Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Buncombe County Schools

This page covers 23 elementary schools in Buncombe County Schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

23
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 23
1
rank
Haw Creek Elementary
Grades PK–05378 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.4:1)
60
/100
Student:Teacher
12.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
42%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Bell Elementary
Grades PK–05218 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.5:1)
59
/100
Student:Teacher
11.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
53%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
Glen Arden Elementary
Grades PK–04501 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
59
/100
Student:Teacher
13.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
34%
Low economic need
4
rank
Woodfin Elementary
Grades KG–05134 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (9.0:1)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
9.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
51/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
98%
High economic need
5
rank
Avery's Creek Elementary
Grades PK–04546 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.8:1)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
12.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
69%
High economic need
6
rank
Johnston Elementary
Grades PK–04203 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.6:1)
53
/100
Student:Teacher
10.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
99%
High economic need
7
rank
West Buncombe Elementary
Grades KG–04588 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
14.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
66%
Near nat'l 52.2%
8
rank
Emma Elementary
Grades KG–04289 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.6:1)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
11.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
98%
High economic need
9
rank
Weaverville Primary
Grades PK–01213 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.0:1)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
12.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
40%
Near nat'l 52.2%
10
rank
Sand Hill-Venable Elem
Grades PK–04534 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (13.2:1)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
13.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
77%
High economic need
13 more elementary schools in Buncombe County Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Buncombe County Schools
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
23
Elementary Schools
45
Total Schools
60
#1 Score
51
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
1
Compare Buncombe County Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.