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 2025-26 school year, there are 9 public middle schools serving 4,101 students in Buncombe County Schools. This district's average middle testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public middle schools in North Carolina.
Public Middle Schools in Buncombe County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 50% (versus the North Carolina public middle school average of 48%), and reading proficiency score of 48% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 36% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public middle school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
45 Schools
880 Schools
# Students
22,126 Students
493,642 Students
# Teachers
1,549 Teachers
31,617 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Buncombe County Schools, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 320 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:

0.53
0.71
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
21%
20%
% Black
7%
25%
% White
65%
44%
% Hawaiian
1%
n/a
% Two or more races
5%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,030 is higher than the state median of $11,191. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,902 is higher than the state median of $11,616. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat 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
$13,030
$11,191
Spending / Student
$12,902
$11,616

Best Buncombe County Schools Public Middle Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
North Buncombe Middle School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 60%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
51 N Buncombe School Road
Weaverville, NC 28787
(828) 645-7944
Gr: 7-8 | 508 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #22.
Cane Creek Middle School
(Math: 65% | Reading: 62%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
570 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732
(828) 628-0824
Gr: 6-8 | 470 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 15%
Rank: #33.
Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
21 Trinity Chapel Rd, Building
Asheville, NC 28805
(828) 255-5102
Gr: K-12 | 280 students Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #44.
Valley Springs Middle School
(Math: 57% | Reading: 52%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
224 Long Shoals Road
Arden, NC 28704
(828) 654-1785
Gr: 5-8 | 634 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 53%
Rank: #55.
Enka Middle School
(Math: 41% | Reading: 43%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
390 Asbury Road
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 670-5010
Gr: 7-8 | 617 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 36%
Rank: #66.
Community High School
Alternative School
(Math: 21-39% | Reading: ≥50%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
235 Old Us 70
Swannanoa, NC 28778
(828) 686-7734
Gr: 7-12 | 131 students Student-teacher ratio: 7:1 Minority enrollment: 38%
Rank: #77.
Reynolds Middle School
(Math: 44% | Reading: 39%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
2 Rocket Drive
Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 298-7484
Gr: 6-8 | 490 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 46%
Rank: #88.
Owen Middle School
(Math: 38% | Reading: 42%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
730 Old Us 70
Swannanoa, NC 28778
(828) 686-7739
Gr: 6-8 | 435 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 29%
Rank: #99.
Erwin Middle School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 39%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
20 Erwin Middle School Road
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 232-4264
Gr: 7-8 | 536 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 49%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 45 schools
  • Grades: PK-13
  • Enrollment: 22,126 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 35%
  • : 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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