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Swain County East Elementary

Public Grades K-5

1275^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Swain County East Elementary is a K-5 school in Bryson City, NC, serving 338 students in the mountains of western North Carolina as part of Swain County Schools. The school currently ranks in the bottom 15% of North Carolina elementary schools with a 1-star SchoolDigger rating, a steep decline from a decade ago when it sat at the 61st percentile. Nearly all of its students (99%) come from low-income households, and 34% are chronically absent, well above the state average of 24%.

Academically, the picture is uneven. Third graders at Swain County East Elementary outperformed their district in 2025-2026, with 47% proficient in reading and 52% in math — beating nearby Swain County West Elementary in both subjects. Those gains fade sharply by 4th grade: math proficiency falls to 36% versus 62% at Swain County West, and reading to 43% versus 62%. By 5th grade, just 28% of students read at grade level, compared to 55% statewide. A notable bright spot is science, where 57% of 5th graders are proficient, above the district average. Special education students also stand out, ranking in the 64th percentile statewide.

Attendance is perhaps the clearest actionable difference between Swain East and higher-performing neighbors. Its 34% chronic absenteeism rate is more than double that of similarly high-poverty East Franklin Elementary and Iotla Valley Elementary in adjacent Macon County, which sit in the mid-teens. Swain East also spends more per student ($12,145) than most nearby schools, yet scores remain low, and the student-teacher ratio has risen to 16.4. The central question for families is why strong 3rd-grade results deteriorate by upper elementary — and whether reducing chronic absenteeism can help reverse the school's decade-long downward trend.

338

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

4747 Ela Rd
Bryson City, NC 28713

(828) 488-0939

District: Swain County Schools

Students who attend Swain County East Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Swain County Middle School
High:	Swain County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.3%

American Indian:

26.0%

Two or more races:

17.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Swain County East Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 54th percentile in 2016 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (44% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (34% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg46%

North Carolina avg61%

1,275^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 39 pts since 2016

From top 46% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

205^th of 246Swain 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	20.0	1275 of 1492	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.7	1226 of 1490	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	1190 of 1505	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.6	996 of 1502	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	867 of 1514	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.7	741 of 1489	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.3	652 of 1473	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.7	830 of 1434	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	61.3	552 of 1429	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.9	660 of 1425	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	38.1	950 of 1440	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	42.4	811 of 1390	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.6	815 of 1403	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.6	949 of 1388	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	45.4	856 of 1381	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.6	847 of 1363	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.0	725 of 1354	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	64.6	455 of 1324	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.3	544 of 1293	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.9	648 of 1276	49.2%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	23.6	775 of 897	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	14.6	1334 of 1447	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	20.5	1251 of 1451	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	1256 of 1455	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.3	965 of 1459	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.5	770 of 1458	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.8	628 of 1440	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.9	592 of 1424	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.6	631 of 1405	55.1%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	32.6	605 of 669	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.0	1262 of 1434	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.8	1041 of 1437	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.1	992 of 1450	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.0	575 of 1437	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.8	551 of 1366	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	421 of 1329	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.1	488 of 1361	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.3	449 of 1332	66.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	983 of 1451	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.6	1087 of 1450	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.8	1046 of 1464	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.0	952 of 1461	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.9	901 of 1464	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.8	881 of 1444	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.5	696 of 1430	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.5	1033 of 1413	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.4	128 of 181	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	12 of 29	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.4	19 of 30	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.4	13 of 28	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.5	3 of 29	89.7%	★★★★★
2022	84.3	3 of 29	89.7%	★★★★★
2021	88.2	2 of 28	92.9%	★★★★★
2019	79.4	2 of 27	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	66.6	7 of 28	75.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.0	297 of 815	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.0	541 of 821	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.4	409 of 801	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	5.2	1132 of 1146	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.0	1105 of 1172	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.6	1075 of 1166	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.5	965 of 1183	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.3	975 of 1194	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.1	902 of 1172	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.2	830 of 1183	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.0	872 of 1178	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)64th percentile+49 vs school

Native American (2026)59th percentile+44 vs school

Male (2026)32nd percentile+18 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)29th percentile+15 vs school

Disabled (2018)14th percentile-29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)12th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2024)10th percentile-11 vs school

Female (2026)8th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)1st percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science56%-11 vs state

Mathematics44%-19 vs state

Reading40%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Swain County East Elementary

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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/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 Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Swain County East Elementary	Public	K-5	4747 Ela Rd	Bryson City	28713	Swain County	Swain County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 488-0939	338	20	16.4	—	160 (47.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.6%)	3 (0.9%)	88 (26.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (17.2%)	20	1275^th of 1492 public elementary schools	14.5%		22.7	1226^th of 1490 public elementary schools	17.7%	49	51.9	36.2	43.5				47.3	42.6	28.3				56.5		$12,145	$1,906	$10,238
Smokey Mountain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	884 US Hwy 441N	Whittier	28789	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 497-5535	340	22	15.7	96.2%	125 (36.8%)	3 (0.9%)	53 (15.6%)	5 (1.5%)	111 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (12.6%)	5.5	1460^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.1%		9.1	1434^th of 1490 public elementary schools	3.8%	26	27.6	31.0	17.5	28.6	20.9	11.4	27.6	24.1	27.5	42.9	34.9	31.4	22.5	42.9	$11,755	$1,735	$10,021
Mountain Discovery	Public, Charter	K-8	890 Jenkins Branch Rd N	Bryson City	28713	Swain County	Mountain Discovery Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 488-1222	221	14	16.2	—	174 (78.7%)	4 (1.8%)	3 (1.4%)	3 (1.4%)	17 (7.7%)	1 (0.5%)	19 (8.6%)	42.8	861^st of 1492 public elementary schools	42.3%		43.5	860^th of 1490 public elementary schools	42.3%	1	38.7	68.2	36.4	47.4	61.9	46.7	61.3	72.7	59.1	50.0	71.4	86.7	50.0	100.0
Cherokee Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	130 Ravensford Drive	Cherokee	28719	Swain County	Cherokee Central Elementary School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(828) 554-5020	607	94	6.4	—	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	607 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Swain County West Elementary	Public	K-5	4142 Hwy 19 West	Bryson City	28713	Swain County	Swain County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 488-2119	403	26	15.7	—	293 (72.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.5%)	5 (1.2%)	32 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (11.7%)	27.4	1153^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	22.7%		40.9	902^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	39.5%	251	45.5	62.3	47.6				33.3	62.3	33.3				54.8		$10,938	$1,448	$9,491
Scotts Creek School	Public	PK, KG-8	516 Parris Branch	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 631-2740	422	29	14.6	—	290 (68.7%)	9 (2.1%)	75 (17.8%)	6 (1.4%)	12 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.1%)	22.3	1240^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.9%		32.3	1051^st of 1490 public elementary schools	29.5%	189	44.2	35.7	38.1	51.3	39.0	40.5	37.2	44.6	35.7	51.3	46.3	43.2	61.9	83.8	$9,973	$1,203	$8,770
Fairview School	Public	PK, KG-8	251 Big Orange Way	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 586-2819	797	48	16.5	98.0%	550 (69.0%)	11 (1.4%)	144 (18.1%)	10 (1.3%)	32 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.3%)	36.2	977^th of 1492 public elementary schools	34.5%		49.6	749^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.7%	228	62.5	43.6	63.5	55.2	62.3	80.2	55.6	41.5	42.7	47.9	64.9	65.1	57.3	83.7	$8,533	$860	$7,673
Iotla Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1166 Iotla Church Road	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 524-2938	408	32	12.9	—	328 (80.4%)	2 (0.5%)	64 (15.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)	50.1	726^th of 1492 public elementary schools	51.3%		41	900^th of 1490 public elementary schools	39.6%	174	61.2	62.0					54.1	57.7							$10,664	$1,364	$9,300
Cullowhee Valley School	Public	PK, KG-8	240 Wisdom Drive	Cullowhee	28723	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 293-5667	570	35	16.3	—	341 (59.8%)	5 (0.9%)	171 (30.0%)	3 (0.5%)	22 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.9%)	30.2	1089^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.0%		25.4	1172^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	21.3%	83	52.9	50.7	59.2	35.6	45.7	27.3	39.7	57.7	46.5	33.3	47.2	45.5	54.9	52.7	$10,392	$1,261	$9,131
East Franklin Elementary	Public	K-4	100 Watauga St	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 524-3216	315	25	12.5	—	200 (63.5%)	0 (0.0%)	109 (34.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	23.2	1222^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	18.1%		31.1	1072^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	28.1%	150	56.1	44.4					40.9	42.9							$10,178	$875	$9,304

Frequently Asked Questions about Swain County East Elementary

How many students attend Swain County East Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 338 students attended Swain County East Elementary.

What district is Swain County East Elementary in?

Swain County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Swain County East Elementary?

Students at Swain County East Elementary are 47% White, 26% American Indian, 17% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Swain County East Elementary attend?

Students who attend Swain County East Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Swain County Middle School
High : Swain County High School

Is Swain County East Elementary a good school?

Swain County East Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.5% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Rate Swain County East Elementary!

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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.