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Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1123^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Pleasant Gardens Elementary School in Marion, NC, serves 289 students in grades PK–5 and is part of McDowell County Schools. Roughly 99% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. For the 2025–2026 school year, the school ranks 1123rd out of 1492 elementary schools statewide — the 25th percentile, earning a 1-star rating. That represents a steep drop from recent years: the school was in the 58th percentile in 2023–2024 and the 48th percentile in 2024–2025. Today, Pleasant Gardens is the lowest-ranked among all of its nearby comparison schools.

Academically, Pleasant Gardens trails district and state averages in nearly every subject and grade. One bright spot is 3rd-grade math, where 66.7% of students are proficient, essentially matching the state average. By 4th grade, however, math proficiency falls to 40%, compared with 61.4% statewide. Reading proficiency is 40.5% in 3rd grade, 48.6% in 4th grade, and 41.5% in 5th grade — roughly 9 to 15 points behind state averages. Fifth-grade science, at 58.5% proficient, also trails the state's 67.7%. This pattern suggests students who arrive at grade level in the early grades are not sustaining those gains in upper elementary. That was not always the case: in 2023–2024, 84.8% of 5th graders were proficient in science, a result well above the district's 68.2% at the time.

There are reasons for cautious optimism. The school has a favorable student–teacher ratio of 13.4, better than most neighboring schools, which means more potential for individual attention. Chronic absenteeism has improved substantially from 42.3% in 2021–2022 to 28.2% in 2024–2025 — although more than one in four students still misses enough school to jeopardize their learning. That rate exceeds both the district (26.5%) and state (24.2%) averages, making attendance the school's most actionable area for improvement. Nearby elementary schools with similarly high poverty rates — such as Marion Elementary School, Old Fort Elementary School, and South Toe Elementary — rank far higher this year, showing that the challenges Pleasant Gardens faces are not insurmountable.

289

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

95.5%

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

Exemptions: 2.3% (any vaccine)

100 John Roach Drive
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 724-4422

District: McDowell County Schools

Students who attend Pleasant Gardens Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.0%

Hispanic:

16.6%

Two or more races:

5.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Pleasant Gardens Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 61st percentile in 2018 → 25th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (49% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (25th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped from its 61st-percentile peak (2018) to 25th (2026)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg61%

1,123^rd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 20% (2016) to bottom 25% (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	28.6	1123 of 1492	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.2	777 of 1490	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.2	632 of 1505	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.5	997 of 1502	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.3	840 of 1514	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.4	852 of 1489	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.6	738 of 1473	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.9	562 of 1434	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	43.4	869 of 1429	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	25.6	1136 of 1425	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	30.6	1071 of 1440	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	37.4	895 of 1390	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.5	772 of 1403	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	67.2	456 of 1388	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.1	466 of 1381	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.4	657 of 1363	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	73.2	338 of 1354	75.0%	★★★★☆
2008	72.9	300 of 1324	77.3%	★★★★☆
2007	67.9	395 of 1293	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.3	450 of 1276	64.7%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	40.0	350 of 646	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.2	777 of 878	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	57.8	297 of 897	66.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	1025 of 1447	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	54.3	651 of 1451	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.9	478 of 1455	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	22.6	1201 of 1459	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.2	974 of 1458	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.9	914 of 1440	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.7	658 of 1424	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.8	485 of 1405	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	46.6	361 of 494	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	9.8	833 of 843	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.5	1135 of 1434	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.3	856 of 1437	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.9	404 of 1450	72.1%	★★★★☆
2023	34.0	1001 of 1437	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.4	530 of 1366	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.0	783 of 1329	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.2	536 of 1361	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.6	501 of 1332	62.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.7	1108 of 1451	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.7	834 of 1450	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.7	715 of 1464	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.7	793 of 1461	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.7	663 of 1464	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.5	726 of 1444	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.2	776 of 1430	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.3	643 of 1413	54.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.4	1055 of 1146	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	29.8	906 of 1172	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.0	685 of 1166	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.0	1026 of 1183	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.9	891 of 1194	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.2	992 of 1172	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.4	901 of 1183	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.3	806 of 1178	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2021)46th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)29th percentile+4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2021)27th percentile-16 vs school

Male (2026)24th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)21st percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)8th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2021)1st percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science58%-9 vs state

Mathematics52%-12 vs state

Reading43%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Pleasant Gardens 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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	96%	2%	$11,403	$1,803	$9,600
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
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	95%	5%	$12,329	$1,937	$10,392
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)								91.7%	3.3%	$12,363	$1,195	$11,168

Frequently Asked Questions about Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

How many students attend Pleasant Gardens Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 289 students attended Pleasant Gardens Elementary School.

What district is Pleasant Gardens Elementary School in?

McDowell County Schools

Is Pleasant Gardens Elementary School a good school?

Pleasant Gardens Elementary School ranks in the bottom 24.7% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Pleasant Gardens Elementary School?

Students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School are 74% White, 17% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Pleasant Gardens Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Pleasant Gardens Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : West 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.