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Isaac Dickson Elementary

Q: Is Isaac Dickson Elementary a good school?

Isaac Dickson Elementary ranks 558 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

558^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Isaac Dickson Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Asheville, NC, serving about 390 students within the Asheville City Schools district. In the 2025–26 school year, it placed 558th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools — the 63rd percentile with a 3-star rating — making it the third-highest-performing elementary school in its district. It trails Claxton Elementary (78th percentile) and Lucy S. Herring Elementary (64th percentile), while finishing ahead of Ira B Jones Elementary (43rd) and Hall Fletcher Elementary (25th). About 41% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — a lower share than Ira B Jones (54.5%) or Hall Fletcher (58.8%) and slightly higher than Claxton (37.8%).

The school's clearest academic standout is 4th grade, where 79% of students were proficient in math and 77.4% in reading in 2025–26 — the best 4th-grade results among nearby schools, topping even Claxton (72.1% math, 67.6% reading) and Lucy Herring (73.6% math, 78.8% reading). Isaac Dickson also excels at attendance: only 14.7% of students were chronically absent in 2024–25, well below the district average of 20% and the statewide average of 24.2%. Special education outcomes improved dramatically as well, with subgroup rankings jumping from the 36th–37th percentile in prior years to the 87th percentile in 2025–26.

Families should also weigh the school's challenges. Isaac Dickson's overall ranking has drifted downward from a pre-pandemic peak around the 78th–81st percentile (4 stars) to its current 63rd percentile (3 stars). Achievement gaps are significant: economically disadvantaged students ranked in the 4th percentile and multiracial students in the 6th percentile statewide in 2025–26. Fifth grade is a relative soft spot, with reading proficiency at 52.6% versus the district's 60.6%, and test scores swing considerably from year to year due to small grade-level cohorts. In short, Isaac Dickson is a solid mid-pack school — clearly ahead of Hall Fletcher and Ira B Jones, comparable to Lucy Herring, and a step behind Claxton — with real strengths in 4th grade, attendance, and special education outcomes, but meaningful work ahead on closing achievement gaps and strengthening upper-grade performance.

390

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

41%

Free/discounted lunch ?

125 Hill Street
Asheville, NC 28801-2545

(828) 350-6800

District: Asheville City Schools

Students who attend Isaac Dickson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Asheville Middle
High:	Asheville High
	Silsa

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.4%

African American:

19.2%

Two or more races:

12.1%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Isaac Dickson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 81st percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg61%

558^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From top 19% (2016) to top 37% (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	61.4	558 of 1492	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.6	520 of 1490	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.2	454 of 1505	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.5	569 of 1502	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	519 of 1514	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.4	280 of 1489	81.2%	★★★★☆
2019	74.0	325 of 1473	77.9%	★★★★☆
2018	75.0	313 of 1434	78.2%	★★★★☆
2017	69.0	424 of 1429	70.3%	★★★★☆
2016	77.2	276 of 1425	80.6%	★★★★☆
2015	79.5	249 of 1440	82.7%	★★★★☆
2014	91.8	79 of 1390	94.3%	★★★★★
2013	91.2	94 of 1403	93.3%	★★★★★
2012	78.0	244 of 1388	82.4%	★★★★☆
2011	76.4	262 of 1381	81.0%	★★★★☆
2010	74.6	303 of 1363	77.8%	★★★★☆
2009	78.4	237 of 1354	82.5%	★★★★☆
2008	78.0	220 of 1324	83.4%	★★★★☆
2007	76.8	223 of 1293	82.8%	★★★★☆
2006	67.3	382 of 1276	70.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	7.9	908 of 918	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.4	875 of 924	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.7	919 of 933	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.4	912 of 927	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	31.7	623 of 896	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.9	869 of 949	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.1	926 of 927	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	54.5	310 of 878	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.8	308 of 897	65.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.5	562 of 1447	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.8	703 of 1451	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.4	528 of 1455	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.8	461 of 1459	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.4	421 of 1458	71.1%	★★★★☆
2021	81.0	205 of 1440	85.8%	★★★★☆
2019	76.0	279 of 1424	80.4%	★★★★☆
2018	80.4	216 of 1405	84.6%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.6	681 of 743	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	25.2	670 of 710	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.8	646 of 669	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.3	552 of 582	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	56.5	273 of 500	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.6	360 of 494	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.7	435 of 612	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	95.2	12 of 851	98.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	11.8	1379 of 1434	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	28.7	1156 of 1437	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.2	1384 of 1450	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	1259 of 1437	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.7	1313 of 1366	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	53.5	524 of 1329	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.8	1040 of 1361	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.2	1025 of 1332	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.9	567 of 1451	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.9	365 of 1450	74.8%	★★★★☆
2024	70.3	384 of 1464	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	52.7	696 of 1461	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.7	616 of 1464	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.4	395 of 1444	72.6%	★★★★☆
2019	69.1	382 of 1430	73.3%	★★★★☆
2018	65.1	469 of 1413	66.8%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.0	171 of 181	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.6	104 of 815	87.2%	★★★★☆
2025	35.5	528 of 821	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.6	506 of 801	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	354 of 1146	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	78.3	203 of 1172	82.7%	★★★★☆
2024	78.5	216 of 1166	81.5%	★★★★☆
2023	77.6	215 of 1183	81.8%	★★★★☆
2022	70.9	312 of 1194	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	78.9	209 of 1172	82.2%	★★★★☆
2019	88.6	69 of 1183	94.2%	★★★★★
2018	86.2	102 of 1178	91.3%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2018)99th percentile+20 vs school

Special Education (2026)87th percentile+25 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile+7 vs school

Disabled (2019)65th percentile-13 vs school

Female (2026)61st percentile~ school

Male (2026)61st percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)8th percentile-54 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)6th percentile-57 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)4th percentile-59 vs school

African American (2025)1st percentile-64 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics67%+3 vs state

Science67%~ state avg

Reading63%+7 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Thursday, November 5, 2015

I have been associated with the school for many years, and I would say that it used to be a wonderful public school filled with creative teachers. The staff has changed quite a bit in the last few years however. Also, I find that for lower socioeconomic students, it provides good support, but for students seeking an "experiential" education, very little of the old ways still apply. If you have an average to above average child, I would look elsewhere. Close Quote

Schools Near Isaac Dickson Elementary

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Ranking:

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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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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
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
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
Claxton Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	241 Merrimon Avenue	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 350-6500	405	31	12.9	37.8%	287 (70.9%)	53 (13.1%)	34 (8.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (7.2%)	75	322^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	78.4%		72.8	348^th of 1490 public elementary schools	76.6%	26	70.3	72.1	67.6				73.4	67.6	73.0				73.0		$11,974	$943	$11,031
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	98.2%	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
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
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
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
Ira B Jones Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	544 Kimberly Avenue	Asheville	28804	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 350-6700	369	27	13.5	54.5%	199 (53.9%)	97 (26.3%)	31 (8.4%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.5%)	24 (6.5%)	43.7	850^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.0%		41.1	897^th of 1490 public elementary schools	39.8%	47	53.8	45.0	56.1				48.7	50.0	69.0				76.2		$13,444	$825	$12,620
Woodfin Elementary	Public	K-5	108 Elk Mountain Road	Asheville	28804	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 232-4287	111	11	10.2	97.3%	39 (35.1%)	3 (2.7%)	60 (54.1%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.3%)	7	1453^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	2.6%		8.2	1442^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	3.2%	11	31.6	35.7					31.6	32.1							$17,004	$1,575	$15,428

Frequently Asked Questions about Isaac Dickson Elementary

How many students attend Isaac Dickson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 390 students attended Isaac Dickson Elementary.

What district is Isaac Dickson Elementary in?

Asheville City Schools

Is Isaac Dickson Elementary a good school?

Isaac Dickson Elementary ranks 558^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Isaac Dickson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Isaac Dickson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Asheville Middle
High : Asheville High
High : Silsa

What is the racial makeup of Isaac Dickson Elementary?

Students at Isaac Dickson Elementary are 56% White, 19% African American, 12% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander.

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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.