Summary:
Zip code 28713, serving the Bryson City, NC area, contains two public high schools—Swain County High School and Swain Academy—which together represent the high school options within Swain County Schools, a district that ranks in the 17th percentile statewide and carries a 1-star rating. The two schools could hardly be more different: Swain County High enrolls 536 students, while Swain Academy is a much smaller alternative-style program with just 32 students, and both serve predominantly economically disadvantaged populations.
Swain County High School is clearly the stronger of the two and has been improving, moving from the 24th to the 38th percentile in state rank over three years while posting a graduation rate of 89.2%, slightly above the state average. In 2025–2026, its Math III proficiency of 70.5% exceeded the state, and both Biology and English II improved substantially from the prior year. In contrast, Swain Academy ranks in the 2nd percentile statewide with 0 stars, a 60% graduation rate, and proficiency rates in the teens for Biology and English II. Chronic absenteeism is extreme at both schools, with Swain Academy at 66.2% and Swain County High at 46.8%, both far above the state’s 24.2%.
The most pressing concern at Swain County High is Math I proficiency, which fell to just 20.5% in 2025–2026—a 20-point gap behind the state—even as the school succeeds in other subjects. Swain Academy’s small 9.7 student-teacher ratio has not translated into better outcomes, suggesting it serves students with greater needs. Both schools face high poverty, with over 98% of Swain County High students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, making absenteeism and academic challenges systemic issues that demand attention. Despite sharing the same district, the performance gap between these two schools is wide, and the data clearly points to chronic absenteeism and poverty as the defining obstacles.
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