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West Marion Elementary School

Q: Is West Marion Elementary School a good school?

West Marion Elementary School ranks 874 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

874^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 41% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

West Marion Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Marion, North Carolina, with 393 students. The school is part of the McDowell County Schools district, which is ranked 98 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, West Marion Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of North Carolina elementary schools, with test scores generally below the district and state averages. However, the school does perform better than some nearby schools in the district, such as North Cove Elementary and Nebo Elementary. One bright spot is the school's performance for Hispanic students, who rank higher than the state average for that subgroup.

The school faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with 99.24% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024. Despite these challenges, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of around 12-13 students per teacher, which is better than the district and state averages. Addressing the needs of the school's high-poverty population and sharing effective practices with other low-performing schools in the district could be important next steps in improving the school's overall performance.

390

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,463

Per pupil spending ?

99.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

820 Marler Road
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 738-3353

District: McDowell County Schools

Students who attend West Marion Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.4%

Hispanic:

12.8%

Two or more races:

6.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare West Marion Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 38th percentile in 2015 → 41st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (51% vs 57% meeting standards)

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

!Near the bottom of McDowell County Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

District avg55%

North Carolina avg57%

874^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 38% (2015) to bottom 41% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th 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	42.3	874 of 1490	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	781 of 1505	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.1	792 of 1502	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.2	1002 of 1514	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.5	969 of 1489	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.0	941 of 1473	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.3	849 of 1434	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.1	966 of 1429	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.0	1000 of 1425	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	41.1	889 of 1440	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	40.0	848 of 1390	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.0	902 of 1403	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.0	741 of 1388	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	63.7	552 of 1381	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.8	651 of 1363	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	51.9	743 of 1354	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	46.9	768 of 1324	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.1	685 of 1293	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	52.7	667 of 1276	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	34.9	406 of 634	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.1	541 of 878	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.8	542 of 897	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	45.4	809 of 1451	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.1	714 of 1455	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.1	755 of 1459	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.4	1041 of 1458	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.4	828 of 1440	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.2	1147 of 1424	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.5	719 of 1405	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	64.0	202 of 494	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.4	520 of 612	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.5	585 of 961	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.5	617 of 951	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.8	567 of 893	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.9	779 of 843	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.2	710 of 865	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.6	704 of 851	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	40.5	5 of 8	37.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.5	3 of 3	0.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	47.2	757 of 1437	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	63.6	426 of 1450	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	57.0	553 of 1437	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.4	663 of 1366	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.9	637 of 1329	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.0	834 of 1361	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.1	807 of 1332	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.7	901 of 1450	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.3	821 of 1464	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.0	805 of 1461	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.3	930 of 1464	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.2	1004 of 1444	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.4	701 of 1430	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.4	921 of 1413	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.2	533 of 821	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.7	566 of 801	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	27.0	940 of 1172	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.9	861 of 1166	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.7	875 of 1183	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	1038 of 1194	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.3	1070 of 1172	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.2	1098 of 1183	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	25.7	995 of 1178	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2021)59th percentile+24 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)47th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)44th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)39th percentile~ school

Male (2025)38th percentile-3 vs school

Homeless (2022)38th percentile+4 vs school

Disabled (2022)36th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)35th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)20th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science59%-3 vs state

Mathematics51%-10 vs state

Reading47%-6 vs state

1.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Friday, December 7, 2012

As I understand it, a little girl's paper was not accepted because she quoted her grampa, when he said he prayed to God in wartime. She wasn't advocating that others pray to God, she was just stating a fact. Please clarify your position. Close Quote

Schools Near West Marion 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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%)	47.6	788^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.1%		35.4	1008^th of 1505 public elementary schools	33.0%	220	46.2	64.9	55.9	42.3	66.7	44.1	59.3	$10,949	$1,855	$9,095
Pinnacle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1204 Painters Gap Road	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 287-3440	254	16	16.0	96.5%	209 (82.3%)	14 (5.5%)	22 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.5%)	61.5	539^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.8%		61.4	554^th of 1505 public elementary schools	63.2%	15	84.8	61.5	53.7	57.6	53.8	58.5	63.4	$11,086	$1,573	$9,513
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about West Marion Elementary School

Is West Marion Elementary School a good school?

West Marion Elementary School ranks 874^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is West Marion Elementary School in?

McDowell County Schools

How many students attend West Marion Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 390 students attended West Marion Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of West Marion Elementary School?

Students at West Marion Elementary School are 76% White, 13% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of West Marion Elementary School attend?

Students who attend West Marion Elementary School usually go on to attend:

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

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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.