Clay County Schools & Education
Clay County, North Carolina
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
57/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
92.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
92.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 88.0%
Per-Pupil Spending
$7,296
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,969
School Score
57/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 40/100
State Score Position
#15
of 100 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Clay County
Measured School Summary
Clay County performs at an average level with a school score of 57/100 and a solid graduation rate of 92.0%.
Funding Context
At $7,296 per pupil, Clay County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 42% above the North Carolina average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 4.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 5% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Clay County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
4 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
57/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #15 of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data.
Completion
92.0%
4.0 pts above the state average
Funding context
$7,296
$327 above the state average
School coverage
4
1 district represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Clay County has 4 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Clay County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Small-system county
Clay County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.
State position
#15
of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 17 points above the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Clay County Schools
Elementary to high school visible
1,314 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Clay County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 4 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Clay County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Clay County School Score Significantly Outpaces North Carolina Average
Education data brief for Clay County, North Carolina.
Clay County's composite school score of 56.9 is notably higher than the North Carolina state average of 40.3 and exceeds the national median of 50.0. The county operates a single school district, Clay County Schools, which manages four schools serving a total of 1,314 students. All four schools are classified as rural, with Hayesville High being the largest at 393 students. The county's graduation rate of 92.0% is five points higher than the national average and four points above the state average. Per-pupil expenditure is $7,296, which is higher than the state average of $6,969 but lower than the national average of $13,000. The education system is concentrated in Hayesville, with two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. No charter schools are present in the county. Factual next-step: Compare district-level spending data via the NCES Common Core of Data.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
4
in Clay County
Reported Enrollment
1,314
4 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Clay County
Clay County Schools
4 Public Schools in Clay County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 4 of 4 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayesville High | Record | Clay County Schools | Hayesville, 28904Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 393 |
| Hayesville Primary School | Record | Clay County Schools | Hayesville, 28904Rural: Remote | PK–2 | Primary | 377 |
| Hayesville Middle | Record | Clay County Schools | Hayesville, 28904Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 274 |
| Hayesville Elementary | Record | Clay County Schools | Hayesville, 28904Rural: Remote | 3–5 | Primary | 270 |
Hayesville Primary School
Clay County Schools
Hayesville, 28904 / Rural: Remote
Hayesville Elementary
Clay County Schools
Hayesville, 28904 / Rural: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$7,296
State avg $6,969
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Clay County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which North Carolina counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in North Carolina?
How should I read the school score in Clay County?
What is the graduation rate in Clay County?
How much does Clay County spend per student?
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.