Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 45 schools in district

Enka High

475 Enka Lake Road, Candler, NC 28715Buncombe County Schools
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 0912Non-Charter
1,045
Students
Total enrolled
92%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
6% vs nat'l
$14,785
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
~avg
15.9 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
36/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
29% vs nat'l
Large public school
Serves 1,045 students in grades 09–12 in Candler, North Carolina.
Near-average funding
District spends $14,785 per pupil — close to the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 36th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Enka High is a very large high in Candler, North Carolina, serving grades 09–12 with 1,045 students. The district invests $14,785 per student — close to the national average of $14,347, with a 15.9:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 58% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 36/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Enka High

1,045
Total Students
15.9 : 1
Student:Teacher
58%
Free Lunch
66
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (0912) are served by this school
Gender Distribution541 male · 504 female
52%
48%
Male 52%Female 48%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility58%
National avg 52% · 601 students
Student Composition
70%
24%
White70%
Hispanic / Latino24%
Black2%
Multiracial3%
Native American1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 370045000147

Academic Outcomes at Enka High

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
92
High
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
92%
State avg
84%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
36
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 36th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 11th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 28715

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$14,785Near avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$14,785
State avg
$13,042
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$6,505
Student Support$2,809
Administration$1,774
Operations$2,218
Other$1,479
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $14,785 spent per student, an estimated $6,550 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
49%
29%
State government
49.5%
Local (property tax)
29.3%
Federal programs
21.3%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 92% graduation rate — well above the 87% national average
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (36/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location
CountyBuncombe County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
Phone: (828)670-5000
NCES ID: 370045000147
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Candler seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing strong graduation outcomes and academic completion. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

Location
475 Enka Lake Road, Candler, NC 28715
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.