Foothills Community School

Q: Is Foothills Community School a good school?

Foothills Community School ranks 152 nd of 793 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Foothills Community School is a public magnet middle school located in Marion, North Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 188. The school is part of the McDowell County Schools district, which is ranked 115 out of 242 districts in the state.

Foothills Community School consistently outperforms the district and state in standardized test scores, with 77.9% of 6th graders proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 65.8% for the district and 54.3% for the state. The school's exceptional performance extends to its Hispanic and low socioeconomic status (SES) student subgroups, which rank among the top 25 middle schools in North Carolina. However, the school's student population is predominantly White, with over 80% of students identifying as such, suggesting an opportunity to further diversify the school's cultural makeup.

Compared to nearby middle schools in the McDowell County Schools district, such as East McDowell Middle School and West McDowell Middle School, Foothills Community School consistently outperforms them in academic achievement, with higher proficiency rates across all grade levels and subject areas. Additionally, Foothills Community School serves a more economically diverse student population, with a lower percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients compared to the other district middle schools.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 6-8

176 Lukin Street
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 652-1040

District: McDowell County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
152^nd of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,490

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 196

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.2%

Hispanic:

8.2%

African American:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Foothills Community School ranks better than 80.8% of middle schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 3 ranked middle schools in the McDowell County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.1. (See more...)

Compare Details Foothills 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 7.76. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Foothills Community School has the smallest middle school student body size in the McDowell County Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (87.2%), Hispanic (8.2%), African American (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the McDowell County Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Foothills Community School is 16.8, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the McDowell County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Foothills Community School employs 11.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Foothills Community School is $6,490, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the McDowell County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Foothills Community School:

SchoolDigger ranks Foothills Community School 152^nd of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Foothills Community School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

White students:

McDowell County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks McDowell County Schools 115^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Foothills Community School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Foothills Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2017	36.89	461^st	694	33.6%
2018	63.49	251^st	691	63.7%
2019	66.21	239^th	737	67.6%
2021	74.62	171^st	741	76.9%
2022	84.16	106^th	786	86.5%
2023	85.76	94^th	784	88.0%
2024	77.10	152^nd	793	80.8%

See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Foothills Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	48.90	310^th	604	48.7%
2019	78.61	78^th	639	87.8%
2021	89.17	30^th	633	95.3%
2022	80.52	76^th	689	89.0%
2023	95.45	17^th	735	97.7%
2024	84.13	61^st	743	91.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Foothills Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	64.81	232^nd	656	64.6%
2019	64.46	230^th	684	66.4%
2021	72.00	172^nd	706	75.6%
2022	79.21	134^th	733	81.7%
2023	79.74	129^th	731	82.4%
2024	71.36	182^nd	738	75.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Foothills Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	35.89	303^rd	475	36.2%
2019	66.92	92^nd	504	81.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Gifted and Talented students at Foothills Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	28.38	378^th	416	9.1%
2021	46.18	308^th	448	31.3%
2022	71.11	68^th	450	84.9%
2023	67.77	120^th	452	73.5%
2024	61.98	185^th	461	59.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Foothills Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	62.61	243^rd	665	63.5%
2019	66.56	219^th	697	68.6%
2021	74.72	163^rd	711	77.1%
2022	86.07	83^rd	748	88.9%
2023	84.45	95^th	747	87.3%
2024	78.59	136^th	751	81.9%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Foothills Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	96.81	12^th	553	97.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Foothills Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	44.00	360^th	596	39.6%
2019	50.95	306^th	624	51.0%
2021	56.51	245^th	632	61.2%
2022	68.62	184^th	658	72.0%
2023	68.72	187^th	656	71.5%
2024	61.19	230^th	652	64.7%

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

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

Rank History for Foothills Community School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2017	8.47	430^th	476	9.7%
2018	7.76	429^th	469	8.5%

See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Foothills Community School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	66	1	0	8	2	0	5	82
2016	67	2	0	3	2	0	4	78
2017	202	7	0	15	2	0	9	235
2018	238	8	0	25	1	0	7	279
2019	154	8	1	19	0	0	6	188
2020	155	4	1	15	0	1	11	187
2021	162	4	1	20	0	1	10	198
2022	151	4	0	17	0	1	9	182
2023	158	4	0	22	0	0	4	188
2024	171	5	0	16	0	0	4	196

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 Foothills Community School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	82	17.0	4.8	89
2016	78	16.0	4.8	97.4
2017	235	15.0	15.6	98.7
2018	279	14.8	18.7	97.1
2019	188	10.0	18.6	45.7
2020	187	10.7	17.4	41.2
2021	198	11.4	17.3	41.4
2022	182	10.4	17.3	28.6
2023	188	12.4	15.1	50.5
2024	196	11.6	16.8	98.5

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 Foothills Community School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	82	17.0	4.8	89
2016	78	16.0	4.8	97.4
2017	235	15.0	15.6	98.7
2018	279	14.8	18.7	97.1
2019	188	10.0	18.6	45.7
2020	187	10.7	17.4	41.2
2021	198	11.4	17.3	41.4
2022	182	10.4	17.3	28.6
2023	188	12.4	15.1	50.5
2024	196	11.6	16.8	98.5

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 Foothills Community School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$276 (4.3%)	$6,214 (95.7%)	$6,490

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Foothills 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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 239^th of 737 Middle schools	Ranks 94^th of 784 Middle schools	20.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Foothills Community School)	55.2	75	19.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (McDowell County Schools)	59.2	57.6	1.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.8	52.3	6.5%
6th Grade Reading (Foothills Community School)	74.1	65	9.1%
6th Grade Reading (McDowell County Schools)	59	38.5	20.5%
6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	60	49.3	10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Foothills Community School)	62.9	64.2	1.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (McDowell County Schools)	53.6	44.6	9%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.4	50.1	8.3%
7th Grade Reading (Foothills Community School)	67.7	60.4	7.3%
7th Grade Reading (McDowell County Schools)	54.9	44	10.9%
7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	58.8	50.2	8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Foothills Community School)	40.9	64.8	23.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (McDowell County Schools)	48.5	40.8	7.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	52.6	44.8	7.8%
8th Grade Reading (Foothills Community School)	68.2	79.6	11.4%
8th Grade Reading (McDowell County Schools)	50.4	51.9	1.5%
8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	55.6	51	4.6%
8th Grade Science (Foothills Community School)	93.9	94.4	0.5%
8th Grade Science (McDowell County Schools)	79	69	10%
8th Grade Science (North Carolina)	78.6	70.3	8.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	188	188
African American	8	4	50%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	19	22	15.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	154	158	2.6%
Two or More Races	6	4	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.7%	50.5%	4.8%

Schools Near Foothills Community School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th 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
Foothills Community School	Public, Magnet	6-8	176 Lukin Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(828) 652-1040	196	12	16.8	98.5%	171 (87.2%)	5 (2.6%)	16 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	77.1	152^nd of 793 public middle schools	80.8%		85.8	94^th of 784 public middle schools	88.0%	58	77.9	58.9	50.0	69.1	52.1	68.0	88.0	$6,490	$276	$6,214
East McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	676 State Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-7711	411	33	12.3	99.3%	282 (68.6%)	16 (3.9%)	83 (20.2%)	5 (1.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.4%)	43.5	455^th of 793 public middle schools	42.6%		34.6	515^th of 784 public middle schools	34.3%	60	56.5	47.4	42.4	51.9	30.8	46.0	64.0	$9,697	$1,539	$8,158
West McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	346 West McDowell Junior High	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-3390	581	40	14.6	99.5%	436 (75.0%)	14 (2.4%)	96 (16.5%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.6%)	38.7	500^th of 793 public middle schools	36.9%		44.7	417^th of 784 public middle schools	46.8%	83	67.2	31.7	36.0	45.5	29.9	44.1	65.8	$9,132	$764	$8,368
Table Rock Middle	Public	6-8	1585 Nc 126	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-5212	454	30	15.2	99.3%	296 (65.2%)	40 (8.8%)	47 (10.4%)	23 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (10.6%)	48.6	409^th of 793 public middle schools	48.4%		35	509^th of 784 public middle schools	35.1%	100	69.0	49.0	38.3	53.1	40.7	40.0	66.7	$9,032	$751	$8,280
Harris Middle	Public	6-8	121 Harris Street	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 766-3340	222	15	14.6	98.6%	163 (73.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (21.6%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.2%)	43.5	454^th of 793 public middle schools	42.7%		49.2	389^th of 784 public middle schools	50.4%	65	19.8	43.2	50.0	29.6	40.5	64.7	86.8	$10,562	$823	$9,739
R-S Middle School	Public	6-8	607 Westbrook Dr.	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 286-4461	559	36	15.3	97.9%	385 (68.9%)	71 (12.7%)	54 (9.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.4%)	61.4	278^th of 793 public middle schools	64.9%		64.2	250^th of 784 public middle schools	68.1%	28	57.1	51.7	42.4	58.2	56.1	53.1	77.5	$8,987	$745	$8,242
Owen Middle	Public	6-8	730 Old US 70	Swannanoa	28778	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 686-7739	435	34	12.7	99.3%	307 (70.6%)	19 (4.4%)	80 (18.4%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.5%)	20 (4.6%)	33.6	544^th of 793 public middle schools	31.4%		37.8	484^th of 784 public middle schools	38.3%	60	49.7	34.3	35.1	41.3	36.4	42.4	62.9	$10,287	$730	$9,558

Frequently Asked Questions about Foothills Community School

How many students attend Foothills Community School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 196 students attended Foothills Community School.

What district is Foothills Community School in?

McDowell County Schools

Is Foothills Community School a good school?

Foothills Community School ranks 152^nd of 793 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Foothills Community School?

Students at Foothills Community School are 87% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% African American, 2% Two or more races.

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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.