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Foothills Community School

Q: Is Foothills Community School a good school?

Foothills Community School ranks 105 th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

105^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 773 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 86% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Foothills Community School is a public magnet middle school in Marion, North Carolina, serving 196 students in grades 6-8. This school consistently outperforms the McDowell County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas, particularly in Mathematics and Reading.

Foothills Community School's academic excellence extends to various student subgroups, including female students, male students, Hispanic students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The school's 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and its high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 84.3% to 87.7%, further demonstrate its commitment to student success. Despite the school's high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, indicating a significant population of students from low-income families, Foothills Community School has been able to maintain its strong academic performance.

When compared to nearby middle schools, both within the McDowell County Schools district and in surrounding districts, Foothills Community School consistently outperforms its peers in standardized test scores and statewide rankings. This academic excellence, coupled with the school's ability to support diverse student populations, makes it a standout institution in the region.

200

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,490

Per pupil spending ?

98.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

176 Lukin Street
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 652-1040

District: McDowell County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.0%

Hispanic:

11.0%

Two or more races:

5.0%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 34th percentile in 2017 → 86th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (72% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of North Carolina middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 52 percentile points since 2017

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school72%

District avg51%

North Carolina avg54%

105^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 53 pts since 2017

From bottom 34% (2017) to top 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Middle 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	83.8	105 of 773	86.4%	★★★★☆
2024	77.1	152 of 793	80.8%	★★★★☆
2023	85.8	94 of 784	88.0%	★★★★☆
2022	84.2	106 of 786	86.5%	★★★★☆
2021	74.6	171 of 741	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	66.2	239 of 737	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.5	251 of 691	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	36.9	461 of 694	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	66.9	92 of 504	81.7%	★★★★☆
2018	35.9	303 of 475	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	76.1	153 of 733	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	71.4	182 of 738	75.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.7	129 of 731	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	79.2	134 of 733	81.7%	★★★★☆
2021	72.0	172 of 706	75.6%	★★★★☆
2019	64.5	230 of 684	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.8	232 of 656	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	68.1	115 of 458	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	62.0	185 of 461	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.8	120 of 452	73.5%	★★★★☆
2022	71.1	68 of 450	84.9%	★★★★☆
2021	46.2	308 of 448	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.4	378 of 416	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	96.8	12 of 553	97.8%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	80.0	83 of 729	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	84.1	61 of 743	91.8%	★★★★★
2023	95.5	17 of 735	97.7%	★★★★★
2022	80.5	76 of 689	89.0%	★★★★☆
2021	89.2	30 of 633	95.3%	★★★★★
2019	78.6	78 of 639	87.8%	★★★★☆
2018	48.9	310 of 604	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	87.3	72 of 733	90.2%	★★★★★
2024	78.6	136 of 751	81.9%	★★★★☆
2023	84.5	95 of 747	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	86.1	83 of 748	88.9%	★★★★☆
2021	74.7	163 of 711	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	66.6	219 of 697	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	243 of 665	63.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.0	177 of 649	72.7%	★★★★☆
2024	61.2	230 of 652	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.7	187 of 656	71.5%	★★★★☆
2022	68.6	184 of 658	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	56.5	245 of 632	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.9	306 of 624	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.0	360 of 596	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	7.8	429 of 469	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	8.5	430 of 476	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Hispanic (2023)98th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2025)90th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)89th percentile~ school

Disabled (2019)82nd percentile+14 vs school

Female (2025)79th percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)75th percentile-12 vs school

White (2025)73rd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science75%+15 vs state

Reading74%+22 vs state

Mathematics68%+15 vs state

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Schools Near Foothills Community 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 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Foothills Community School	Public, Magnet	6-8	176 Lukin Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(828) 652-1040	200	11	18.0	98.5%	164 (82.0%)	4 (2.0%)	22 (11.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.0%)	83.8	105^th of 773 public middle schools	86.4%		77.1	152^nd of 793 public middle schools	80.8%	47	69.0	80.3	55.6	72.4	77.3	73.6	75.0	$6,490	$276	$6,214
East McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	676 State Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-7711	392	35	11.2	99.2%	273 (69.6%)	16 (4.1%)	77 (19.6%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.1%)	31.6	529^th of 773 public middle schools	31.6%		43.5	455^th of 793 public middle schools	42.6%	74	45.8	56.7	27.9	42.3	46.4	48.1	39.5	$9,697	$1,539	$8,158
West McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	346 West McDowell Junior High	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-3390	550	35	15.5	99.5%	413 (75.1%)	17 (3.1%)	88 (16.0%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.5%)	43.7	444^th of 773 public middle schools	42.6%		38.7	500^th of 793 public middle schools	36.9%	56	72.7	46.4	37.4	48.3	49.4	44.7	50.0	$9,132	$764	$8,368
Table Rock Middle	Public	6-8	1585 Nc 126	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-5212	427	31	14.0	99.1%	282 (66.0%)	34 (8.0%)	53 (12.4%)	20 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.7%)	49.2	390^th of 773 public middle schools	49.5%		48.6	409^th of 793 public middle schools	48.4%	19	69.5	55.8	37.9	56.3	51.7	37.2	58.2	$9,032	$751	$8,280
R-S Middle School	Public	6-8	607 Westbrook Dr.	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 286-4461	561	30	18.6	98.2%	373 (66.5%)	78 (13.9%)	51 (9.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (10.0%)	48.9	393^rd of 773 public middle schools	49.2%		61.4	278^th of 793 public middle schools	64.9%	115	55.3	50.3	35.2	52.1	61.8	54.4	54.2	$8,987	$745	$8,242
Owen Middle	Public	6-8	730 Old US 70	Swannanoa	28778	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 686-7739	457	33	13.7	96.7%	329 (72.0%)	15 (3.3%)	85 (18.6%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.0%)	28.6	561^st of 773 public middle schools	27.4%		33.6	544^th of 793 public middle schools	31.4%	17	36.3	43.8	30.2	34.4	45.8	47.5	54.7	$10,287	$730	$9,558

Frequently Asked Questions about Foothills Community School

How many students attend Foothills Community School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 200 students attended Foothills Community School.

Is Foothills Community School a good school?

Foothills Community School ranks 105^th of 773 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Foothills Community School?

Students at Foothills Community School are 82% White, 11% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What district is Foothills Community School in?

McDowell County Schools

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Schools in Marion, NC

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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.