McDowell County Schools
McDowell County Schools is a public school district based in Marion, North Carolina, serving 5,792 students in 15 schools. By enrollment it ranks #56 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 50% of them. Its schools average 386 students each, fewer than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Dr Tracy Grit. It spends about $11,393 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 15.2 students per teacher.
How McDowell County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | McDowell County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $11,393 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,475 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $66.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $65.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 380 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 15.2 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 341 | 358 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The North Carolina median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr Tracy Grit
Source: NC Department of Public Instruction, EDDIE, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in North Carolina
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davie County SchoolsMocksville | 6,116 | 13 | $10,301 | 16.8 | #54 |
| Mooresville Graded School DistrictMooresville | 5,917 | 9 | $10,606 | 15.7 | #55 |
| McDowell County SchoolsMarion · this district | 5,792 | 15 | $11,393 | 15.2 | #56 |
| Beaufort County SchoolsWashington | 5,601 | 13 | $11,796 | 16.4 | #57 |
| Stokes County SchoolsDanbury | 5,553 | 17 | $11,287 | 14.7 | #58 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton Area SchoolsBrighton, MI | 5,796 | $14,284 | 18.2 |
| Verona Area School DistrictVerona, WI | 5,796 | $13,988 | 13.7 |
| Newark CityNewark, OH | 5,789 | $13,067 | 16.8 |
| Zeeland Public SchoolsZeeland, MI | 5,788 | $12,342 | 15.5 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-nc-mcdowell-county-schools