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Avery County Schools

At a glance

131^stof 242 North Carolina districts▼ 62

Better than 45% of North Carolina districts

Elementary 5 Middle 2 High 1Grades PK, KG-12

775 Cranberry Street
Newland, NC 28657·(828) 733-6006·All North Carolina district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2025

2025: better than 45.9% of districts

Schools

1,782

Students

5-star school

Top rankedBanner Elk Elementary104^th of 1,490 North Carolina elementary schools

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Smallest classes

Avery Middle 9.3 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

3★

1★

Compare North Carolina districts →See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

The Avery County Schools district in North Carolina consists of 8 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. The district as a whole is ranked 131 out of 242 school districts in the state and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Within the district, a few schools stand out in performance. Banner Elk Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in North Carolina, with a 5-star rating and significantly higher test scores than the district and state averages. Cranberry Middle also performs very well, ranking in the top 25% of North Carolina middle schools with test scores notably higher than the district and state. Additionally, Freedom Trail Elementary is another strong performer, ranking in the top 20% of North Carolina elementary schools with above-average test scores.

In contrast, the district's overall test scores are generally below the state averages, with Avery County High School particularly struggling, with only 36.7% proficient or better in Biology, 49.2% in English II, 6.7% in Math I, and 54.6% in Math III. The district also faces challenges with high poverty levels, as all schools have very high rates of free and reduced lunch recipients, ranging from 97.22% to 99.49%. These socioeconomic factors likely contribute to the overall academic challenges faced by the district.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Avery County High	Public	9-12	401 Avery County High School R	Newland	28657	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 733-0151	542	27	20.2	99.3%	423 (78.0%)	1 (0.2%)	92 (17.0%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.7%)	26.1	487^th of 641 public high schools	24.0%		31.1	441^st of 640 public high schools	31.1%	46	36.7	49.2	6.7	54.6															$10,821	$537	$10,285
Banner Elk Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	155 Orchard Lane	Banner Elk	28604	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 737-5700	159	10	15.3	92.5%	139 (87.4%)	2 (1.3%)	14 (8.8%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	90.5	104^th of 1490 public elementary schools	93.0%		95	48^th of 1505 public elementary schools	96.8%	56					85.3	88.2	80.8				67.6	70.6	80.8				80.8		$11,831	$1,739	$10,092
Crossnore Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 Walt Clark Road	Crossnore	28616	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 737-7204	184	15	12.1	98.4%	152 (82.6%)	1 (0.5%)	27 (14.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	53.7	678^th of 1490 public elementary schools	54.5%		78.2	275^th of 1505 public elementary schools	81.7%	403					64.1	57.1	77.8				41.0	47.6	55.6				72.2		$12,666	$1,132	$11,534
Avery Middle	Public	6-8	102 Old Montezuma Road	Newland	28657	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-0145	181	19	9.3	98.3%	138 (76.2%)	1 (0.6%)	41 (22.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19.4	643^rd of 773 public middle schools	16.8%		32.6	550^th of 793 public middle schools	30.6%	93								36.7	27.5	22.9				38.8	30.4	42.9		51.4	$12,188	$1,295	$10,894
Newland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	750 Linville Street	Newland	28657	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-4911	214	16	13.6	96.7%	121 (56.5%)	1 (0.5%)	91 (42.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	28.5	1110^th of 1490 public elementary schools	25.5%		39.4	942^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	37.4%	168					27.3	34.8	54.5				30.3	56.5	48.5				51.5		$13,995	$1,835	$12,160
Riverside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8020 US 19E Hwy South	Newland	28657	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 737-5600	98	7	14.3	96.9%	89 (90.8%)	3 (3.1%)	5 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	25.1	1180^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.8%		56.9	635^th of 1505 public elementary schools	57.8%	545					26.3	40.0	75.0				36.8	30.0	41.7				41.7		$12,645	$1,329	$11,316
Cranberry Middle	Public	6-8	6230 North US Highway 19E	Elk Park	28622	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-2932	202	18	11.3	96.0%	185 (91.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	67.4	227^th of 773 public middle schools	70.6%		70.5	205^th of 793 public middle schools	74.1%	22								83.6	58.5	44.3				74.6	66.2	49.2		59.0	$11,973	$1,132	$10,841
Freedom Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6110 North US Hwy 19E	Elk Park	28622	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-2932	202	15	13.0	94.1%	178 (88.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	64	500^th of 1490 public elementary schools	66.4%		77.5	287^th of 1505 public elementary schools	80.9%	213					40.0	73.7	80.6				40.0	68.4	71.0				71.0		$12,077	$1,306	$10,771

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Marjorie Williams Academy	3 mi	1
Mitchell County Schools	10.7 mi	6
Watauga County Schools	12.61 mi	11	39^th
Caldwell County Schools	16.9 mi	25	141^st
McDowell County Schools	20.28 mi	15	98^th

See the top NC North Carolina districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.