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Banner Elk Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

114^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Banner Elk Elementary is a small public school in Banner Elk, NC, serving 159 students in grades PK-5 within the Avery County Schools district. Despite its size, the school is an academic standout: it has earned a 5-star rating in each of the last five school years and currently ranks 114th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools for 2025-26, placing it in the 92nd percentile. This is no one-year fluke—Banner Elk has ranked at the 92nd percentile or higher every year since 2021-22, including a #25 finish in 2022-23.

What makes this especially notable is how Banner Elk compares to nearby schools. It sits well above every other elementary school in its area; the next closest competitor, Blowing Rock Elementary, ranks 221st, while nearby schools such as Valle Crucis Elementary, Cove Creek Elementary, Freedom Trail Elementary, and Riverside Elementary all fall below the 80th percentile. Banner Elk is also an outlier within its own district—Avery County Schools is rated just 3 stars, yet Banner Elk outperforms nearly every elementary school in the neighboring 4-star Watauga County Schools district. On state EOG tests, reading proficiency runs roughly 25–30 percentage points above state averages across grades 3–5, and math scores are similarly strong.

Banner Elk also stands out for attendance and student support. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 8.7%, far below the district's 20.2% and the state's 24.2%, and it has fallen by half since 2022-23. The school earns high marks for effectiveness across student groups; economically disadvantaged students, who make up more than 92% of the student body, have ranked in the 87th percentile or higher statewide in recent years. Reading is the school's signature strength, with the highest grade-level reading scores in the area, while 5th grade science—though still above the state average—is the one subject worth watching, in part because small grade-level cohorts can cause year-to-year swings.

159

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

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: Recently slipping — 98th percentile in 2023 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (83% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 98th-percentile peak (2023) to 92nd (2026)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school83%

District avg63%

North Carolina avg61%

114^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 17 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to top 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

102^nd of 246Avery 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
2026	89.9	114 of 1492	92.4%	★★★★★
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
2026	81.3	211 of 1451	85.5%	★★★★☆
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
2026	79.3	205 of 1146	82.1%	★★★★☆
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

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

Male (2026)85th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)82nd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics86%+22 vs state

Reading83%+26 vs state

Science72%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Banner Elk 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/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
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%)	89.9	114^th of 1492 public elementary schools	92.4%		90.5	104^th of 1490 public elementary schools	93.0%	10	81.0	90.0	83.3				81.0	83.3	83.3				72.2		$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%)	31.9	1059^th of 1492 public elementary schools	29.0%		28.5	1110^th of 1490 public elementary schools	25.5%	51	45.2	52.8	70.8				32.3	52.8	50.0				50.0		$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%)	61.4	557^th of 1492 public elementary schools	62.7%		64	500^th of 1490 public elementary schools	66.4%	57	84.4	74.1	68.8				68.8	48.1	43.8				50.0		$12,077	$1,306	$10,771
Valle Crucis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	2736 Broadstone Road	Banner Elk	28604	Avery County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 263-1821	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%)	68.5	450^th of 1492 public elementary schools	69.8%		66.4	462^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	69.0%	12	76.7	60.4	71.0	73.2	73.2	65.9	50.0	56.3	71.0	78.0	65.9	68.2	74.2	79.5	$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%)	51.8	699^th of 1492 public elementary schools	53.2%		53.7	678^th of 1490 public elementary schools	54.5%	21	61.3	68.4	84.0				32.3	52.6	48.0				80.0		$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%)	68.4	451^st of 1492 public elementary schools	69.8%		66.6	457^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.3%	6	80.6	30.0	75.0	76.0	81.6	52.2	66.7	40.0	68.8	76.0	76.3	65.2	68.8	65.2	$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%)	46.9	785^th of 1492 public elementary schools	47.4%		60.8	550^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.1%	235	43.8	38.5	50.0	78.6	75.0	50.0	50.0	46.2	80.0	64.3	58.3	80.0	70.0	90.0	$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%)	81.8	221^st of 1492 public elementary schools	85.2%		84.3	187^th of 1490 public elementary schools	87.4%	34	92.5	85.7	87.1	57.8	66.0	73.3	77.5	65.3	83.9	57.8	68.0	83.3	93.5	76.7	$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%)	76.7	288^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.7%		72.7	350^th of 1490 public elementary schools	76.5%	62	65.6	72.1	70.4	75.3	81.6	67.3	65.6	72.1	70.4	68.2	77.0	68.5	79.6	81.3	$11,487	$1,000	$10,486
Mabel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	404 Mabel School Road	Zionville	28698	Watauga County	Watauga County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 297-2512	140	16	8.8	66.4%	128 (91.4%)	1 (0.7%)	6 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.6%)	46.3	798^th of 1492 public elementary schools	46.5%		47.2	794^th of 1490 public elementary schools	46.7%	4	40.0	86.7	57.9	72.7	64.3		40.0	73.3	47.4	45.5	50.0		57.9		$13,398	$1,416	$11,982

Frequently Asked Questions about Banner Elk Elementary

What district is Banner Elk Elementary in?

Avery County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Banner Elk Elementary?

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

What schools do graduates of Banner Elk Elementary attend?

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

High : Avery County High

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 7.6% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Rate Banner Elk 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.