008^th of 1505 public elementary schools	33.0%	220	46.2	64.9	55.9	42.3	66.7	44.1	59.3	$10,949	$1,855	$9,095
Pinnacle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1204 Painters Gap Road	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 287-3440	254	16	16.0	96.5%	209 (82.3%)	14 (5.5%)	22 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.5%)	61.5	539^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.8%		61.4	554^th of 1505 public elementary schools	63.2%	15	84.8	61.5	53.7	57.6	53.8	58.5	63.4	$11,086	$1,573	$9,513
Old Fort Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	128 Mauney Avenue	Old Fort	28762	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 668-7646	360	24	15.3	95.0%	302 (83.9%)	9 (2.5%)	23 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.9%)	68.4	417^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.0%		69.1	426^th of 1505 public elementary schools	71.7%	9	72.5	69.6	65.9	47.5	65.2	59.1	68.2	$11,403	$1,803	$9,600
North Cove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	401 American Thread Road	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 756-4342	230	16	14.4	98.7%	174 (75.7%)	2 (0.9%)	37 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.4%)	25.3	1176^th of 1490 public elementary schools	21.1%		33.6	1036^th of 1505 public elementary schools	31.2%	140	50.0	26.1	42.4	41.3	52.2	33.3	48.5	$11,425	$1,369	$10,056
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	99.0%	180 (61.0%)	14 (4.7%)	49 (16.6%)	20 (6.8%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (10.2%)	60.4	557^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.6%		52.6	706^th of 1505 public elementary schools	53.1%	149	72.5	57.8	75.5	43.1	51.1	52.8	71.7	$10,621	$1,368	$9,253

Frequently Asked Questions about Glenwood Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Glenwood Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Glenwood Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : East McDowell Middle School
High : McDowell Early College
High : McDowell High School

What is the racial makeup of Glenwood Elementary School?

Students at Glenwood Elementary School are 84% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

How many students attend Glenwood Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 435 students attended Glenwood Elementary School.

Is Glenwood Elementary School a good school?

Glenwood Elementary School ranks 1004^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Glenwood Elementary School in?

McDowell County Schools

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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.