Is Jimmy C Draughn High School a good school?

Jimmy C Draughn High School ranks 172 nd of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Jimmy C Draughn High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 656 students attended Jimmy C Draughn High School.

What is the racial makeup of Jimmy C Draughn High School?

Students at Jimmy C Draughn High School are 74% White, 11% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools feed into Jimmy C Draughn High School?

Jimmy C Draughn High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Drexel Elementary Elementary : Valdese Elementary Middle : Heritage Middle

Jimmy C Draughn High School

Summary:

Jimmy C Draughn High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Valdese, North Carolina, which is part of the Burke County Schools district. This high-performing school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic metrics, with particularly strong results for Hispanic, low-income, and disabled student populations.

Jimmy C Draughn High School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, ranking in the top third of high schools in North Carolina. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had a 79.7% proficiency rate in Math I, far exceeding the 49.6% rate for the Burke County Schools district and the 36.9% rate for the state. The school's strong academic track record is reflected in its statewide ranking, which has ranged from 57th to 207th out of hundreds of high schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 172nd.

Compared to nearby schools like Freedom High and Robert L. Patton High School, Jimmy C Draughn High School has a higher percentage of White students (around 71-73%) and lower percentages of Hispanic and African American students. This unique racial makeup may be an important factor to consider when analyzing the school's performance and comparing it to other schools in the region.

Detail:

Public 9-12

709 Lovelady Road NE
Valdese, NC 28690

(828) 879-4200

District: Burke County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
172^nd of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,112

Feeder schools for Jimmy C Draughn High School:

Elementary:	Drexel Elementary
	Valdese Elementary
Middle:	Heritage Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 18.7

Number of students: 656

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.6%

Hispanic:

11.4%

Asian:

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.4%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Jimmy C Draughn High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Jimmy C Draughn High School ranks better than 73.1% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 5 ranked high schools in the Burke County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.39. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73.6%), Hispanic (11.4%), Asian (6.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Jimmy C Draughn High School is 18.7. 3 high schools in the Burke County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Jimmy C Draughn High School employs 34.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Jimmy C Draughn High School is $9,112. 3 high schools in the Burke County Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Jimmy C Draughn High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Jimmy C Draughn High School 172^nd of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Jimmy C Draughn High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Burke County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Burke County Schools 110^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Jimmy C Draughn High School

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Rank History for all students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2009	63.61	129^th	490	73.7%
2010	67.33	99^th	499	80.2%
2011	67.80	105^th	506	79.2%
2012	68.19	84^th	502	83.3%
2013	56.45	99^th	505	80.4%
2014	73.51	57^th	451	87.4%
2015	61.23	114^th	531	78.5%
2016	50.42	159^th	507	68.6%
2017	63.99	115^th	476	75.8%
2018	61.17	145^th	469	69.1%
2019	58.29	157^th	514	69.5%
2021	59.97	207^th	594	65.2%
2022	72.26	159^th	621	74.4%
2023	66.20	189^th	626	69.8%
2024	71.39	172^nd	640	73.1%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	53.92	106^th	349	69.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	53.01	137^th	424	67.7%
2019	62.90	66^th	446	85.2%
2021	58.15	75^th	432	82.6%
2022	74.85	105^th	544	80.7%
2023	62.53	170^th	597	71.5%
2024	62.17	179^th	613	70.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	56.66	185^th	449	58.8%
2019	55.27	167^th	475	64.8%
2021	63.98	115^th	475	75.8%
2022	73.25	152^nd	594	74.4%
2023	62.68	210^th	588	64.3%
2024	73.98	163^rd	602	72.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	26.15	272^nd	349	22.1%
2019	44.80	175^th	364	51.9%
2021	63.39	65^th	334	80.5%
2022	76.16	32^nd	330	90.3%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	53.74	166^th	325	48.9%
2021	73.29	63^rd	337	81.3%
2022	74.39	85^th	398	78.6%
2023	56.74	203^rd	403	49.6%
2024	51.08	265^th	403	34.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	62.76	130^th	463	71.9%
2019	57.95	142^nd	488	70.9%
2021	56.07	142^nd	481	70.5%
2022	69.81	161^st	585	72.5%
2023	67.14	179^th	602	70.3%
2024	66.08	189^th	607	68.9%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	38.40	51^st	77	33.8%
2019	49.39	48^th	89	46.1%
2021	53.59	43^rd	83	48.2%
2022	61.80	37^th	91	59.3%
2023	55.69	48^th	98	51.0%
2024	44.21	64^th	101	36.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	88.05	19^th	340	94.4%
2019	64.70	54^th	354	84.7%
2021	58.96	67^th	370	81.9%
2022	80.04	79^th	436	81.9%
2023	55.81	152^nd	449	66.1%
2024	66.00	112^th	454	75.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	43.65	234^th	427	45.2%
2019	47.63	203^rd	444	54.3%
2021	44.44	203^rd	439	53.8%
2022	54.99	235^th	534	56.0%
2023	54.23	237^th	537	55.9%
2024	62.80	213^th	553	61.5%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Jimmy C Draughn High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2009	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0
2010	638	26	87	28	3	n/a	n/a	782
2011	624	14	80	36	2	1	32	789
2012	634	18	73	39	1	1	30	796
2013	593	15	78	41	1	1	26	755
2014	613	18	74	37	2	1	31	776
2015	579	20	52	41	2	1	27	722
2016	568	23	48	44	2	1	27	713
2017	547	27	44	40	2	0	24	684
2018	510	22	52	38	2	0	17	641
2019	476	21	52	37	2	2	27	617
2020	452	19	42	42	2	2	39	598
2021	465	21	47	58	1	3	36	631
2022	461	17	53	58	2	4	34	629
2023	488	20	60	71	1	3	39	682
2024	483	14	44	75	0	2	38	656

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 Jimmy C Draughn High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	0	45.5	n/a	n/a
2010	782	48.3	16.1	51
2011	789	45.4	17.3	47
2012	796	42.8	18.5	47.9
2013	755	46.3	16.3	50.3
2014	776	41.7	18.6	46.9
2015	722	43.0	16.7	43.6
2016	713	42.0	16.9	47.1
2017	684	39.0	17.5	42.7
2018	641	33.7	19.0	43.1
2019	617	36.7	16.8	42.5
2020	598	35.0	17.0	39.1
2021	631	35.8	17.6	37.1
2022	629	34.6	18.1	32.9
2023	682	36.3	18.7	51.2
2024	656	34.9	18.7	99.4

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 Jimmy C Draughn High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	0	45.5	n/a	n/a
2010	782	48.3	16.1	51
2011	789	45.4	17.3	47
2012	796	42.8	18.5	47.9
2013	755	46.3	16.3	50.3
2014	776	41.7	18.6	46.9
2015	722	43.0	16.7	43.6
2016	713	42.0	16.9	47.1
2017	684	39.0	17.5	42.7
2018	641	33.7	19.0	43.1
2019	617	36.7	16.8	42.5
2020	598	35.0	17.0	39.1
2021	631	35.8	17.6	37.1
2022	629	34.6	18.1	32.9
2023	682	36.3	18.7	51.2
2024	656	34.9	18.7	99.4

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 Jimmy C Draughn High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$776 (8.5%)	$8,336 (91.5%)	$9,112

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Jimmy C Draughn High 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 157^th of 514 High schools	Ranks 189^th of 626 High schools	0.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Jimmy C Draughn High School)	76.3	61.6	14.7%
End of Course Biology (Burke County Schools)	63.2	58.6	4.6%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Jimmy C Draughn High School)	58.8	64.9	6.1%
End of Course English II (Burke County Schools)	60.7	59.1	1.6%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Jimmy C Draughn High School)	49.6	61	11.4%
End of Course Math I (Burke County Schools)	52.6	45	7.6%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Jimmy C Draughn High School)	47.1	68.5	21.4%
End of Course Math III (Burke County Schools)	46.7	52.8	6.1%
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	617	682	10.5%
African American	21	20	4.8%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	52	60	15.4%
Hispanic	37	71	91.9%
Pacific Islander	2	3	50%
White	476	488	2.5%
Two or More Races	27	39	44.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	42.5%	51.2%	8.7%

Schools Near Jimmy C Draughn High 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 Reading 7th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jimmy C Draughn High School	Public	9-12	709 Lovelady Road NE	Valdese	28690	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 879-4200	656	35	18.7	99.4%	483 (73.6%)	14 (2.1%)	75 (11.4%)	44 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (5.8%)	71.4	172^nd of 640 public high schools	73.1%		66.2	189^th of 626 public high schools	69.8%	17	60.0	65.6	79.7	79.0				$9,112	$776	$8,336
Hallyburton Academy	Public	6-12	205 South Main Street	Drexel	28619	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-4184	102	9	11.3	97.1%	59 (57.8%)	8 (7.8%)	16 (15.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.9%)	14 (13.7%)	5.3	615^th of 640 public high schools	3.9%		4.8	604^th of 626 public high schools	3.5%	11	20.9	16.0			20.0	6.7	50.0	$18,048	$1,530	$16,517
East Burke High	Public	9-12	3695 East Burke Boulevard	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 397-5541	868	45	19.3	99.3%	672 (77.4%)	11 (1.3%)	73 (8.4%)	62 (7.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (5.6%)	54.5	265^th of 640 public high schools	58.6%		49.1	297^th of 626 public high schools	52.6%	32	61.3	59.8	53.9	54.8				$9,240	$806	$8,435
South Caldwell High	Public	9-12	7035 Spartan Drive	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 396-2188	1,299	85	15.2	98.7%	1,082 (83.3%)	18 (1.4%)	129 (9.9%)	9 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (4.5%)	46.9	318^th of 640 public high schools	50.3%		53.1	270^th of 626 public high schools	56.9%	48	50.3	60.4	39.8	60.3				$9,486	$729	$8,757
Caldwell Early College	Public	9-12	2859 Hickory Blvd SW	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 759-4636	398	18	21.7	37.4%	300 (75.4%)	9 (2.3%)	69 (17.3%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)	81.7	126^th of 640 public high schools	80.3%		83.6	110^th of 626 public high schools	82.4%	16	75.8	83.3	92.0	72.0				$7,027	$517	$6,510
Caldwell Applied Sciences Academy	Public	9-12	2857 Hickory Boulevard	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 759-4640	215	13	16.7	39.1%	179 (83.3%)	2 (0.9%)	22 (10.2%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.7%)	80.9	130^th of 640 public high schools	79.7%		78.3	138^th of 626 public high schools	78.0%	8	71.9	87.9	50.0	89.5				$8,388	$210	$8,178
Robert L. Patton High School	Public	9-12	701 Enola Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-3000	753	42	17.7	99.6%	510 (67.7%)	17 (2.3%)	168 (22.3%)	19 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (5.2%)	66	200^th of 640 public high schools	68.8%		56.6	249^th of 626 public high schools	60.2%	49	71.3	69.2	58.3	61.5				$9,266	$744	$8,523
Burke Middle College	Public	11-12	1001 Burkemont Ave	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 448-3175	131	3	43.6	31.3%	64 (48.9%)	2 (1.5%)	18 (13.7%)	43 (32.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.1%)								(n/a)				79.5				$4,804	$268	$4,536
West Caldwell High	Public	9-12	300 W Caldwell Drive	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 758-5583	687	47	14.5	99.1%	387 (56.3%)	69 (10.0%)	165 (24.0%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (8.6%)	17.9	529^th of 640 public high schools	17.3%		23.7	490^th of 626 public high schools	21.7%	39	33.0	46.7	15.1	34.3				$11,229	$831	$10,398
Freedom High	Public	9-12	511 Independence Boulevard	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-1310	1,374	75	18.4	99.8%	652 (47.5%)	94 (6.8%)	467 (34.0%)	53 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	108 (7.9%)	37.9	388^th of 640 public high schools	39.4%		44.9	324^th of 626 public high schools	48.2%	64	48.5	49.6	34.5	57.2				$8,511	$796	$7,716

Jimmy C Draughn High School

Jimmy C Draughn High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Burke County Schools:

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for all students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for Female students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for Disabled students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for Male students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for Asian students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rank History for White students at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Jimmy C Draughn High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Jimmy C Draughn High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Jimmy C Draughn High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Jimmy C Draughn High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Jimmy C Draughn High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Jimmy C Draughn High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Jimmy C Draughn High School

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