Hiwassee Dam High

Q: Is Hiwassee Dam High a good school?

Hiwassee Dam High ranks 469 th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Hiwassee Dam High is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Murphy, North Carolina, with a relatively small student population of 158 as of the 2022-2023 school year. While the school is part of the Cherokee County Schools district, which is ranked 82 out of 242 districts in the state, Hiwassee Dam High has faced several challenges that set it apart from its neighboring schools.

One key differentiator is the school's racial makeup, with a significantly higher percentage of white students (90-95%) compared to the surrounding schools and the district and state averages. Academically, Hiwassee Dam High has struggled, consistently underperforming the district and state in all four End-of-Course (EOC) exams. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 56.96% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. These factors may be contributing to the school's declining statewide ranking, which has dropped from a high of 119 out of 469 North Carolina high schools in 2017-2018 to a low of 469 out of 640 in the 2023-2024 school year, earning it a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

In contrast, nearby schools like The Oaks Academy, Tri-County Early College High, and Murphy High have shown stronger academic performance and more diverse student populations. As Hiwassee Dam High continues to face these challenges, it will be important for the school and the Cherokee County Schools district to implement targeted interventions and strategies to improve student outcomes and provide a more well-rounded educational experience for all students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

267 Blue Eagle Circle
Murphy, NC 28906

(828) 644-5115

District: Cherokee County Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,078

Feeder schools for Hiwassee Dam High:

Elementary:	Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle
	Ranger Elementary/Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 158

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.8%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Two or more races:

3.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Hiwassee Dam High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Hiwassee Dam High ranks worse than 73.3% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks last among 4 ranked high schools in the Cherokee County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.82. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (91.8%), Hispanic (4.4%), two or more races (3.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 57% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hiwassee Dam High is 11.7, which is the 2^nd best among 4 high schools in the Cherokee County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Hiwassee Dam High employs 13.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hiwassee Dam High is $12,078. 2 high schools in the Cherokee County Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Hiwassee Dam High:

SchoolDigger ranks Hiwassee Dam High 469^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Hiwassee Dam High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Cherokee County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Cherokee County Schools 82^nd of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Hiwassee Dam High

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Rank History for all students at Hiwassee Dam High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	70.01	72^nd	431	83.3%
2007	62.74	118^th	453	74.0%
2008	69.91	69^th	477	85.5%
2009	67.55	92^nd	490	81.2%
2010	72.49	58^th	499	88.4%
2011	68.42	101^st	506	80.0%
2012	62.51	125^th	502	75.1%
2013	50.03	147^th	505	70.9%
2014	44.30	194^th	451	57.0%
2015	33.71	313^th	531	41.1%
2016	35.66	270^th	507	46.7%
2017	58.64	139^th	476	70.8%
2018	65.85	119^th	469	74.6%
2019	45.97	242^nd	514	52.9%
2021	27.24	420^th	594	29.3%
2022	43.26	331^st	621	46.7%
2023	24.38	480^th	626	23.3%
2024	27.82	469^th	640	26.7%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Hiwassee Dam High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	75.35	43^rd	424	89.9%
2019	55.59	101^st	446	77.4%
2022	51.89	209^th	544	61.6%
2023	28.28	432^nd	597	27.6%
2024	37.69	361^st	613	41.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Hiwassee Dam High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	66.06	115^th	449	74.4%
2019	46.25	228^th	475	52.0%
2021	34.43	276^th	475	41.9%
2022	48.23	296^th	594	50.2%
2023	23.59	462^nd	588	21.4%
2024	14.66	532^nd	602	11.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Hiwassee Dam High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	63.33	123^rd	463	73.4%
2019	47.41	209^th	488	57.2%
2021	20.90	373^rd	481	22.5%
2022	39.15	339^th	585	42.1%
2023	25.78	454^th	602	24.6%
2024	35.76	386^th	607	36.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Hiwassee Dam High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	51.44	197^th	427	53.9%
2019	32.61	298^th	444	32.9%
2021	12.40	404^th	439	8.0%
2022	29.91	389^th	534	27.2%
2023	14.19	490^th	537	8.8%
2024	17.46	482^nd	553	12.8%

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 Hiwassee Dam High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	196	0	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	199
2003	196	0	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	199
2004	187	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	187
2005	173	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	174
2006	186	2	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	189
2007	172	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	7	179
2008	192	0	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	7	203
2009	207	6	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	214
2010	210	5	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	217
2011	207	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	210
2012	213	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	215
2013	197	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	199
2014	196	0	0	4	1	0	3	0	204
2015	195	0	0	5	0	0	3	0	203
2016	199	1	0	6	1	0	0	0	207
2017	181	1	0	4	0	0	2	0	188
2018	171	0	0	7	3	0	9	0	190
2019	168	1	0	4	2	0	5	0	180
2020	152	1	0	4	1	0	6	0	164
2021	146	3	0	6	0	0	6	0	161
2022	140	1	0	3	0	0	4	0	148
2023	145	1	0	7	0	0	5	0	158

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 Hiwassee Dam High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	199	16.0	12.4	0
2003	199	16.0	12.4	0
2004	187	16.0	11.7	47.6
2005	174	20.0	8.7	43.7
2006	189	20.0	9.5	43.4
2007	179	14.1	12.7	48.8
2008	203	15.2	13.4	48
2009	214	16.2	13.2	44.4
2010	217	15.0	14.4	53
2011	210	15.0	14.0	55.2
2012	215	15.3	14.0	59.1
2013	199	16.4	12.1	54.8
2014	204	16.0	12.7	57.4
2015	203	16.0	12.6	56.7
2016	207	16.0	12.9	60.9
2017	188	16.1	11.6	58
2018	190	16.3	11.6	53.7
2019	180	16.3	11.0	46.7
2020	164	16.6	9.8	48.2
2021	161	12.6	12.6	32.3
2022	148	14.4	10.2	32.4
2023	158	13.4	11.7	57

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 Hiwassee Dam High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	199	16.0	12.4	0
2003	199	16.0	12.4	0
2004	187	16.0	11.7	47.6
2005	174	20.0	8.7	43.7
2006	189	20.0	9.5	43.4
2007	179	14.1	12.7	48.8
2008	203	15.2	13.4	48
2009	214	16.2	13.2	44.4
2010	217	15.0	14.4	53
2011	210	15.0	14.0	55.2
2012	215	15.3	14.0	59.1
2013	199	16.4	12.1	54.8
2014	204	16.0	12.7	57.4
2015	203	16.0	12.6	56.7
2016	207	16.0	12.9	60.9
2017	188	16.1	11.6	58
2018	190	16.3	11.6	53.7
2019	180	16.3	11.0	46.7
2020	164	16.6	9.8	48.2
2021	161	12.6	12.6	32.3
2022	148	14.4	10.2	32.4
2023	158	13.4	11.7	57

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 Hiwassee Dam High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$452 (3.7%)	$11,625 (96.2%)	$12,078

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Hiwassee Dam 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 242^nd of 514 High schools	Ranks 480^th of 626 High schools	29.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Hiwassee Dam High)	51.1	32.6	18.5%
End of Course Biology (Cherokee County Schools)	48.4	51.7	3.3%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Hiwassee Dam High)	76.5	62.5	14%
End of Course English II (Cherokee County Schools)	64.1	68	3.9%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Hiwassee Dam High)	5.3	19	13.7%
End of Course Math I (Cherokee County Schools)	30.9	47.2	16.3%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Hiwassee Dam High)	40	20.7	19.3%
End of Course Math III (Cherokee County Schools)	44.1	52.9	8.8%
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	180	158	12.2%
African American	1	1
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	4	7	75%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	168	145	13.7%
Two or More Races	5	5
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	46.7%	57%	10.3%

Schools Near Hiwassee Dam 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)	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 Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hiwassee Dam High	Public	9-12	267 Blue Eagle Circle	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 644-5115	158	13	11.7	57.0%	145 (91.8%)	1 (0.6%)	7 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.2%)	27.8	469^th of 640 public high schools	26.7%		24.4	480^th of 626 public high schools	23.3%	11	21.7	60.0	40.0	36.4			$12,078	$452	$11,625
Murphy High	Public	9-12	234 High School Circle	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 837-2426	489	34	14.1	54.6%	414 (84.7%)	14 (2.9%)	29 (5.9%)	5 (1.0%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.1%)	53.4	279^th of 640 public high schools	56.4%		58.3	240^th of 626 public high schools	61.7%	39	44.1	65.3	59.5	62.6			$10,724	$1,248	$9,476
Tri-County Early College High	Public	9-12	4700 East US 64 Alternate	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 837-6775	129	8	15.4	62.0%	95 (73.6%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (20.9%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.1%)	77.7	140^th of 640 public high schools	78.1%		77.7	140^th of 626 public high schools	77.6%		80.0	91.4	46.9	76.2			$7,830	$280	$7,549
The Oaks Academy	Public	6-12	4700 East US 64 Alternate	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 837-6775	50	5	9.5	94.0%	44 (88.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.0%)								(n/a)		12.5			9.1	36.4	$16,426	$280	$16,146

Frequently Asked Questions about Hiwassee Dam High

How many students attend Hiwassee Dam High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 158 students attended Hiwassee Dam High.

What is the racial makeup of Hiwassee Dam High?

Students at Hiwassee Dam High are 92% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Is Hiwassee Dam High a good school?

Hiwassee Dam High ranks 469^th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools feed into Hiwassee Dam High?

Hiwassee Dam High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle
Elementary : Ranger Elementary/Middle

What district is Hiwassee Dam High in?

Cherokee County Schools

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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.

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