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North Cove Elementary School

Q: Is North Cove Elementary School a good school?

North Cove Elementary School ranks 998 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

998^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

North Cove Elementary School is a small PK–5 school in Marion, North Carolina, serving about 230 students in the foothills of McDowell County, and is part of McDowell County Schools. The school has experienced a steep decline over the past several years, falling from a 4-star, 81st-percentile ranking in 2017-2018 to a 2-star, 33rd-percentile ranking in 2025-2026, after bottoming out at 1 star the prior year. Like nearby elementary schools, North Cove serves an almost entirely low-income student body, with 98.7% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Parents will find genuine strengths in the classroom: 5th-grade science proficiency reached 82.6% and 5th-grade math reached 73.9% — both comfortably above district and state averages. However, the most glaring weakness is 4th-grade math, where just 36.2% of students are proficient versus roughly 60% across the district and state. That marks three consecutive years of very low 4th-grade scores, so this is not simply one tough class or unlucky cohort. Reading is also a school-wide concern, with every grade level scoring below district and state averages; for example, only 40.0% of 3rd graders read proficiently compared to 50.7% districtwide.

The most important context for parents may be how North Cove compares with nearby schools serving the same demographics. Marion Elementary School, just seven miles away, has a nearly identical high-poverty population yet ranks in the 74th percentile statewide — far above North Cove's 33rd — and beats it decisively in nearly every subject, including 65.9% versus 40.0% in 3rd-grade reading. This suggests the gap has more to do with school-level factors than student poverty. There is encouraging news: North Cove's low-income students improved dramatically this past year, chronic absenteeism has fallen from 40.3% to 23.8% (now better than both state and district averages), and 5th-grade STEM results show the school is capable of strong instruction. The partial rebound and improved attendance indicate momentum, but sustained attention to 4th-grade math and reading across all grades will be essential for real recovery.

230

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

401 American Thread Road
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 756-4342

District: McDowell County Schools

Students who attend North Cove Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	West McDowell Middle School
High:	McDowell Early College
	McDowell High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.7%

Hispanic:

16.1%

Two or more races:

7.4%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare North Cove Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 52nd percentile in 2016 → 33rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (52% vs 61% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg61%

998^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 48% (2016) to bottom 33% (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	35.3	998 of 1492	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.3	1176 of 1490	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.6	1036 of 1505	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.2	689 of 1502	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.8	906 of 1514	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.4	747 of 1489	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.2	569 of 1473	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.0	277 of 1434	80.7%	★★★★☆
2017	69.6	415 of 1429	71.0%	★★★★☆
2016	52.5	684 of 1425	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.5	674 of 1440	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.2	532 of 1390	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	65.2	437 of 1403	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	74.9	299 of 1388	78.5%	★★★★☆
2011	62.5	578 of 1381	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	59.1	632 of 1363	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	62.8	554 of 1354	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.2	447 of 1324	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	57.3	604 of 1293	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	58.6	563 of 1276	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	41.9	320 of 634	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.4	526 of 646	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	60.8	237 of 878	73.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.0	185 of 897	79.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.5	1165 of 1447	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.3	1286 of 1451	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.8	1043 of 1455	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.5	796 of 1459	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.6	856 of 1458	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.8	756 of 1440	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.9	613 of 1424	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.7	210 of 1405	85.1%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	54.5	395 of 612	35.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	26.4	773 of 951	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	61.6	279 of 915	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.0	679 of 843	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.3	732 of 1434	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.4	1182 of 1437	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.2	1013 of 1450	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	68.4	347 of 1437	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	47.5	698 of 1366	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.8	820 of 1329	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.0	505 of 1361	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	86.5	77 of 1332	94.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.1	785 of 1451	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.1	928 of 1450	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.2	986 of 1464	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.4	556 of 1461	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.5	905 of 1464	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.5	709 of 1444	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.3	512 of 1430	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.0	358 of 1413	74.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.4	876 of 1146	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.5	1011 of 1172	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.3	936 of 1166	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.4	837 of 1183	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	1043 of 1194	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.6	864 of 1172	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.4	809 of 1183	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.7	583 of 1178	50.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)50th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2026)46th percentile+13 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)35th percentile-26 vs school

White (2026)24th percentile-10 vs school

Female (2026)19th percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2024)19th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science83%+15 vs state

Mathematics52%-11 vs state

Reading44%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near North Cove 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				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	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
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%)	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	$11,425	$1,369	$10,056
Greenlee Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	2206 Carters Ridge Road	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 766-9562	246	19	12.7	95.5%	194 (78.9%)	3 (1.2%)	38 (15.4%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)								(n/a)								$12,363	$1,195	$11,168
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%)	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	$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%)	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	$10,413	$1,532	$8,881
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	$11,548	$1,932	$9,616
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%)	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	$10,949	$1,855	$9,095
South Toe Elementary	Public	K-5	139 South Toe School Rd	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 675-4321	107	8	12.9	97.2%	89 (83.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.8%)	78.7	255^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.9%		52.8	694^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.4%	439	72.7	78.3	73.7	81.8	69.6	63.2	73.7	$12,329	$1,937	$10,392
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%)	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	$11,463	$1,657	$9,807
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%)	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	$10,691	$1,210	$9,481
Mitchell Elementary School	Public	3-5	5035 S 226 Hwy Ste A	Bakersville	28705	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 766-2070	373	25	15.1	98.4%	307 (82.3%)	1 (0.3%)	55 (14.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	30.8	1075^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.9%					(n/a)	64.3	51.1	56.6	34.8	47.4	45.5	52.5

Frequently Asked Questions about North Cove Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of North Cove Elementary School?

Students at North Cove Elementary School are 76% White, 16% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of North Cove Elementary School attend?

Students who attend North Cove Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : West McDowell Middle School
High : McDowell Early College
High : McDowell High School

What district is North Cove Elementary School in?

McDowell County Schools

How many students attend North Cove Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 230 students attended North Cove Elementary School.

Is North Cove Elementary School a good school?

North Cove Elementary School ranks 998^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate North Cove Elementary School!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 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.