High Country Times

There were 7,908 students enrolled in Wilkes County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3.5% less than the previous year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Wilkes Central High School registered the highest enrollment among Wilkes County's 21 schools in the 2022-23 school year, welcoming 728 students.

North Carolina's public schools are facing a significant funding gap, with a per-student expenditure of $10,519 - well below the national average of $14,295.

This financial strain is further compounded by a significant challenge in staffing with a staggering 58.4% surge in vacant teaching positions in the 2021-22 school year, leaving over 5,000 classrooms without qualified instructors.

School name	Total Enrollment in 2021-22	Total Enrollment in 2022-23	% Change
Wilkes Central High School	717	728	1.5%
Millers Creek Elementary School	677	670	-1%
West Wilkes High School	572	599	4.7%
North Wilkes High School	554	596	7.6%
Central Wilkes Middle School	637	570	-10.5%
East Wilkes High School	430	479	11.4%
West Wilkes Middle School	505	464	-8.1%
Mountain View Elementary School	404	436	7.9%
North Wilkes Middle School	437	409	-6.4%
Mulberry Elementary School	405	388	-4.2%
East Wilkes Middle School	395	371	-6.1%
Wilkesboro Elementary School	316	335	6%
Ronda-Clingman Elementary School	282	281	-0.4%
North Wilkesboro Elementary School	279	271	-2.9%
C. B. Eller Elementary School	265	260	-1.9%
Wilkes Early College High School	247	253	2.4%
Moravian Falls Elementary School	218	236	8.3%
Mount Pleasant Elementary School	190	214	12.6%
Roaring River Elementary School	154	160	3.9%
Boomer-Ferguson Elementary School	122	110	-9.8%
Traphill Elementary School	84	78	-7.1%