Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Summary:

Pleasant Gardens Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Marion, North Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 304 students. The school is part of the McDowell County Schools district, which is ranked 115 out of 242 school districts in North Carolina and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

While Pleasant Gardens Elementary School has a higher percentage of White students (78.62%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 60.15% to 87.87% White students, it also has a higher percentage of Hispanic students (15.13%) than the other schools in the area. However, the school's performance on state assessments (EOG) is generally lower than the McDowell County Schools district average and the state average, particularly in reading. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade reading proficiency rate was 32.4%, compared to the district's 46.3% and the state's 48.7%. Additionally, Pleasant Gardens Elementary School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 51.06% to 62.5% over the past few years, which is higher than the surrounding schools.

Interestingly, Pleasant Gardens Elementary School has a lower student-teacher ratio compared to the surrounding schools, ranging from 12 to 13.6 students per teacher, which is generally lower than the other schools in the area. However, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of North Carolina elementary schools, with a ranking between 632 and 1136 out of around 1500 schools, and its SchoolDigger rating has also been low, ranging from 1 to 3 stars out of 5. The school's performance on state assessments varies significantly by student subgroup, and when compared to the nearby schools, such as Old Fort Elementary School, Nebo Elementary School, and North Cove Elementary School, Pleasant Gardens Elementary School generally performs worse on state assessments, with lower proficiency rates in both mathematics and reading.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 100 John Roach Drive
       Marion, NC  28752


(828) 724-4422

District: McDowell County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
632nd of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,413 Help


Students who attend Pleasant Gardens Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    West McDowell Middle School
High:    McDowell Early College
    McDowell High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.6 Help
Number of students:  304

Racial breakdown:

White:
78.6%
Hispanic:
15.1%
Two or more races:
3.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  62.5% Help


 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Pleasant Gardens Elementary School ranks better than 58% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 4th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the McDowell County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.16. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (78.6%), Hispanic (15.1%), two or more races (3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 62.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the McDowell County Schools District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School is 13.6, which is the 4th best among 8 elementary schools in the McDowell County Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Pleasant Gardens Elementary School employs 22.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School is $10,413. 6 elementary schools in the McDowell County Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pleasant Gardens Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Pleasant Gardens Elementary School 632nd of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Pleasant Gardens Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


McDowell County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks McDowell County Schools 115th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 64.32 450th 1276 64.7%
2007 67.88 395th 1293 69.5%
2008 72.91 300th 1324 77.3%
2009 73.17 338th 1354 75.0%
2010 57.37 657th 1363 51.8%
2011 67.12 466th 1381 66.3%
2012 67.19 456th 1388 67.1%
2013 43.49 772nd 1403 45.0%
2014 37.41 895th 1390 35.6%
2015 30.63 1071st 1440 25.6%
2016 25.63 1136th 1425 20.3%
2017 43.38 869th 1429 39.2%
2018 60.88 562nd 1434 60.8%
2019 51.61 738th 1473 49.9%
2021 41.44 852nd 1489 42.8%
2022 44.30 840th 1514 44.5%
2023 35.54 997th 1502 33.6%
2024 57.16 632nd 1505 58.0%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.57 501st 1332 62.4%
2019 57.18 536th 1361 60.6%
2021 40.01 783rd 1329 41.1%
2022 56.45 530th 1366 61.2%
2023 34.02 1001st 1437 30.3%
2024 64.88 404th 1450 72.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.82 485th 1405 65.5%
2019 54.68 658th 1424 53.8%
2021 34.87 914th 1440 36.5%
2022 35.19 974th 1458 33.2%
2023 22.56 1201st 1459 17.7%
2024 63.89 478th 1455 67.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.76 297th 897 66.9%
2019 23.21 777th 878 11.5%
2021 40.05 350th 646 45.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 46.57 361st 494 26.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.30 643rd 1413 54.5%
2019 48.21 776th 1430 45.7%
2021 47.47 726th 1444 49.7%
2022 53.68 663rd 1464 54.7%
2023 47.70 793rd 1461 45.7%
2024 51.67 715th 1464 51.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 9.82 833rd 843 1.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.26 806th 1178 31.6%
2019 32.42 901st 1183 23.8%
2021 22.21 992nd 1172 15.4%
2022 31.93 891st 1194 25.4%
2023 21.05 1026th 1183 13.3%
2024 45.02 685th 1166 41.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary 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.

Pleasant Gardens Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 542 3 3 0 1 n/a n/a 3 552
1989 531 3 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 537
1990 533 7 4 1 0 n/a n/a -2 543
1991 512 3 3 0 0 n/a n/a 1 519
1992 538 3 4 0 0 n/a n/a 0 545
1993 522 4 6 0 0 n/a n/a 0 532
1994 551 5 5 1 1 n/a n/a 0 563
1995 564 8 4 1 1 n/a n/a 0 578
1996 564 8 4 1 1 n/a n/a 0 578
1997 579 12 5 10 0 n/a n/a 0 606
1998 569 12 4 11 3 n/a n/a 0 599
1999 547 14 5 11 1 n/a n/a 0 578
2000 513 12 3 17 0 n/a n/a 0 545
2001 490 10 1 19 0 n/a n/a 0 520
2002 480 10 0 34 1 n/a n/a 0 525
2003 480 10 0 34 1 n/a n/a 0 525
2004 489 13 1 39 2 n/a n/a 0 544
2005 426 16 0 23 1 n/a n/a 0 466
2006 401 17 0 28 2 n/a n/a 0 448
2007 403 7 0 47 4 n/a n/a 10 471
2008 384 13 0 47 4 n/a n/a 10 458
2009 384 28 1 50 4 n/a n/a 0 467
2010 365 16 1 40 3 n/a n/a 0 425
2011 322 9 1 41 4 0 6 0 383
2012 348 12 0 53 4 0 10 0 427
2013 332 14 0 57 3 0 10 0 416
2014 325 11 1 50 1 0 21 0 409
2015 305 10 2 49 1 1 14 0 382
2016 328 8 4 51 1 0 10 0 402
2017 303 9 8 39 1 0 11 0 371
2018 274 6 6 35 0 0 8 0 329
2019 261 7 8 26 0 0 8 0 310
2020 262 8 6 34 0 0 12 0 322
2021 232 9 6 33 0 0 2 0 282
2022 234 9 5 37 0 0 11 0 296
2023 239 6 3 46 1 0 9 0 304

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 Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 552 27.0 20.4 12.9
1989 537 27.0 19.8 26.6
1990 543 27.0 20.1 24.3
1991 519 27.0 19.2 25.4
1992 545 31.0 17.5 11.9
1993 532 28.0 19.0 18.4
1994 563 29.0 19.4 17.9
1995 578 30.0 19.3 23
1996 578 30.0 19.3 23
1997 606 31.0 19.5 22.3
1998 599 33.0 18.2 23.2
1999 578 33.0 17.5 33.6
2000 545 33.0 16.5 36.1
2001 520 33.0 15.8 36.2
2002 525 33.0 15.9 36.8
2003 525 33.0 15.9 36.8
2004 544 33.0 16.5 44.1
2005 466 33.0 14.1 40.3
2006 448 33.0 13.6 38.4
2007 471 n/a n/a 40.8
2008 458 31.0 14.8 50.7
2009 467 32.0 14.6 44.8
2010 425 30.0 14.2 55.8
2011 383 30.0 12.7 58.2
2012 427 29.4 14.4 57.8
2013 416 30.0 13.8 58.7
2014 409 26.6 15.3 63.1
2015 382 26.0 14.6 99.2
2016 402 30.0 13.4 96.8
2017 371 27.0 13.7 98.4
2018 329 27.3 12.0 99.1
2019 310 23.7 13.0 52.9
2020 322 24.9 12.9 56.8
2021 282 23.4 12.0 51.1
2022 296 24.4 12.1 59.5
2023 304 22.3 13.6 62.5

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 Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 552 27.0 20.4 12.9
1989 537 27.0 19.8 26.6
1990 543 27.0 20.1 24.3
1991 519 27.0 19.2 25.4
1992 545 31.0 17.5 11.9
1993 532 28.0 19.0 18.4
1994 563 29.0 19.4 17.9
1995 578 30.0 19.3 23
1996 578 30.0 19.3 23
1997 606 31.0 19.5 22.3
1998 599 33.0 18.2 23.2
1999 578 33.0 17.5 33.6
2000 545 33.0 16.5 36.1
2001 520 33.0 15.8 36.2
2002 525 33.0 15.9 36.8
2003 525 33.0 15.9 36.8
2004 544 33.0 16.5 44.1
2005 466 33.0 14.1 40.3
2006 448 33.0 13.6 38.4
2007 471 n/a n/a 40.8
2008 458 31.0 14.8 50.7
2009 467 32.0 14.6 44.8
2010 425 30.0 14.2 55.8
2011 383 30.0 12.7 58.2
2012 427 29.4 14.4 57.8
2013 416 30.0 13.8 58.7
2014 409 26.6 15.3 63.1
2015 382 26.0 14.6 99.2
2016 402 30.0 13.4 96.8
2017 371 27.0 13.7 98.4
2018 329 27.3 12.0 99.1
2019 310 23.7 13.0 52.9
2020 322 24.9 12.9 56.8
2021 282 23.4 12.0 51.1
2022 296 24.4 12.1 59.5
2023 304 22.3 13.6 62.5

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 Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,532 (14.7%) $8,881 (85.3%) $10,413

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pleasant Gardens Elementary 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 738th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 997th of 1502 Elementary schools
 16.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pleasant Gardens Elementary School)56.743.1
 13.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (McDowell County Schools)60.954.6
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Pleasant Gardens Elementary School)5535.3
 19.7%
   3rd Grade Reading (McDowell County Schools)49.641.8
 7.8%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pleasant Gardens Elementary School)49.346.9
 2.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (McDowell County Schools)56.754.9
 1.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Pleasant Gardens Elementary School)60.940.8
 20.1%
   4th Grade Reading (McDowell County Schools)61.555.7
 5.8%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pleasant Gardens Elementary School)52.552.1
 0.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (McDowell County Schools)53.959.9
 6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Pleasant Gardens Elementary School)6141.7
 19.3%
   5th Grade Reading (McDowell County Schools)6251.2
 10.8%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Pleasant Gardens Elementary School)83.168.8
 14.3%
   5th Grade Science (McDowell County Schools)80.472.8
 7.6%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students310304
 1.9%
African American76
 14.3%
American Indian01
Asian83
 62.5%
Hispanic2646
 76.9%
Pacific Islander00
White261239
 8.4%
Two or More Races89
 12.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients52.9%62.5%
 9.6%


Schools Near Pleasant Gardens Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Students who attend Pleasant Gardens Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : West McDowell Middle School
High : McDowell Early College
High : McDowell High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 304 students attended Pleasant Gardens Elementary School.

Pleasant Gardens Elementary School ranks 632nd of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Pleasant Gardens Elementary School are 79% White, 15% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.


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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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