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Public elementary school · Cherokee County Schools · Murphy, North Carolina

Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle

Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle rates 5.8, below most Cherokee County Schools elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.3.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.8this school

5.8 on a one-to-ten scale; the Cherokee County Schools median is 6.3.

#1,735 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina · Cherokee County Schools: 6 elementary schools rated, median 6.3

The brief

A Cherokee County Schools elementary school where students score 12 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,735 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 8 of 13 in Cherokee County Schools.

Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle is listed in Cherokee County Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math65%8 points above the North Carolina average of 57%2026 NC
Reading61%5 points above the North Carolina average of 56%2026 NC
In 2026, 65% of students were proficient in math and 61% in reading, against North Carolina averages of 57% and 56%.2026 NC; 68 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
3.0
50% of the rating
Academics
8.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
9.7
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 63% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 28906; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$52,669
Median home value
$219,800
Median rent
$872/mo
College educated
24.4%
Homeownership
84%
Poverty rate
12.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28906; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
4
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
1
Somewhat Bikeable

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
97.5%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle serve?

Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle serves students in grades Pre-K through 8th.

How many students attend Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle?

Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle has an enrollment of approximately 121 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle is 11:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle rank in NC?

Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle ranks #1,735 of 2,660 schools in NC.

What is Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.8 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle has 63% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle a charter school?

No, Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle a Title I school?

No, Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle?

97.5% of students at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 8th
Enrollment
121
Student-teacher ratio
11:1
Teachers (FTE)
11
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Remote Rural
County
Cherokee County
Phone
(828) 644-5115
Rank in district
#8 of 13
Schools in district
13
District spending per student
$14,303
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
24.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 28906)
19,712
Area average commute
26.6 min
Area median age
56.1

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.