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Old Fort Elementary School

Q: Is Old Fort Elementary School a good school?

Old Fort Elementary School ranks 417 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

417^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 72% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Old Fort Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 319 students in grades PK-5 in the rural town of Old Fort, North Carolina. This school stands out as a strong performer within the McDowell County Schools district, consistently ranking in the top 30-35% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Old Fort Elementary School's academic performance is particularly impressive, with students consistently scoring above the district and state averages on state standardized tests, especially in mathematics. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 3rd-grade math proficiency rate was 72.5%, compared to 61.9% for the district and 64.1% for the state. The school's performance on reading and science tests is also above the district and state averages. Additionally, the school's low-socioeconomic status (SES) students and male students perform exceptionally well, ranking in the top 10-20% and top 20-30% of North Carolina elementary schools, respectively.

When compared to nearby schools in the McDowell County Schools district, Old Fort Elementary School generally outperforms its peers, particularly in mathematics. The school's small student-teacher ratio and high per-student spending may be contributing factors to its academic success in supporting the needs of its high-poverty student population. Overall, Old Fort Elementary School stands out as a strong-performing elementary school that is effectively serving its diverse student body.

360

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,403

Per pupil spending ?

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 — 47th percentile in 2015 → 72nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (64% vs 57% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 25 percentile points since 2015

✓Among the top-ranked schools in McDowell County Schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school64%

District avg55%

North Carolina avg57%

417^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 28%▲ up 25 pts since 2015

From bottom 47% (2015) to top 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st 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	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
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
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
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
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 (2025)88th percentile+16 vs school

Disabled (2021)87th percentile+34 vs school

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

Male (2025)79th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)61st percentile-11 vs school

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

White (2025)43rd percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics69%+8 vs state

Science68%+6 vs state

Reading58%+5 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

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
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
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
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%)	53	689^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.8%		57.6	622^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	58.7%	67		48.1	46.6		58.2	64.4	71.2	$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%)	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
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)	51.5			48.5				$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%)	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
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
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
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%)	21.7	1248^th of 1490 public elementary schools	16.2%		23.9	1210^th of 1505 public elementary schools	19.6%	38	35.9	47.0	33.3	40.2	54.5	30.9	43.2	$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%)	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

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.

How many students attend Old Fort Elementary School?

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

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

Is Old Fort Elementary School a good school?

Old Fort Elementary School ranks 417^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Old Fort 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.