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Mabel Elementary

Q: Is Mabel Elementary a good school?

Mabel Elementary ranks 794 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

794^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 47% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Mabel Elementary is a public elementary school located in Zionville, North Carolina, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 146 students. While the school is part of the Watauga County Schools district, which is ranked 39 out of 242 districts in the state, Mabel Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state averages in both mathematics and reading proficiency across all grade levels.

Mabel Elementary's student performance has declined over the past several years, with the school's statewide ranking dropping from 418 out of 1,429 North Carolina elementary schools in the 2016-2017 school year to 794 out of 1,490 in the 2024-2025 school year. The school has struggled to support the academic achievement of specific student subgroups, particularly female students, male students, white students, and low socioeconomic status students, all of whom perform in the bottom 25% of North Carolina elementary schools. Additionally, Mabel Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of students from low-income families compared to the surrounding Parkway Elementary and Valle Crucis Elementary schools.

While Mabel Elementary has a lower student-to-teacher ratio compared to the surrounding schools, its per-student spending is higher than the nearby schools. This suggests that the school's staffing and resource allocation may not be effectively addressing the needs of its student population, which could be contributing to the school's underperformance. Overall, Mabel Elementary appears to be facing unique challenges that require targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes and close the achievement gap with its district and state counterparts.

140

Students ?

8.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,398

Per pupil spending ?

66.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

404 Mabel School Road
Zionville, NC 28698-9708

(828) 297-2512

District: Watauga County Schools

Students who attend Mabel Elementary usually attend:

High:

Watauga High

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.4%

Hispanic:

4.3%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Mabel Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2015 → 47th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

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

!Near the bottom of Watauga County Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg56%

Elementary school

794^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 47%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to bottom 47% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

298^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 39%▲ up 16 pts since 2015

From bottom 46% (2015) to top 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Watauga County Schools

39^th of 242Watauga 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	47.2	794 of 1490	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.8	918 of 1505	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.9	971 of 1502	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.8	846 of 1514	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.4	953 of 1489	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.7	1039 of 1473	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	59.3	587 of 1434	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	69.4	418 of 1429	70.7%	★★★★☆
2016	65.6	464 of 1425	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.4	653 of 1440	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	58.7	560 of 1390	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.1	598 of 1403	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.0	479 of 1388	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.0	437 of 1381	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	83.8	135 of 1363	90.1%	★★★★★
2009	73.7	324 of 1354	76.1%	★★★★☆
2008	88.1	87 of 1324	93.4%	★★★★★
2007	67.6	397 of 1293	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	71.7	312 of 1276	75.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	51.5	703 of 1459	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.2	857 of 1440	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.7	1067 of 1424	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	60.3	581 of 1405	58.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	39.4	929 of 1450	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.0	814 of 1437	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.2	988 of 1361	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.8	916 of 1332	31.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	41.6	868 of 1464	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.0	1023 of 1430	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.5	819 of 1413	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	24.2	976 of 1172	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.4	987 of 1166	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	1073 of 1183	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.1	1026 of 1194	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.2	1092 of 1172	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.1	1123 of 1183	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.9	863 of 1178	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	58.0	298 of 773	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.0	322 of 793	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.6	542 of 784	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.7	498 of 786	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.2	550 of 741	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	59.7	290 of 737	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.4	133 of 691	80.8%	★★★★☆
2017	63.1	247 of 694	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.6	315 of 692	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.7	383 of 705	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	71.5	153 of 627	75.6%	★★★★☆
2013	61.8	225 of 673	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.5	190 of 662	71.3%	★★★★☆
2011	69.1	207 of 648	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	80.5	88 of 640	86.3%	★★★★☆
2009	86.9	27 of 630	95.7%	★★★★★
2008	85.0	56 of 620	91.0%	★★★★★
2007	73.8	125 of 606	79.4%	★★★★☆
2006	84.9	41 of 598	93.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	59.4	277 of 731	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.3	384 of 706	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	93.6	21 of 656	96.8%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	33.8	509 of 735	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.0	479 of 633	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.7	187 of 639	70.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	57.0	298 of 748	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	22.9	558 of 711	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	54.7	316 of 697	54.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.4	401 of 649	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	429 of 652	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	15.5	599 of 656	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	592 of 658	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.3	611 of 632	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	37.8	413 of 624	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.3	244 of 596	59.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Female (2023)52nd percentile+16 vs school

Male (2022)41st percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)36th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)17th percentile-30 vs school

Middle school

Female (2023)62nd percentile+31 vs school

Male (2022)60th percentile+24 vs school

White (2025)38th percentile-23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)31st percentile~ school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science64%+3 vs state

Mathematics63%+6 vs state

Reading47%-6 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, January 18, 2011

I feel there is a huge lack of parent communication. My step-daughter attends Mabel and no matter how involved we try to be her teachers barely give us the time of day. Close Quote

Schools Near Mabel Elementary

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 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
Mabel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	404 Mabel School Road	Zionville	28698	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 297-2512	140	16	8.8	66.4%	128 (91.4%)	1 (0.7%)	6 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.6%)	47.2	794^th of 1490 public elementary schools	46.7%		40.8	918^th of 1505 public elementary schools	39.0%	124	66.7	60.0	72.7	56.3	72.7	57.1	40.0	50.0	36.4	43.8	63.6	50.0	63.6	64.3	$13,398	$1,416	$11,982
Cove Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	930 Vanderpool Rd	Vilas	28692	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 297-2781	289	23	12.6	41.2%	252 (87.2%)	2 (0.7%)	22 (7.6%)	9 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	66.6	457^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.3%		69.3	420^th of 1505 public elementary schools	72.1%	37	57.1	84.8	65.4	78.9	68.0	58.6	42.9	57.6	65.4	57.9	48.0	70.0	57.7	73.3	$12,375	$859	$11,515
Bethel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	138 Bethel School Rd	Sugar Grove	28679	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 297-2240	128	17	7.7	55.5%	115 (89.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.0%)	60.8	550^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.1%		50.1	744^th of 1505 public elementary schools	50.6%	194	46.2	45.5	64.3	76.9	72.7	37.5	53.8	72.7	57.1	53.8	72.7	62.5	71.4	68.8	$14,795	$1,301	$13,494
Green Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	189 Big Hill Road	Boone	28607	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 264-3606	292	28	10.6	64.4%	254 (87.0%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (6.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.5%)	39.9	920^th of 1490 public elementary schools	38.3%		35.5	1006^th of 1505 public elementary schools	33.2%	86	50.0	40.6	40.6	56.7	62.1	64.1	50.0	50.0	53.1	56.7	51.7	71.8	53.1	71.8	$11,237	$1,247	$9,990
Valle Crucis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	175 Pioneer Trail	Boone	28607	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 963-4712	345	27	12.5	40.3%	285 (82.6%)	4 (1.2%)	48 (13.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.7%)	66.4	462^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	69.0%		77.8	285^th of 1505 public elementary schools	81.1%	177	56.5	72.4	44.1	80.5	78.0	54.1	50.0	75.9	55.9	78.0	65.9	70.3	67.6	86.5	$10,351	$520	$9,831
Watauga Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	K-8	175 Pioneer Trail	Boone	28607	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(828) 264-7190	10	6	4.0	50.0%	6 (60.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (30.0%)	1 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Hardin Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	361 Jefferson Road	Boone	28607	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 264-8481	854	73	11.7	41.6%	599 (70.1%)	21 (2.5%)	143 (16.7%)	50 (5.9%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.3%)	72.7	350^th of 1490 public elementary schools	76.5%		79.3	251^st of 1505 public elementary schools	83.3%	99	66.7	71.9	55.7	73.8	71.4	65.6	54.8	67.7	61.4	70.2	61.9	76.0	72.7	82.3	$11,487	$1,000	$10,486
Two Rivers Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	1018 Archie Carroll Road	Boone	28607	Watauga County	Two Rivers Community School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 262-5411	163	12	13.5		146 (89.6%)	2 (1.2%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.7%)	69.1	406^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.8%		69.8	408^th of 1505 public elementary schools	72.9%	2	44.4	52.4	76.2	61.5	52.4		55.6	66.7	81.0	76.9	57.1		76.2
Parkway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	160 Parkway School Dr	Boone	28607	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 264-3032	610	42	14.5	35.4%	503 (82.5%)	2 (0.3%)	76 (12.5%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.9%)	78.7	266^th of 1490 public elementary schools	82.1%		78.6	271^st of 1505 public elementary schools	82.0%	5	66.2	65.7	76.5	75.4	70.8	67.5	47.8	70.0	75.0	72.5	66.7	74.0	85.3	77.9	$9,618	$414	$9,204
Banner Elk Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	155 Orchard Lane	Banner Elk	28604	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 737-5700	159	10	15.3	92.5%	139 (87.4%)	2 (1.3%)	14 (8.8%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	90.5	104^th of 1490 public elementary schools	93.0%		95	48^th of 1505 public elementary schools	96.8%	56	85.3	88.2	80.8				67.6	70.6	80.8				80.8		$11,831	$1,739	$10,092

Frequently Asked Questions about Mabel Elementary

What schools do graduates of Mabel Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mabel Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Watauga High

What is the racial makeup of Mabel Elementary?

Students at Mabel Elementary are 91% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Mabel Elementary in?

Watauga County Schools

How many students attend Mabel Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 140 students attended Mabel Elementary.

Is Mabel Elementary a good school?

Mabel Elementary ranks 794^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Mabel Elementary!

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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.