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B

Buncombe County Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 6 towns

Serves Asheville, Black Mountain, Woodfin, Weaverville, Biltmore Forest and Montreat.

Asheville’s School Grade B better than 63% of North Carolina school districts

Students
22,452
Schools
45
Spent per student
$13,828
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
15:1
Free or reduced lunch
98%
Debt
$200.6M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Buncombe County Schools

  • Its letter, B: results better than 62% of North Carolina districts
  • Spends 6% more per student than the NC average
  • 15 students per teacher
  • Debt of $200.6M, about $8,936 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B: better than 62% of the 325 North Carolina school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math above the state, 2021–22
B
GraduationFour-year graduation above the state, class of 2023
B+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Asheville. Grade by grade →

PK–511 elementary schoolsThis district
6–83 middle schoolsAsheville City Schools
9–126 high schoolsThis district

Test scores vs. NC

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency54%
State average 50.8% · 10,532 students tested
Reading / language arts51%
State average 49.9% · 11,439 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)91%
State average 86.5% · 1,808 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$13,828 per student · 6% above NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 61%Support & administration 34%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 35%State 48%Federal 16%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
22,298’20
22,079’21
22,091’22
22,172’23
22,452’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 63%Hispanic 22%Black 7%Two or more races 5%Asian 1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

45 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with North Carolina’s other public schools.

Estes Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Asheville
C+
754 students14:1
North Buncombe Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Weaverville
B
593 students15:1
Sand Hill-Venable Elem
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Asheville
B−
590 students15:1
Avery's Creek Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Arden
C+
557 students15:1
Glen Arden Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Arden
B+
505 students14:1
Oakley Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Asheville
C+
502 students15:1
Williams Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Swannanoa
C−
451 students16:1
Haw Creek Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Asheville
B
402 students12:1
Leicester Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Leicester
C+
399 students15:1
Candler Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Candler
C
381 students14:1
Black Mountain Primary
Elementary · Grades PK–3 · Black Mountain
B+
351 students14:1
Emma Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Asheville
C−
277 students13:1
Weaverville Primary
Elementary · Grades PK–1 · Weaverville
245 students16:1
Bell Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Asheville
B
224 students12:1
Johnston Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Asheville
D−
217 students12:1
Barnardsville Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Barnardsville
C
125 students11:1
Fairview Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Fairview
A−
646 students17:1
West Buncombe Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–4 · Asheville
B+
580 students15:1
Hominy Valley Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–4 · Candler
B
399 students15:1
Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy
Other · Grades K–12 · Asheville
296 students21:1
Pisgah Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–4 · Candler
C+
162 students12:1
Woodfin Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Asheville
C
111 students10:1
Weaverville Elementary
Elementary · Grades 2–4 · Weaverville
A−
342 students16:1
Black Mountain Elementary
Elementary · Grades 4–5 · Black Mountain
B−
163 students15:1
Koontz Intermediate
Middle · Grades 5–6 · Asheville
B−
725 students18:1
Valley Springs Middle
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Arden
B
654 students14:1
Enka Intermediate
Middle · Grades 5–6 · Candler
C+
585 students15:1
Eblen Intermediate
Middle · Grades 5–6 · Asheville
C
566 students15:1
North Windy Ridge Intermediate
Middle · Grades 5–6 · Weaverville
A−
487 students15:1
Cane Creek Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Fletcher
A−
499 students15:1
Reynolds Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Asheville
B−
490 students15:1
Owen Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Swannanoa
B−
457 students14:1
Enka Middle
Middle · Grades 7–8 · Candler
B−
588 students16:1
Erwin Middle
Middle · Grades 7–8 · Asheville
C+
545 students14:1
North Buncombe Middle
Middle · Grades 7–8 · Weaverville
A−
516 students14:1
Community High School
High · Grades 7–12 · Swannanoa
D
127 students7:1
Roberson High
High · Grades 9–12 · Asheville
A
1,479 students17:1
Reynolds High
High · Grades 9–12 · Asheville
A
1,169 students18:1
Enka High
High · Grades 9–12 · Candler
A
1,051 students16:1
Erwin High
High · Grades 9–12 · Asheville
B
1,013 students15:1
North Buncombe High
High · Grades 9–12 · Weaverville
A
896 students17:1
Owen High
High · Grades 9–12 · Black Mountain
A−
649 students15:1
Nesbitt Discovery Academy
High · Grades 9–12 · Asheville
A+
372 students22:1
Early College
High · Grades 9–13 · Asheville
A
271 students25:1
Center for Career Innovation
High · Grades 9–13 · Asheville
C−
41 students10:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within North Carolina.