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Nebo Elementary School

Q: Is Nebo Elementary School a good school?

Nebo Elementary School ranks 705 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

705^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 53% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Nebo Elementary School is a PK–5 school in Nebo, NC, serving 354 students in the McDowell County Schools district, a rural western North Carolina community where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Nebo currently ranks in the middle of the pack among North Carolina elementary schools—705th out of 1,492, placing it at the 53rd percentile. That is a solid rebound from recent years and puts it third among its immediate McDowell County neighbors, behind Marion Elementary School (74th percentile) and West Marion Elementary School (57th percentile), but ahead of Eastfield Global Magnet School, Glenwood Elementary School, North Cove Elementary School, and Pleasant Gardens Elementary School. What stands out most is how well the school serves its highest-need students: its economically disadvantaged students rank at the 86th percentile statewide, a four-star result that has improved steadily over three years. Special Education students also showed dramatic gains, jumping from the 30th to the 83rd percentile in a single year.

The school's most urgent challenge is attendance. More than one in three Nebo students (34.3%) was chronically absent in 2024–2025—well above the district rate of 26.5%, the state rate of 24.2%, and every nearby comparison school. Academically, results are mixed by grade and subject: third graders outperform the district and state in both reading and math, but fourth-grade scores dip below benchmarks, and fifth-grade math trails the state by about 10 points. Fifth-grade science, however, has improved steadily from 50% to 65.5% proficiency over three years. Given that nearly all Nebo students come from low-income families, the school's strong subgroup outcomes suggest its instructional practices are working—and reducing absenteeism could help translate those successes into a much higher overall ranking.

354

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

98.3%

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

Exemptions: 1.7% (any vaccine)

254 Nebo School Road
Nebo, NC 28761

(828) 652-4737

District: McDowell County Schools

Students who attend Nebo Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.8%

Hispanic:

14.4%

Two or more races:

5.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Nebo Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 20th percentile in 2016 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 33 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the North Carolina median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (34% vs 24% North Carolina)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg61%

705^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 47%▲ up 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 20% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

103^rd of 246McDowell 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	51.6	705 of 1492	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.6	788 of 1490	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.4	1008 of 1505	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.5	980 of 1502	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.7	633 of 1514	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.4	931 of 1489	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.0	693 of 1473	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.2	692 of 1434	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	19.8	1221 of 1429	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.9	1134 of 1425	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	36.0	982 of 1440	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	54.5	623 of 1390	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	47.4	702 of 1403	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	58.5	636 of 1388	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.6	653 of 1381	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	58.1	646 of 1363	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	45.2	852 of 1354	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.7	741 of 1324	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	55.5	643 of 1293	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	48.4	740 of 1276	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	19.9	599 of 646	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.0	660 of 878	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.8	621 of 897	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.6	840 of 1447	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.1	714 of 1451	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	24.6	1165 of 1455	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.8	1042 of 1459	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	53.7	655 of 1458	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.0	848 of 1440	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.9	633 of 1424	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.4	660 of 1405	53.0%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	76.7	5 of 30	83.3%	★★★★☆
2018	84.3	2 of 8	75.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.5	195 of 1434	86.4%	★★★★☆
2025	65.3	391 of 1437	72.8%	★★★★☆
2024	48.8	733 of 1450	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.3	823 of 1437	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	71.1	267 of 1366	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	47.9	638 of 1329	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.6	527 of 1361	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.2	373 of 1332	72.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	591 of 1451	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.8	829 of 1450	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.4	792 of 1464	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.2	897 of 1461	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.2	593 of 1464	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.2	949 of 1444	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.2	714 of 1430	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.7	718 of 1413	49.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	68.6	143 of 821	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	31.8	564 of 801	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.8	789 of 1146	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.5	863 of 1172	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	1039 of 1166	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	1041 of 1183	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.3	753 of 1194	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.7	1049 of 1172	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.4	900 of 1183	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.2	950 of 1178	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)86th percentile+34 vs school

Homeless (2019)83rd percentile+30 vs school

Special Education (2025)83rd percentile+35 vs school

Male (2026)59th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)42nd percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)31st percentile-22 vs school

Disabled (2021)7th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science66%~ state avg

Mathematics60%-4 vs state

Reading58%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Friday, September 2, 2016

Nebo Elementary is a fantastic school with educated qualified teachers and principal.

Mrs Poplin does all she can for Nebo elementary and wants the best for the students that her staff as well as herself serve each day.
It breaks my heart as a parent to see the rating of this so well deserve school.
The students here is happy. Everyday that I drop my child off is a happy day and the staff is there for my child. when a child comes home talking about how amazing their day went and can not wait to go back the next day then something educationally wonderful is happening. As a parent and Head Start teacher for 26 years in McDowell county schools & Preschool Programs. I must say that Nebo elementary is a 5tar school in my book.
Thank You Mrs Poplin for your hard work in making sure your staff give all the students what they need to be successful. Close Quote

Schools Near Nebo Elementary 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 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 Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th 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
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	—	272 (76.8%)	8 (2.3%)	51 (14.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.9%)	51.6	705^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.7%		47.6	788^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.1%	83	70.8	53.7	53.4	60.0	53.7	58.6	65.5	98.3%	1.7%	$10,949	$1,855	$9,095
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%)	46	802^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	46.2%		56.1	632^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	57.6%	170	41.0	73.2	70.7	28.2	51.2	43.9	85.4	97.4%	2.6%	$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	—	222 (66.7%)	14 (4.2%)	68 (20.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (8.1%)	71.6	385^th of 1492 public elementary schools	74.2%		62.2	528^th of 1490 public elementary schools	64.6%	143	86.4	71.4	74.6	65.9	71.4	58.2	65.7	95%	1.7%	$9,997	$1,489	$8,507
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	—	364 (83.7%)	5 (1.1%)	28 (6.4%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.9%)	43.6	852^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	42.9%		34.9	1004^th of 1490 public elementary schools	32.6%	152	53.1	68.3	53.4	46.9	60.3	46.6	65.5	95.1%	4.9%	$10,691	$1,210	$9,481
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	—	174 (75.7%)	2 (0.9%)	37 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.4%)	35.3	998^th of 1492 public elementary schools	33.1%		25.3	1176^th of 1490 public elementary schools	21.1%	178	60.0	36.2	73.9	40.0	44.7	47.8	82.6	100%	0%	$11,425	$1,369	$10,056
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	—	214 (74.0%)	3 (1.0%)	48 (16.6%)	5 (1.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.9%)	28.6	1123^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	24.7%		48.2	777^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.9%	346	66.7	40.0	46.3	40.5	48.6	41.5	58.5	95.5%	2.3%	$10,413	$1,532	$8,881
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
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
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	—	298 (76.4%)	12 (3.1%)	50 (12.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.9%)	55.8	643^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	56.9%		42.3	874^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.3%	231	65.5	63.0	70.2	44.8	54.3	57.4	80.9	98%	0%	$11,463	$1,657	$9,807
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Nebo Elementary School

What district is Nebo Elementary School in?

McDowell County Schools

How many students attend Nebo Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 354 students attended Nebo Elementary School.

Is Nebo Elementary School a good school?

Nebo Elementary School ranks 705^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Nebo Elementary School?

Students at Nebo Elementary School are 77% White, 14% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Nebo Elementary School attend?

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

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

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

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

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 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.