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B

Avery County Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 8 towns

Serves Banner Elk, Newland, Beech Mountain, Elk Park, Sugar Mountain, Seven Devils, Crossnore and Grandfather Village.

Banner Elk’s School Grade B better than 58% of North Carolina school districts

Students
1,782
Schools
8
Spent per student
$15,855
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
14:1
Free or reduced lunch
97%
Debt
$8.5M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Avery County Schools

  • Its letter, B: results better than 58% of North Carolina districts
  • Spends 22% more per student than the NC average
  • 14 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 5.2% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $8.5M, about $4,797 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B: better than 58% 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 close to the state, class of 2023
C+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
BBanner Elk 1,242Newland 728Beech Mountain 659Elk Park 552Sugar Mountain 382Seven Devils 314Crossnore 238Grandfather Village 97

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Banner Elk. Grade by grade →

PK–5Banner Elk ElementaryThis district
6–82 middle schoolsThis district
9–12Avery County HighThis district

Test scores vs. NC

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency55%
State average 50.8% · 897 students tested
Reading / language arts53%
State average 49.9% · 976 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)85–89%
State average 86.5% · 141 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
$15,855 per student · 22% above NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 57%Support & administration 37%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 22%State 58%Federal 19%

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

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

Enrollment over time
1,880’20
1,870’21
1,904’22
1,856’23
1,782’24

Down 5.2% since 2020–21.

Students
White 80%Hispanic 17%Two or more races 2%Black <1%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

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

Newland Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Newland
C
214 students14:1
Freedom Trail Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Elk Park
B
202 students13:1
Crossnore Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Crossnore
B−
184 students12:1
Banner Elk Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Banner Elk
A−
159 students15:1
Riverside Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Newland
C
98 students14:1
Cranberry Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Elk Park
A−
202 students11:1
Avery Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Newland
B
181 students9:1
Avery County High
High · Grades 9–12 · Newland
B+
542 students20:1

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.