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Buncombe County Schools

175 Bingham Road
Asheville, NC 28806-3800
(District boundaries shown in map)
6/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Buncombe County Schools ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 16 public preschools serving 6,573 students in Buncombe County Schools. This district's average pre testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Buncombe County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 51% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 46% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 40% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public preschool average of 60% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
45 Schools
1,007 Schools
# Students
22,402 Students
477,947 Students
# Teachers
1,477 Teachers
32,759 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Buncombe County Schools, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 314 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 90% has increased from 88% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#136 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)
(21-22)
54%
51%
51%
50%
64%
63%
(21-22)
90%
86%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.55
0.73
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
22%
24%
% Black
7%
25%
% White
64%
40%
% Hawaiian
1%
n/a
% Two or more races
5%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $12,870 is higher than the state median of $11,168. The school district revenue/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,743 is higher than the state median of $11,592. The school district spending/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$288 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$286 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,870
$11,168
Spending / Student
$12,743
$11,592

Best Buncombe County Schools Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Glen Arden Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
50 Pinehurst Circle
Arden, NC 28704
(828) 654-1800
Gr: PK-4 | 505 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 30%
Rank: #2 - 32. - 3.
Bell Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
90 Maple Springs Road
Asheville, NC 28805
(828) 298-3789
Gr: PK-5 | 224 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 32%
Rank: #2 - 32. - 3.
Haw Creek Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
10 Bethesda Road
Asheville, NC 28805
(828) 298-4022
Gr: PK-5 | 402 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 36%
Rank: #44.
North Buncombe Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
251 Flat Creek Church Rd
Weaverville, NC 28787
(828) 645-6054
Gr: PK-4 | 593 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 26%
Rank: #55.
Estes Elementary School
(Math: 59% | Reading: 57%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
275 Overlook Road
Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 654-1795
Gr: PK-4 | 754 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 46%
Rank: #66.
Black Mountain Primary
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
301 East State Street
Black Mountain, NC 28711
(828) 669-2645
Gr: PK-3 | 351 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #77.
Candler Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
121 Candler School Road
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 670-5018
Gr: PK-4 | 381 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 32%
Rank: #88.
Barnardsville Elementary School
(Math: 50-59% | Reading: 40-49%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
20 Hillcrest Drive
Barnardsville, NC 28709
(828) 626-2290
Gr: PK-4 | 125 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 10%
Rank: #99.
Sand Hill-venable Elementary School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 42%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
154 Sand Hill School Road
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 670-5028
Gr: PK-4 | 590 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 47%
Rank: #1010.
Avery's Creek Elementary School
(Math: 45% | Reading: 43%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
15 Park South Boulevard
Arden, NC 28704
(828) 654-1810
Gr: PK-4 | 557 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 61%
Rank: #1111.
Leicester Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
31 Gilbert Road
Leicester, NC 28748
(828) 683-2341
Gr: PK-4 | 399 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 19%
Rank: #1212.
Oakley Elementary School
(Math: 40% | Reading: 38%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
753 Fairview Road
Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 274-7515
Gr: PK-5 | 502 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 60%
Rank: #1313.
Emma Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
37 Brickyard Road
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 232-4272
Gr: PK-4 | 277 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 69%
Rank: #1414.
Williams Elementary School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 33%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
161 Bee Tree Road
Swannanoa, NC 28778
(828) 686-3856
Gr: PK-5 | 451 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 44%
Rank: #1515.
Johnston Elementary School
(Math: 20-24% | Reading: 15-19%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
230 Johnston Boulevard
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 232-4291
Gr: PK-4 | 217 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 66%
Rank: n/an/a
Weaverville Primary
39 S Main Street
Weaverville, NC 28787
(828) 645-4275
Gr: PK-1 | 245 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 21%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 45 schools
  • Grades: PK-13
  • Enrollment: 22,402 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 37%
  • : 90% (Top 20% in NC)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 54% (Top 50%)
  • : 51% (Top 50%)
  • : 64% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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