Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Banner Elk Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

104^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 93% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Banner Elk Elementary is a public elementary school in Banner Elk, North Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 168 students. The school is part of the Avery County Schools district, which is ranked 131 out of 242 districts in the state.

Banner Elk Elementary consistently outperforms the Avery County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 85.3% of 3rd graders at Banner Elk Elementary were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 51.6% for Avery County Schools and 64.1% for North Carolina. The school has been ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, reaching as high as 25th out of 1,502 schools in the 2022-2023 school year and maintaining a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for several years. Banner Elk Elementary also excels in the performance of various student subgroups, such as female students, male students, white students, and low socioeconomic status students, consistently ranking among the top schools in the state for these groups.

While Banner Elk Elementary outperforms the Avery County Schools district, the nearby schools within the same district, such as Crossnore Elementary, Newland Elementary, and Freedom Trail Elementary, generally have lower academic proficiency rates compared to Banner Elk. Additionally, despite the high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Banner Elk Elementary, the school has been able to maintain its academic excellence, suggesting its ability to effectively support and address the needs of its economically disadvantaged population.

159

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,831

Per pupil spending ?

92.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

155 Orchard Lane
Banner Elk, NC 28604

(828) 737-5700

District: Avery County Schools

Students who attend Banner Elk Elementary usually attend:

High:

Avery County High

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.4%

Hispanic:

8.8%

Asian:

2.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Banner Elk Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 53rd percentile in 2015 → 93rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (79% vs 57% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 7% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 40 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school79%

District avg58%

North Carolina avg57%

104^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 7%▲ up 40 pts since 2015

From top 47% (2015) to top 7% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Elementary Schools in the Avery County Schools

131^st of 242Avery County 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
2025	90.5	104 of 1490	93.0%	★★★★★
2024	95.0	48 of 1505	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	96.0	25 of 1502	98.3%	★★★★★
2022	93.4	72 of 1514	95.2%	★★★★★
2021	83.9	198 of 1489	86.7%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	379 of 1473	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	65.8	492 of 1434	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	70.5	394 of 1429	72.4%	★★★★☆
2016	73.2	347 of 1425	75.6%	★★★★☆
2015	54.5	675 of 1440	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	69.4	403 of 1390	71.0%	★★★★☆
2013	65.4	433 of 1403	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	75.8	281 of 1388	79.8%	★★★★☆
2011	75.3	286 of 1381	79.3%	★★★★☆
2010	71.0	376 of 1363	72.4%	★★★★☆
2009	74.0	315 of 1354	76.7%	★★★★☆
2008	79.1	203 of 1324	84.7%	★★★★☆
2007	79.3	186 of 1293	85.6%	★★★★☆
2006	80.4	173 of 1276	86.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	86.7	134 of 1451	90.8%	★★★★★
2024	93.6	51 of 1455	96.5%	★★★★★
2023	95.7	20 of 1459	98.6%	★★★★★
2022	83.3	182 of 1458	87.5%	★★★★☆
2021	79.7	228 of 1440	84.2%	★★★★☆
2019	75.9	282 of 1424	80.2%	★★★★☆
2018	59.2	608 of 1405	56.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	77.7	188 of 1437	86.9%	★★★★☆
2023	93.4	26 of 1437	98.2%	★★★★★
2021	83.8	108 of 1329	91.9%	★★★★★
2019	79.9	162 of 1361	88.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	84.7	169 of 1450	88.3%	★★★★☆
2024	93.0	58 of 1464	96.0%	★★★★★
2023	94.9	35 of 1461	97.6%	★★★★★
2022	96.9	15 of 1464	99.0%	★★★★★
2021	79.8	240 of 1444	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	73.6	309 of 1430	78.4%	★★★★☆
2018	64.7	478 of 1413	66.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	82.1	161 of 1172	86.3%	★★★★☆
2024	89.7	62 of 1166	94.7%	★★★★★
2023	91.6	32 of 1183	97.3%	★★★★★
2022	81.2	175 of 1194	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	61.5	421 of 1172	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.8	550 of 1183	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.5	504 of 1178	57.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Female (2025)91st percentile~ school

Male (2025)88th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)87th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)86th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics84%+24 vs state

Science81%+19 vs state

Reading73%+20 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Banner Elk Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Banner Elk Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Banner Elk Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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	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
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
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
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
Valle Crucis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	175 Pioneer Trail	Boone	28607	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 963-4712	345	27	12.5	40.3%	285 (82.6%)	4 (1.2%)	48 (13.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.7%)	66.4	462^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	69.0%		77.8	285^th of 1505 public elementary schools	81.1%	177	56.5	72.4	44.1	80.5	78.0	54.1	50.0	75.9	55.9	78.0	65.9	70.3	67.6	86.5	$10,351	$520	$9,831
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
Cove Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	930 Vanderpool Rd	Vilas	28692	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 297-2781	289	23	12.6	41.2%	252 (87.2%)	2 (0.7%)	22 (7.6%)	9 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	66.6	457^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.3%		69.3	420^th of 1505 public elementary schools	72.1%	37	57.1	84.8	65.4	78.9	68.0	58.6	42.9	57.6	65.4	57.9	48.0	70.0	57.7	73.3	$12,375	$859	$11,515
Bethel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	138 Bethel School Rd	Sugar Grove	28679	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 297-2240	128	17	7.7	55.5%	115 (89.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.0%)	60.8	550^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.1%		50.1	744^th of 1505 public elementary schools	50.6%	194	46.2	45.5	64.3	76.9	72.7	37.5	53.8	72.7	57.1	53.8	72.7	62.5	71.4	68.8	$14,795	$1,301	$13,494
Blowing Rock Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	165 Morris Street	Blowing Rock	28605	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 295-3204	409	28	14.6	20.0%	371 (90.7%)	2 (0.5%)	25 (6.1%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.5%)	84.3	187^th of 1490 public elementary schools	87.4%		85.2	176^th of 1505 public elementary schools	88.3%	11	84.9	86.7	75.0	76.6	93.9	78.0	58.5	76.7	64.6	72.3	87.9	87.8	70.8	92.5	$10,946	$628	$10,318
Hardin Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	361 Jefferson Road	Boone	28607	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 264-8481	854	73	11.7	41.6%	599 (70.1%)	21 (2.5%)	143 (16.7%)	50 (5.9%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.3%)	72.7	350^th of 1490 public elementary schools	76.5%		79.3	251^st of 1505 public elementary schools	83.3%	99	66.7	71.9	55.7	73.8	71.4	65.6	54.8	67.7	61.4	70.2	61.9	76.0	72.7	82.3	$11,487	$1,000	$10,486
Watauga Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	K-8	175 Pioneer Trail	Boone	28607	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(828) 264-7190	10	6	4.0	50.0%	6 (60.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (30.0%)	1 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Banner Elk Elementary

What schools do graduates of Banner Elk Elementary attend?

Students who attend Banner Elk Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Avery County High

What is the racial makeup of Banner Elk Elementary?

Students at Banner Elk Elementary are 87% White, 9% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 1% African American.

How many students attend Banner Elk Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 159 students attended Banner Elk Elementary.

Is Banner Elk Elementary a good school?

Yes. Banner Elk Elementary ranks in the top 7.0% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Banner Elk Elementary in?

Avery County Schools

Rate Banner Elk Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Banner Elk, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Banner Elk Elementary!

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.