Hickory Sun

There were 11,712 students enrolled in Burke County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.3% less than the previous year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Freedom High School registered the highest enrollment among Burke County's 27 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 1,343 students.

North Carolina’s student-teacher ratio is roughly 15.4 students per teacher, aligning with the national average. However, rising teacher turnover threatens to push class sizes higher, making it harder for students to get individualized attention.

If vacancies continue to grow, schools may struggle to maintain this ratio, impacting the quality of instruction. Districts in lower-funded areas face the biggest challenges, as limited budgets make it harder to attract and retain teachers.

School name	Total Enrollment in 2022-23	Total Enrollment in 2023-24	% Change
Freedom High School	1,375	1,343	-2.3%
East Burke High School	860	850	-1.2%
Robert L. Patton High School	741	739	-0.3%
Mountain View Elementary School	623	680	9.1%
East Burke Middle School	648	657	1.4%
Jimmy C. Draughn High School	669	636	-4.9%
New Dimensions	533	550	3.2%
Valdese Elementary School	485	482	-0.6%
Liberty Middle School	459	453	-1.3%
Drexel Elementary School	421	451	7.1%
Table Rock Middle School	490	450	-8.2%
Heritage Middle School	453	447	-1.3%
Walter R. Johnson Middle School	458	436	-4.8%
Ray Childers Elementary School	424	419	-1.2%
Salem Elementary School	374	400	7%
Oak Hill Elementary School	308	316	2.6%
George Hildebrand Elementary School	304	309	1.6%
W. A. Young Elementary School	277	280	1.1%
Glen Alpine Elementary School	265	275	3.8%
Mull Elementary School	257	266	3.5%
Hildebran Elementary School	287	251	-12.5%
Forest Hill Elementary School	256	242	-5.5%
Icard Elementary School	243	242	-0.4%
Hillcrest Elementary School	248	236	-4.8%
Burke Middle College	118	131	11%
Hallyburton Academy	111	106	-4.5%
North Liberty	63	65	3.2%