Jackson Community School

Summary:

Jackson Community School is a small public high school in Sylva, North Carolina, serving grades 5-12 with just 75 students. Despite its small size, the school faces significant challenges, including consistently low academic performance, high poverty rates, and a more racially diverse student population compared to nearby schools.

According to the key insights, Jackson Community School consistently ranks among the lowest-performing high schools in North Carolina, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for several consecutive years. Only 11.8% of students were proficient or better in the EOC/Biology exam, compared to 50.4% for the Jackson County Public Schools district and 53.4% for the state of North Carolina. The school's academic performance has been declining, with the achievement gap widening between student subgroups and their peers statewide.

The combination of high poverty rates, with 92% to 95.59% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school's small size may contribute to the challenges in providing a high-quality education. While Jackson Community School has a relatively diverse student population, with higher percentages of Native American and Hispanic students, the nearby schools, such as Smoky Mountain High School and Pisgah High, have much lower percentages of minority students, with white students making up the majority.

Detail:

Public 5-12

3770 Skyland Drive
Sylva, NC 28779

(828) 586-4328

District: Jackson County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
623^rd of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $26,010

Student/teacher ratio: 8.1

Number of students: 69

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.3%

American Indian:

18.8%

Two or more races:

10.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Jackson Community School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2009 the calculated Average Standard Score was 34.46. (See more...)

Compare Details Jackson Community School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2018 the calculated Average Standard Score was 1.99. (See more...)

Compare Details Jackson Community School ranks worse than 97.3% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks last among 4 ranked high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.34. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Jackson Community School has the smallest high school student body size in the Jackson County Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (62.3%), American Indian (18.8%), two or more races (10.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Jackson Community School is 8.1, which is the lowest among 4 high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Jackson Community School employs 8.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Jackson Community School is $26,010, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Jackson Community School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Jackson Community School 623^rd of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Jackson Community School in the ranking list.)

Jackson County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Jackson County Public Schools 171^st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Jackson Community School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	17.77	1141^st	1276	10.6%
2007	2.65	1286^th	1293	0.5%
2008	3.90	1302^nd	1324	1.7%
2009	34.46	981^st	1354	27.5%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Jackson Community School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	2.35	583^rd	598	2.5%
2007	4.48	584^th	606	3.6%
2008	16.95	537^th	620	13.4%
2009	19.22	547^th	630	13.2%
2010	26.55	530^th	640	17.2%
2011	3.28	616^th	648	4.9%
2012	64.39	260^th	662	60.7%
2013	13.96	597^th	673	11.3%
2015	15.87	608^th	705	13.8%
2017	13.21	615^th	694	11.4%
2018	1.99	673^rd	691	2.6%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Jackson Community School

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Rank History for all high school students at Jackson Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	16.44	380^th	431	11.8%
2007	11.11	410^th	453	9.5%
2008	16.95	412^th	477	13.6%
2009	11.71	439^th	490	10.4%
2010	1.10	491^st	499	1.6%
2011	7.70	460^th	506	9.1%
2012	1.30	477^th	502	5.0%
2013	4.96	497^th	505	1.6%
2015	9.41	457^th	531	13.9%
2016	2.64	476^th	507	6.1%
2017	2.36	457^th	476	4.0%
2018	0.63	469^th	469	0.0%
2019	5.07	478^th	514	7.0%
2024	4.34	623^rd	640	2.7%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Jackson Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	8.30	425^th	446	4.7%
2024	9.22	594^th	613	3.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Jackson Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	10.66	450^th	488	7.8%
2024	5.35	594^th	607	2.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Jackson Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	0.02	427^th	427	0.0%
2019	1.46	433^rd	444	2.5%
2024	1.32	547^th	553	1.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Jackson Community School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2001	37	2	0	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	45
2002	55	2	1	0	10	n/a	n/a	0	68
2003	55	2	1	0	10	n/a	n/a	0	68
2004	59	3	1	0	8	n/a	n/a	0	71
2005	73	4	0	1	6	n/a	n/a	0	84
2006	85	7	0	1	7	n/a	n/a	0	100
2007	82	0	0	3	8	n/a	n/a	6	99
2008	84	0	0	4	6	n/a	n/a	5	99
2009	92	7	0	2	7	n/a	n/a	0	108
2010	65	3	1	1	6	n/a	n/a	0	76
2011	59	0	0	4	11	0	1	0	75
2012	81	0	0	1	10	0	0	0	92
2013	53	0	0	3	8	0	1	0	65
2014	61	1	0	4	19	0	3	0	88
2015	61	2	0	4	17	0	4	0	88
2016	64	2	0	8	19	0	4	0	97
2017	59	2	1	8	18	0	3	0	91
2018	55	1	1	13	15	1	4	0	90
2019	55	1	0	6	4	0	4	0	70
2020	51	1	0	3	10	0	13	0	78
2021	51	1	0	5	9	0	2	0	68
2022	52	1	0	8	14	0	6	0	81
2023	46	0	0	10	12	0	7	0	75
2024	43	0	0	6	13	0	7	0	69

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Jackson Community School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	45	7.0	6.4	n/a
2002	68	7.0	9.7	72.1
2003	68	7.0	9.7	72.1
2004	71	7.0	10.1	0
2005	84	7.0	12.0	n/a
2006	100	7.0	14.3	65
2007	99	n/a	n/a	63.4
2008	99	14.8	6.7	79.8
2009	108	13.0	8.3	69.4
2010	76	12.5	6.0	77.6
2011	75	12.0	6.2	90.7
2012	92	10.2	9.0	71.7
2013	65	10.7	6.0	95.4
2014	88	14.3	6.1	85.2
2015	88	15.0	5.8	94.3
2016	97	13.0	7.4	96.9
2017	91	13.9	6.5	96.7
2018	90	13.9	6.4	96.7
2019	70	14.2	4.9	95.7
2020	78	13.0	5.9	96.2
2021	68	12.5	5.4	95.6
2022	81	12.9	6.2	91.4
2023	75	10.5	7.1	92
2024	69	8.5	8.1	95.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Jackson Community School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	45	7.0	6.4	n/a
2002	68	7.0	9.7	72.1
2003	68	7.0	9.7	72.1
2004	71	7.0	10.1	0
2005	84	7.0	12.0	n/a
2006	100	7.0	14.3	65
2007	99	n/a	n/a	63.4
2008	99	14.8	6.7	79.8
2009	108	13.0	8.3	69.4
2010	76	12.5	6.0	77.6
2011	75	12.0	6.2	90.7
2012	92	10.2	9.0	71.7
2013	65	10.7	6.0	95.4
2014	88	14.3	6.1	85.2
2015	88	15.0	5.8	94.3
2016	97	13.0	7.4	96.9
2017	91	13.9	6.5	96.7
2018	90	13.9	6.4	96.7
2019	70	14.2	4.9	95.7
2020	78	13.0	5.9	96.2
2021	68	12.5	5.4	95.6
2022	81	12.9	6.2	91.4
2023	75	10.5	7.1	92
2024	69	8.5	8.1	95.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Jackson Community School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,858 (7.1%)	$24,152 (92.9%)	$26,010

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Jackson Community School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course English II (Jackson Community School)	22.2	33.3	11.1%
End of Course English II (Jackson County Public Schools)	62.7	52.6	10.1%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	70	75	7.1%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	4	12	200%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	6	10	66.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	55	46	16.4%
Two or More Races	4	7	75%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	95.7%	92%	3.7%

Schools Near Jackson Community School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)		EOG Reading (2024)		EOG Science (2024)	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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th 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
Jackson Community School	Public	5-12	3770 Skyland Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-4328	69	9	8.1	95.7%	43 (62.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (10.1%)	4.3	623^rd of 640 public high schools	2.7%					(n/a)	11.8	25.0								$26,010	$1,858	$24,152
Smoky Mountain High School	Public	9-12	100 Smoky Mountain Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-2177	899	54	16.6	53.4%	625 (69.5%)	11 (1.2%)	176 (19.6%)	9 (1.0%)	40 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.2%)	39.8	372^nd of 640 public high schools	41.9%		37.2	378^th of 626 public high schools	39.6%	6	48.4	53.8	40.6	51.1						$11,017	$880	$10,137
Jackson County Early College	Public	9-12	404 College Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 339-4499	109	4	27.2	39.4%	75 (68.8%)	2 (1.8%)	14 (12.8%)	4 (3.7%)	6 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.3%)	87	103^rd of 640 public high schools	83.9%		90.3	64^th of 626 public high schools	89.8%	39	89.7	100.0	41.2	96.8						$7,254	$111	$7,144
Cherokee Central High School	Public	6-12	200 Ravensford Drive	Cherokee	28719	Swain County	Cherokee Central High School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(828) 554-5030	675	78	8.6	99.6%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	675 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Central Haywood High	Public	9-12	62 Joy Lane	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 627-9944	68	11	6.1	94.1%	54 (79.4%)	2 (2.9%)	6 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (8.8%)								(n/a)				18.2						$18,725	$2,409	$16,316
Tuscola High	Public	9-12	564 Tuscola School Rd	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 456-2408	908	57	15.9	99.7%	742 (81.7%)	16 (1.8%)	103 (11.3%)	6 (0.7%)	7 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.6%)	75.2	154^th of 640 public high schools	75.9%		71.2	168^th of 626 public high schools	73.2%	14	70.7	68.2	62.0	84.5						$9,911	$860	$9,050
Haywood Early College	Public	9-12	185 Freedlander Drive	Clyde	28721	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 565-4000	186	7	26.5	98.4%	169 (90.9%)	1 (0.5%)	11 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.7%)	96.4	8^th of 640 public high schools	98.8%		96.3	6^th of 626 public high schools	99.0%	2	97.8	100.0	100.0	98.0						$7,730	$690	$7,040
Swain County High School	Public	9-12	1415 Fontana Road	Bryson City	28713	Swain County	Swain County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 488-2152	559	41	13.4	99.5%	367 (65.7%)	2 (0.4%)	36 (6.4%)	3 (0.5%)	111 (19.9%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.2%)	24.9	486^th of 640 public high schools	24.1%		35.7	391^st of 626 public high schools	37.5%	95	37.2	49.7	18.9	46.3						$12,889	$1,251	$11,638
Blue Ridge Early College	Public	7-12	95 Bobcat Dr	Cashiers	28717	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 743-2646	136	13	10.8	97.8%	74 (54.4%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (44.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	24.2	489^th of 640 public high schools	23.6%		32.3	413^th of 626 public high schools	34.0%	76	47.1	47.4	29.6	26.1	46.2	15.8	34.6	31.6	52.6	$11,670	$875	$10,794
Pisgah High	Public	9-12	1 Black Bear Drive	Canton	28716	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 646-3440	908	57	16.0	98.7%	746 (82.2%)	10 (1.1%)	113 (12.4%)	7 (0.8%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (2.9%)	76.6	147^th of 640 public high schools	77.0%		79.9	130^th of 626 public high schools	79.2%	17	75.9	70.3	64.2	77.4						$9,758	$969	$8,789

Frequently Asked Questions about Jackson Community School

How many students attend Jackson Community School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 69 students attended Jackson Community School.

What district is Jackson Community School in?

Jackson County Public Schools

Is Jackson Community School a good school?

Jackson Community School ranks in the bottom 2.7% of North Carolina high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Jackson Community School?

Students at Jackson Community School are 62% White, 19% American Indian, 10% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic.

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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.