Is Mountain Heritage High a good school?

Mountain Heritage High ranks 217 th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mountain Heritage High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 633 students attended Mountain Heritage High.

What is the racial makeup of Mountain Heritage High?

Students at Mountain Heritage High are 81% White, 17% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Mountain Heritage High

Summary:

Mountain Heritage High is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Burnsville, North Carolina, with a student population of 639. The school is part of the Yancey County Schools district, which is ranked 61 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Mountain Heritage High consistently performs above the state average on End-of-Course (EOC) exams, with proficiency rates ranging from 41.2% to 83.7% across different subjects and years, compared to the state averages of 36.9% to 59.7%. The school has maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade, indicating strong academic performance. However, its statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 99 to 217 out of 640 high schools in North Carolina, suggesting that while the school's academic performance is strong, it may not be keeping pace with the improvements seen in other high-performing schools across the state.

Compared to nearby schools, Mountain Heritage High has a significantly higher percentage of white students (82-84%) and a relatively high percentage of Hispanic students (13-16%), which is higher than the state average. The school has also seen an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 30.11% in 2020-2021 to 48.36% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students. While the school maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.2 to 13.4 over the past few years, it may need to focus on addressing the needs of underperforming subgroups, such as male students, special education students, and low socioeconomic status students, to ensure more equitable outcomes. The nearby Mayland Early College in the Mitchell County Schools district outperforms Mountain Heritage High on several academic metrics, suggesting opportunities for the school to learn from higher-performing schools in the region.

Detail:

Public 9-12

333 Mtn Heritage HS Road
Burnsville, NC 28714

(828) 682-6103

District: Yancey County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
217^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,483

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 633

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.7%

Hispanic:

17.4%

Two or more races:

1.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50.6%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Mountain Heritage High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mountain Heritage High ranks better than 66.1% of high schools in North Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.86. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (80.7%), Hispanic (17.4%), two or more races (1.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 50.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mountain Heritage High is 13.6. (See more...)

Compare Mountain Heritage High employs 46.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mountain Heritage High is $11,483.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mountain Heritage High:

SchoolDigger ranks Mountain Heritage High 217^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Mountain Heritage High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Yancey County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Yancey County Schools 61^st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Mountain Heritage High?

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Rank History for Mountain Heritage High

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Rank History for all students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	66.68	98^th	431	77.3%
2007	62.47	120^th	453	73.5%
2008	63.51	121^st	477	74.6%
2009	61.52	151^st	490	69.2%
2010	57.15	218^th	499	56.3%
2011	52.21	269^th	506	46.8%
2012	63.76	111^th	502	77.9%
2013	63.20	70^th	505	86.1%
2014	61.47	110^th	451	75.6%
2015	61.54	112^th	531	78.9%
2016	62.64	98^th	507	80.7%
2017	63.04	118^th	476	75.2%
2018	69.81	99^th	469	78.9%
2019	60.71	140^th	514	72.8%
2021	67.04	170^th	594	71.4%
2022	69.51	171^st	621	72.5%
2023	72.79	161^st	626	74.3%
2024	62.86	217^th	640	66.1%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	38.39	115^th	226	49.1%
2024	49.12	99^th	262	62.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	31.09	243^rd	349	30.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	73.12	50^th	424	88.2%
2019	60.25	78^th	446	82.5%
2021	67.27	40^th	432	90.7%
2022	67.53	134^th	544	75.4%
2023	66.76	151^st	597	74.7%
2024	59.04	190^th	613	69.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	70.96	98^th	449	78.2%
2019	69.14	99^th	475	79.2%
2021	70.00	86^th	475	81.9%
2022	75.38	141^st	594	76.3%
2023	75.80	142^nd	588	75.9%
2024	71.53	170^th	602	71.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	54.41	107^th	349	69.3%
2019	46.19	166^th	364	54.4%
2021	44.22	150^th	334	55.1%
2022	36.44	186^th	330	43.6%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	40.58	231^st	325	28.9%
2021	66.55	103^rd	337	69.4%
2022	64.46	159^th	398	60.1%
2023	76.92	78^th	403	80.6%
2024	69.73	114^th	403	71.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	67.94	102^nd	463	78.0%
2019	53.85	178^th	488	63.5%
2021	64.02	106^th	481	78.0%
2022	64.36	187^th	585	68.0%
2023	68.89	172^nd	602	71.4%
2024	53.48	259^th	607	57.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	34.91	220^th	340	35.3%
2019	46.75	135^th	354	61.9%
2021	54.25	88^th	370	76.2%
2022	43.26	216^th	436	50.5%
2023	53.98	165^th	449	63.3%
2024	44.74	222^nd	454	51.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Mountain Heritage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	62.66	140^th	427	67.2%
2019	48.98	196^th	444	55.9%
2021	57.89	140^th	439	68.1%
2022	66.41	183^rd	534	65.7%
2023	67.02	173^rd	537	67.8%
2024	56.73	243^rd	553	56.1%

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 Mountain Heritage High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	819	9	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	12	841
1989	798	7	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	806
1990	779	6	3	3	1	n/a	n/a	8	800
1991	785	8	4	3	4	n/a	n/a	0	804
1992	715	8	5	1	5	n/a	n/a	1	735
1993	708	8	4	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	725
1994	693	8	2	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	705
1995	701	5	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	709
1996	701	5	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	709
1997	704	7	2	2	3	n/a	n/a	0	718
1998	684	10	2	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	706
1999	674	6	2	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	692
2000	653	9	1	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	676
2001	694	11	1	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	716
2002	724	5	1	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	741
2003	724	5	1	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	741
2004	747	6	3	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	768
2005	751	9	1	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	773
2006	761	11	3	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	797
2007	741	8	3	26	0	n/a	n/a	3	781
2008	694	9	6	24	0	n/a	n/a	4	737
2009	747	18	7	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	814
2010	682	20	6	41	2	n/a	n/a	0	751
2011	668	6	7	35	3	1	12	0	732
2012	648	5	3	43	3	1	14	0	717
2013	608	5	3	43	3	0	15	0	677
2014	614	2	4	37	3	0	16	0	676
2015	612	3	1	42	2	0	11	0	671
2016	642	3	1	46	2	0	9	0	703
2017	643	3	1	61	1	0	14	0	723
2018	619	4	0	67	2	0	12	0	704
2019	587	5	1	73	3	0	15	0	684
2020	542	5	0	78	4	0	23	0	652
2021	515	3	0	80	4	1	8	0	611
2022	531	2	0	93	1	1	7	0	635
2023	524	0	1	103	1	0	10	0	639
2024	511	2	1	110	0	0	9	0	633

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 Mountain Heritage High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	841	52.0	16.1	14.7
1989	806	52.0	15.5	27.4
1990	800	56.0	14.2	24.3
1991	804	56.0	14.3	24.1
1992	735	56.0	13.1	11.6
1993	725	50.0	14.5	13.8
1994	705	51.0	13.8	12.2
1995	709	52.0	13.6	15.9
1996	709	52.0	13.6	15.9
1997	718	52.0	13.8	13.2
1998	706	60.0	11.8	13.9
1999	692	60.0	11.5	20.4
2000	676	60.0	11.3	21.6
2001	716	60.0	11.9	20.9
2002	741	60.0	12.4	0
2003	741	60.0	12.4	0
2004	768	60.0	12.8	28.1
2005	773	60.0	12.9	31.6
2006	797	60.0	13.3	35.5
2007	781	60.2	13.0	39.7
2008	737	58.8	12.5	39
2009	814	57.8	14.1	n/a
2010	751	55.1	13.6	44.5
2011	732	58.3	12.5	44.4
2012	717	57.9	12.3	46.7
2013	677	55.5	12.1	47.1
2014	676	56.2	12.0	45.9
2015	671	54.0	12.4	45.5
2016	703	54.0	13.0	45.8
2017	723	57.3	12.6	44.3
2018	704	54.2	12.9	42.6
2019	684	50.2	13.6	41.2
2020	652	48.9	13.3	41.9
2021	611	49.9	12.2	30.1
2022	635	48.7	13.0	30.4
2023	639	47.5	13.4	48.4
2024	633	46.5	13.6	50.6

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 Mountain Heritage High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	841	52.0	16.1	14.7
1989	806	52.0	15.5	27.4
1990	800	56.0	14.2	24.3
1991	804	56.0	14.3	24.1
1992	735	56.0	13.1	11.6
1993	725	50.0	14.5	13.8
1994	705	51.0	13.8	12.2
1995	709	52.0	13.6	15.9
1996	709	52.0	13.6	15.9
1997	718	52.0	13.8	13.2
1998	706	60.0	11.8	13.9
1999	692	60.0	11.5	20.4
2000	676	60.0	11.3	21.6
2001	716	60.0	11.9	20.9
2002	741	60.0	12.4	0
2003	741	60.0	12.4	0
2004	768	60.0	12.8	28.1
2005	773	60.0	12.9	31.6
2006	797	60.0	13.3	35.5
2007	781	60.2	13.0	39.7
2008	737	58.8	12.5	39
2009	814	57.8	14.1	n/a
2010	751	55.1	13.6	44.5
2011	732	58.3	12.5	44.4
2012	717	57.9	12.3	46.7
2013	677	55.5	12.1	47.1
2014	676	56.2	12.0	45.9
2015	671	54.0	12.4	45.5
2016	703	54.0	13.0	45.8
2017	723	57.3	12.6	44.3
2018	704	54.2	12.9	42.6
2019	684	50.2	13.6	41.2
2020	652	48.9	13.3	41.9
2021	611	49.9	12.2	30.1
2022	635	48.7	13.0	30.4
2023	639	47.5	13.4	48.4
2024	633	46.5	13.6	50.6

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 Mountain Heritage High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$884 (7.7%)	$10,599 (92.3%)	$11,483

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mountain Heritage High

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 140^th of 514 High schools	Ranks 161^st of 626 High schools	1.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Mountain Heritage High)	70.7	80.3	9.6%
End of Course Biology (Yancey County Schools)	70.7	80.3	9.6%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Mountain Heritage High)	60.3	61.6	1.3%
End of Course English II (Yancey County Schools)	60.3	61.6	1.3%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Mountain Heritage High)	54.1	58.1	4%
End of Course Math I (Yancey County Schools)	54.1	58.1	4%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Mountain Heritage High)	51.9	76.1	24.2%
End of Course Math III (Yancey County Schools)	51.9	76.1	24.2%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	684	639	6.6%
African American	5	0	100%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	73	103	41.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	587	524	10.7%
Two or More Races	15	10	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	41.2%	48.4%	7.1%

Schools Near Mountain Heritage High

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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mountain Heritage High	Public	9-12	333 Mtn Heritage HS Road	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 682-6103	633	47	13.6	50.6%	511 (80.7%)	2 (0.3%)	110 (17.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.4%)	62.9	217^th of 640 public high schools	66.1%		72.8	161^st of 626 public high schools	74.3%	56	78.4	66.0	41.2	64.7	$11,483	$884	$10,599
Mitchell High	Public	9-12	416 Ledger School Rd	Bakersville	28705	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 766-3400	508	42	11.9	98.0%	422 (83.1%)	5 (1.0%)	65 (12.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.6%)	29.5	455^th of 640 public high schools	28.9%		36.5	384^th of 626 public high schools	38.7%	71	55.6	47.7	18.8	41.5	$11,982	$572	$11,410
North Buncombe High	Public	9-12	890 Clarks Chapel Road	Weaverville	28787	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 645-4221	929	56	16.6	99.7%	731 (78.7%)	9 (1.0%)	150 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	4 (0.4%)	30 (3.2%)	61.2	226^th of 640 public high schools	64.7%		64.1	201^st of 626 public high schools	67.9%	25	60.4	68.5	50.8	65.2	$9,935	$695	$9,241
Mayland Early College	Public	9-12	264 Mayland Dr	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 766-2590	115	5	23.0	97.4%	91 (79.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (12.2%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.0%)	84.6	113^th of 640 public high schools	82.3%		94.4	34^th of 626 public high schools	94.6%	79	82.9	81.8	95.0	71.4	$7,370	$209	$7,160

Mountain Heritage High

Mountain Heritage High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Yancey County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for all students at Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for Special Education students at Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for Female students at Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for Disabled students at Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for Male students at Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mountain Heritage High

Rank History for White students at Mountain Heritage High

Enrollment information for Mountain Heritage High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mountain Heritage High

Student/Teacher Ratio Mountain Heritage High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mountain Heritage High

Impact of COVID-19 on Mountain Heritage High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Mountain Heritage High