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Lucy S. Herring Elementary

Q: Is Lucy S. Herring Elementary a good school?

Lucy S. Herring Elementary ranks 535 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

535^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 64% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Lucy S. Herring Elementary is a medium-sized PK–5 school in Asheville, NC, serving 255 students as part of Asheville City Schools, with a student body that is comparatively economically mixed for its immediate neighborhood. The school currently ranks in the 64th percentile statewide with a 3-star rating, a slight step back from the previous two years when it earned 4 stars and sat in the 70th–73rd percentile range. That places it solidly above average but behind district neighbor Claxton Elementary and, just across the district line, West Buncombe Elementary — which serves a much higher-poverty population yet ranks in the 87th percentile.

The school has some impressive bright spots worth highlighting. In the most recent year, 4th grade reading reached 78.8% proficiency, well above the district (63.3%) and state (57.7%), and outperformed Claxton Elementary and Hall Fletcher — with math results nearly matching Isaac Dickson Elementary. Science scores have been consistently strong for four straight years, landing at 72.3% proficient in the latest year, and the school's special education students rank in the 87th percentile statewide, a genuine standout outcome.

Areas of concern are concentrated in a few spots. Fifth grade reading fell to 48.9% proficiency — far below the district and every same-district comparison school — though this followed a strong prior year and may partly reflect small class sizes. Low-income students and gifted-identified students are the weaker subgroup areas, and chronic absenteeism (21.7%) is the highest among the Asheville City elementary counterparts, even though the school has improved dramatically from its pandemic-era peak. The school also enjoys favorable structural resources: an 11.4 student-teacher ratio and roughly $13,509 in per-student spending. Overall, Lucy S. Herring Elementary is a solidly above-average school with real strengths in 4th grade instruction, science, and special education — and its biggest opportunities for growth lie in literacy at certain grade levels, narrowing economic achievement gaps, and improving attendance.

255

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

46.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

98 Sulphur Springs Road
Asheville, NC 28806-2646

(828) 350-6600

District: Asheville City Schools

Students who attend Lucy S. Herring Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Asheville Middle
High:	Asheville High
	Silsa

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.8%

African American:

12.9%

Hispanic:

11.4%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Lucy S. Herring Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 56th percentile in 2021 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 64th (2026) from a 56th-percentile low (2021)

✓Above the North Carolina median (64th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg61%

535^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

81^st of 246Asheville City Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	535 of 1492	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.0	408 of 1490	72.6%	★★★★☆
2024	67.6	451 of 1505	70.0%	★★★★☆
2023	57.8	623 of 1502	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.9	571 of 1514	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.1	654 of 1489	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.0	407 of 1473	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	69.3	418 of 1434	70.9%	★★★★☆
2017	77.3	276 of 1429	80.7%	★★★★☆
2016	74.5	318 of 1425	77.7%	★★★★☆
2015	83.5	177 of 1440	87.7%	★★★★☆
2014	84.1	180 of 1390	87.1%	★★★★☆
2013	80.0	229 of 1403	83.7%	★★★★☆
2012	81.6	173 of 1388	87.5%	★★★★☆
2011	81.1	190 of 1381	86.2%	★★★★☆
2010	77.2	253 of 1363	81.4%	★★★★☆
2009	78.8	231 of 1354	82.9%	★★★★☆
2008	62.9	496 of 1324	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	50.5	730 of 1293	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	63.8	461 of 1276	63.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	28.1	760 of 949	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.7	769 of 927	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	57.0	198 of 646	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	30.5	679 of 897	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.4	644 of 1447	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.4	426 of 1451	70.6%	★★★★☆
2024	73.1	317 of 1455	78.2%	★★★★☆
2023	57.3	598 of 1459	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.5	583 of 1458	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.4	664 of 1440	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.8	489 of 1424	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.5	279 of 1405	80.1%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	9.1	696 of 710	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	42.2	567 of 669	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.5	470 of 582	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.6	432 of 500	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.1	437 of 494	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.0	324 of 612	47.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	47.4	434 of 893	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	344 of 843	59.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.3	825 of 1434	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.8	613 of 1437	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.1	618 of 1450	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	22.8	1222 of 1437	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.7	1038 of 1366	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.7	767 of 1329	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.6	778 of 1361	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.5	659 of 1332	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.2	393 of 1451	72.9%	★★★★☆
2025	68.0	404 of 1450	72.1%	★★★★☆
2024	59.9	566 of 1464	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.7	620 of 1461	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.1	547 of 1464	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.1	607 of 1444	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.5	311 of 1430	78.3%	★★★★☆
2018	61.8	531 of 1413	62.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.2	110 of 815	86.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.0	271 of 1146	76.4%	★★★★☆
2025	78.3	202 of 1172	82.8%	★★★★☆
2024	72.1	295 of 1166	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.2	304 of 1183	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	74.9	259 of 1194	78.3%	★★★★☆
2021	57.0	483 of 1172	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	83.4	134 of 1183	88.7%	★★★★☆
2018	82.4	154 of 1178	86.9%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2026)87th percentile+22 vs school

White (2026)76th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)73rd percentile+9 vs school

Disabled (2021)69th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)55th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2022)51st percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)42nd percentile-22 vs school

African American (2019)20th percentile-52 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)2nd percentile-71 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science72%+5 vs state

Mathematics66%~ state avg

Reading63%+7 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, March 27, 2016

The staff is dedicated to each student. The parents are very active and welcome in the school. It has a family feel as soon as you walk in the building. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Sunday, October 16, 2011

Within just days of my son starting there as a new student in Kindergarten the principle knew his name. And as for that it has been pretty much the same staff for the whole six years he has attended, which I feel is important for an educational environment. There have been a few replacements, but they were seamless and ineffectual. Additionally, the teachers and all staff there work hard to make sure that each student is working up to their potential, getting extra help if they need it, being offered extra stimulating work if they are academically or intellectually gifted, and they also emphasize arts and understanding different cultural awareness as well.Within the Magnet schools they each have a theme that is blended into the curriculum and would not ordinarily be taught at this level of learning. Vance's is "Human Ecology and Diversity". Other schools in the Asheville City School system focus on other things. Hall Fletcher for instance is Robotics and Math, I.R.B. Jones is Basic Skills, and so on, (there are 5 elementary, 1 middle, 1 High school, and a gifted school: SILSA {central office high school not withstanding, there they have a school as well where they teach vocational studies}. Vance also is a high growth school, a school of excellence, and a NASA explorer school (one of only 50 in the country!). NASA works out programs with the school. Also, every year the 5th grade class goes to Washington D.C., and then to Langley, NASA. We have always loved it at Vance, the teachers are great, they feel like family. After six years they know my son almost as well as I do, it really is a great school. Not only a great learning environment, but a an excellent developmental one as well. What you have to realize is that these first few years, elementary school years, are when kids are building up fundamental social skills. The environment they're in is very important. Close Quote

Schools Near Lucy S. Herring Elementary

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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
Lucy S. Herring Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	98 Sulphur Springs Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 350-6600	255	22	11.4	46.3%	173 (67.8%)	33 (12.9%)	29 (11.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.5%)	63	535^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.1%		69	408^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.6%	127	63.0	73.6	59.6				60.9	78.8	48.9				72.3		$13,509	$1,024	$12,485
Francine Delany New School	Public, Charter	K-8	119 Brevard Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Francine Delany New School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 236-9441	193	15	12.8	—	108 (56.0%)	41 (21.2%)	17 (8.8%)	4 (2.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (11.4%)	44	845^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.4%		42.9	866^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.9%	21	38.1	61.9	52.6	50.0	68.2	45.5	52.4	71.4	57.9	55.0	63.6	72.7	52.6	81.8
Asheville PEAK Academy	Public, Charter	K-7	133 Livingston Street	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Asheville PEAK Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(828) 239-3550	161	15	10.4	—	12 (7.5%)	109 (67.7%)	18 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (13.7%)	20.6	1268^th of 1492 public elementary schools	15.0%		42	880^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.9%	388	40.0	50.0	38.9	72.7	61.5		20.0	50.0	27.8	54.5	61.5		38.9
Johnston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	230 Johnston Boulevard	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 232-4291	217	17	12.4	—	74 (34.1%)	41 (18.9%)	87 (40.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	12 (5.5%)	22	1247^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.4%		6.7	1450^th of 1490 public elementary schools	2.7%	203	48.9	50.0					29.8	53.1							$14,890	$1,958	$12,932
Hall Fletcher Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	60 Ridgelawn Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 350-6400	318	25	12.5	58.8%	171 (53.8%)	76 (23.9%)	40 (12.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	27 (8.5%)	28.6	1124^th of 1492 public elementary schools	24.7%		40.4	910^th of 1490 public elementary schools	38.9%	214	48.6	40.4	59.1				40.0	40.4	54.5				59.1		$14,641	$1,562	$13,079
Emma Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	37 Brickyard Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 232-4272	277	22	12.8	—	86 (31.0%)	36 (13.0%)	142 (51.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	38.7	927^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.9%		18.3	1312^th of 1490 public elementary schools	11.9%	385	66.7	58.5					38.5	49.1							$12,874	$1,531	$11,343
Isaac Dickson Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	125 Hill Street	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(828) 350-6800	390	29	13.3	41.0%	220 (56.4%)	75 (19.2%)	36 (9.2%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.5%)	47 (12.1%)	61.4	558^th of 1492 public elementary schools	62.6%		62.6	520^th of 1490 public elementary schools	65.1%	38	60.4	79.0	59.6				56.3	77.4	52.6				66.7		$12,739	$936	$11,803
Sand Hill-Venable Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	154 Sand Hill School Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 670-5028	590	39	14.9	98.0%	311 (52.7%)	43 (7.3%)	213 (36.1%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.9%)	36.1	979^th of 1492 public elementary schools	34.4%		31.2	1069^th of 1490 public elementary schools	28.3%	90	49.5	55.7					45.9	57.5							$11,842	$1,597	$10,245
Mountain City Public Montessori	Public, Charter	K-8	27 Church Street	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Mountain City Public Montessori	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 570-5554	137	7	20.1	—	106 (77.4%)	5 (3.6%)	8 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (13.1%)	44.3	839^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.8%		45	831^st of 1490 public elementary schools	44.2%	8	52.6	36.0	25.0	40.0		20.0	73.7	56.0	58.3	80.0		60.0	75.0	80.0
West Buncombe Elementary	Public	K-4	175 Erwin Hills Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 232-4282	580	39	14.7	—	393 (67.8%)	21 (3.6%)	140 (24.1%)	7 (1.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.4%)	83.8	192^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	87.1%		81.9	220^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.2%	28	86.9	76.6					70.7	68.5							$11,223	$1,315	$9,908

Frequently Asked Questions about Lucy S. Herring Elementary

What schools do graduates of Lucy S. Herring Elementary attend?

Students who attend Lucy S. Herring Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Asheville Middle
High : Asheville High
High : Silsa

Is Lucy S. Herring Elementary a good school?

Lucy S. Herring Elementary ranks 535^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Lucy S. Herring Elementary in?

Asheville City Schools

How many students attend Lucy S. Herring Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 255 students attended Lucy S. Herring Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Lucy S. Herring Elementary?

Students at Lucy S. Herring Elementary are 68% White, 13% African American, 11% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

Rate Lucy S. Herring Elementary!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.