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Old Fort Elementary School

Q: Is Old Fort Elementary School a good school?

Old Fort Elementary School ranks 256 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

256^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Old Fort Elementary School serves 360 students in grades PK-5 in the small town of Old Fort, NC, as part of McDowell County Schools. The school currently ranks 256th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools — the 83rd percentile and a 4-star SchoolDigger rating — and it is the highest-ranked among nearby elementary schools. This reflects a remarkable turnaround: in 2015-16, Old Fort sat at the 44th percentile. Since 2022-23, it has stayed at or above the 72nd percentile. Even more striking, roughly 95% of students qualify for free/reduced-price lunch, making the school's academic success especially notable.

In the 2025-26 End-of-Grade tests, Old Fort outperformed both the district and the state in all seven tested grade and subject combinations. Fifth-grade reading proficiency reached 74.5%, about 20 points above the district and 19 points above the state, while 5th grade science proficiency hit 85.1%. The school's statewide ranking also tops nearby schools like ArtSpace Charter School, Marion Elementary School, West Marion Elementary School, Eastfield Global Magnet School, and Glenwood Elementary School — most of which serve similarly high-poverty populations yet rank well behind.

Old Fort's effectiveness with economically disadvantaged students is its most impressive result: its low-income student subgroup ranks in the 93rd percentile statewide. Attendance supports learning, too. The school's 23.7% chronic absenteeism rate is below the district's 26.5% and the state's 24.2%, and it is the lowest among nearby McDowell County elementary schools. Results are not perfectly uniform across all groups — boys' scores are particularly strong, while girls and special education students are closer to state averages — but Old Fort's sustained improvement and its success with students facing economic barriers make it a standout elementary school in western North Carolina.

360

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

95%

Free/discounted lunch ?

128 Mauney Avenue
Old Fort, NC 28762

(828) 668-7646

District: McDowell County Schools

Students who attend Old Fort Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.9%

Two or more races:

6.9%

Hispanic:

6.4%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Old Fort Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 44th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (73% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 39 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school73%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg61%

256^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▲ up 38 pts since 2016

From bottom 44% (2016) to top 17% (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	78.7	256 of 1492	82.8%	★★★★☆
2025	68.4	417 of 1490	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	69.1	426 of 1505	71.7%	★★★★☆
2023	73.4	354 of 1502	76.4%	★★★★☆
2022	63.3	535 of 1514	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.6	695 of 1489	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.1	471 of 1473	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.1	483 of 1434	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.3	469 of 1429	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	47.1	792 of 1425	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.0	769 of 1440	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	49.4	706 of 1390	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.3	626 of 1403	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.6	551 of 1388	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.5	420 of 1381	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.1	467 of 1363	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	71.8	360 of 1354	73.4%	★★★★☆
2008	58.0	583 of 1324	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.4	457 of 1293	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.9	457 of 1276	64.2%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	73.7	81 of 646	87.5%	★★★★☆
2019	57.6	275 of 878	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.2	502 of 1447	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.2	561 of 1451	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.7	340 of 1455	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	78.3	240 of 1459	83.6%	★★★★☆
2022	76.2	281 of 1458	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	55.2	604 of 1440	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.1	519 of 1424	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.3	390 of 1405	72.2%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.0	102 of 1434	92.9%	★★★★★
2025	78.9	172 of 1437	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	75.9	216 of 1450	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	83.6	113 of 1437	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	74.1	223 of 1366	83.7%	★★★★☆
2021	68.9	274 of 1329	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	77.6	190 of 1361	86.0%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	250 of 1332	81.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.1	114 of 1451	92.1%	★★★★★
2025	75.1	303 of 1450	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	61.9	530 of 1464	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.2	506 of 1461	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.7	771 of 1464	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.6	723 of 1444	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.2	381 of 1430	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	60.8	550 of 1413	61.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.7	446 of 821	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.3	487 of 801	39.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.0	519 of 1146	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.0	668 of 1172	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.9	662 of 1166	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.2	572 of 1183	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.5	716 of 1194	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.8	860 of 1172	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.7	634 of 1183	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.2	679 of 1178	42.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)93rd percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)92nd percentile+9 vs school

Disabled (2021)87th percentile+34 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)81st percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)65th percentile-18 vs school

White (2026)55th percentile-28 vs school

Special Education (2025)46th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science85%+17 vs state

Mathematics73%+10 vs state

Reading69%+12 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, September 23, 2017

Love this school! Close Quote

by a teacher
Thursday, January 26, 2017

Absolutely stay away from this school and Mcdowell County in general. It is a very poor district with no resources and no drive for success. I was a teacher at Old Fort for 3 years and saw this firsthand. Incompetence from Central Office down to principal. Much better districts in Buncombe and Asheville City nearby. Close Quote

Schools Near Old Fort 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
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%)	78.7	256^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.8%		68.4	417^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.0%	161	77.2	69.6	72.3	68.4	63.0	74.5	85.1	$11,403	$1,803	$9,600
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
Black Mountain Elementary	Public	4-5	100 Flat Creek Road	Black Mountain	28711	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 669-5217	163	11	15.2	96.9%	135 (82.8%)	7 (4.3%)	12 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.5%)	46.4	797^th of 1492 public elementary schools	46.6%		53	689^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.8%	108		54.3	51.8		61.7	57.8	60.2	$10,935	$1,199	$9,736
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
Black Mountain Primary	Public	PK, KG-3	301 East State Street	Black Mountain	28711	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 669-2645	351	25	13.9	96.9%	273 (77.8%)	14 (4.0%)	45 (12.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.6%)								(n/a)	57.7			59.0				$11,702	$1,257	$10,444
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
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
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
Williams Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	161 Bee Tree Road	Swannanoa	28778	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 686-3856	451	28	15.8	95.8%	251 (55.7%)	20 (4.4%)	145 (32.2%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	28 (6.2%)	39.6	913^th of 1492 public elementary schools	38.8%		21.7	1248^th of 1490 public elementary schools	16.2%	335	57.4	54.5	53.4	52.2	52.3	54.8	57.5	$10,816	$1,108	$9,708
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Old Fort Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Old Fort Elementary School?

Students at Old Fort Elementary School are 84% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Old Fort Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Old Fort Elementary School usually go on to attend:

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

What district is Old Fort Elementary School in?

McDowell County Schools

How many students attend Old Fort Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 360 students attended Old Fort Elementary School.

Is Old Fort Elementary School a good school?

Old Fort Elementary School ranks 256^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Old Fort Elementary School!

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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.