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

Candler Elementary

Q: Is Candler Elementary a good school?

Candler Elementary ranks 519 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

519^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Candler Elementary is a public elementary school serving 365 students in grades PK-4 in Candler, North Carolina, which is part of the Buncombe County Schools district. The school has shown mixed performance on state standardized tests, with higher proficiency rates in mathematics but lower proficiency rates in reading compared to the district and state averages.

Candler Elementary has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 72.3% to 99.18% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages. The school's student population is predominantly White, with Hispanic students making up the next largest group. Interestingly, Candler Elementary has performed relatively well in serving its Hispanic student population, with higher rankings in that subgroup compared to its overall school ranking. However, the school's White student population has performed less well, with lower rankings in this subgroup compared to the overall school ranking.

Compared to nearby schools, Candler Elementary's performance is mixed. While it outperforms some schools, such as Emma Elementary and Johnston Elementary, on state tests, it lags behind higher-performing schools like West Buncombe Elementary and Hominy Valley Elementary. Additionally, Candler Elementary's performance on state tests has fluctuated significantly over the past several years, suggesting a need for more consistent and effective instructional practices.

381

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,201

Per pupil spending ?

99.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

121 Candler School Road
Candler, NC 28715-9313

(828) 670-5018

District: Buncombe County Schools

Students who attend Candler Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Enka Middle
High:	Center for Career Innovation
	Enka High
	Nesbitt Discovery Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.2%

Hispanic:

23.6%

African American:

5.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Candler Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 48th percentile in 2015 → 65th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the North Carolina median (65th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school61%

District avg57%

North Carolina avg57%

519^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▲ up 18 pts since 2015

From bottom 48% (2015) to top 35% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 21Elementary Schools in the Buncombe County Schools

125^th of 242Buncombe 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	62.7	519 of 1490	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.7	840 of 1505	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.7	724 of 1502	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.8	729 of 1514	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.8	998 of 1489	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.9	1021 of 1473	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.7	735 of 1434	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	51.9	716 of 1429	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	45.3	833 of 1425	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.8	754 of 1440	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	59.5	546 of 1390	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.4	501 of 1403	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.5	700 of 1388	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	55.0	706 of 1381	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	62.9	557 of 1363	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.0	667 of 1354	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	62.9	498 of 1324	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.5	481 of 1293	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.9	441 of 1276	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	22.4	782 of 878	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.8	659 of 897	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	61.6	141 of 563	75.0%	★★★★☆
2024	66.4	107 of 533	79.9%	★★★★☆
2019	32.3	373 of 497	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.2	243 of 421	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	53.9	657 of 1451	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.0	902 of 1455	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.7	623 of 1459	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.6	752 of 1458	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.0	965 of 1440	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.6	815 of 1424	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.1	649 of 1405	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	59.6	335 of 961	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.7	244 of 951	74.3%	★★★★☆
2023	56.5	335 of 915	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.0	254 of 893	71.6%	★★★★☆
2021	30.2	636 of 843	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.0	568 of 865	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.0	315 of 851	63.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	71.8	286 of 1437	80.1%	★★★★☆
2024	49.0	725 of 1450	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.8	361 of 1437	74.9%	★★★★☆
2022	57.9	501 of 1366	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.4	934 of 1329	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.1	747 of 1361	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.8	439 of 1332	67.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	66.9	422 of 1450	70.9%	★★★★☆
2024	50.2	743 of 1464	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.1	764 of 1461	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.0	640 of 1464	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.6	966 of 1444	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.5	1104 of 1430	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.3	824 of 1413	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.5	593 of 1172	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.5	996 of 1166	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.6	833 of 1183	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.1	816 of 1194	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.5	1051 of 1172	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.5	1096 of 1183	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.2	949 of 1178	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)80th percentile+15 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)75th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2025)71st percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)65th percentile~ school

Female (2025)55th percentile-10 vs school

White (2025)49th percentile-16 vs school

Disabled (2019)11th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics65%+4 vs state

Reading56%+4 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Candler 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 Candler 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
Candler Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	121 Candler School Road	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 670-5018	381	28	13.8	99.2%	260 (68.2%)	20 (5.2%)	90 (23.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	62.7	519^th of 1490 public elementary schools	65.2%		44.7	840^th of 1505 public elementary schools	44.2%	321	66.7	63.8					51.5	60.9							$11,201	$1,431	$9,770
Hominy Valley Elementary	Public	K-4	450 Enka Lake Road	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 665-0619	399	27	14.5	99.2%	325 (81.5%)	6 (1.5%)	58 (14.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.5%)	60.5	555^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.8%		61.3	556^th of 1505 public elementary schools	63.1%	1	65.3	55.6					56.8	61.1							$10,305	$880	$9,425
Pisgah Elementary	Public	K-4	1495 Pisgah Hwy	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 670-5023	162	14	11.5	98.1%	121 (74.7%)	1 (0.6%)	32 (19.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.3%)	51.5	718^th of 1490 public elementary schools	51.8%		53.9	687^th of 1505 public elementary schools	54.4%	31	67.4	57.6					43.5	54.5							$13,649	$1,435	$12,214
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%)	31.2	1069^th of 1490 public elementary schools	28.3%		27.9	1141^st of 1505 public elementary schools	24.2%	72	49.0	44.6					42.3	50.0							$11,842	$1,597	$10,245
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	98.6%	74 (34.1%)	41 (18.9%)	87 (40.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	12 (5.5%)	6.7	1450^th of 1490 public elementary schools	2.7%		4.4	1482^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	1.5%	32	22.9	31.4					22.9	34.3							$14,890	$1,958	$12,932
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%)	69	408^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.6%		67.6	451^st of 1505 public elementary schools	70.0%	43	76.0	42.9	69.0				76.0	50.0	66.7				81.0		$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%)	42.9	866^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.9%		61.3	558^th of 1505 public elementary schools	62.9%	308	47.6	36.8	40.9	42.9	60.0	60.0	57.1	57.9	54.5	66.7	60.0	75.0	54.5	80.0
Asheville PEAK Academy	Public, Charter	K-6	27 Balm Grove Avenue	Asheville	28806	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%)	42	880^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.9%		32	1065^th of 1505 public elementary schools	29.2%	185	67.9	26.7	38.9	62.5			50.0	40.0	38.9	62.5			50.0
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	98.1%	393 (67.8%)	21 (3.6%)	140 (24.1%)	7 (1.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.4%)	81.9	220^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.2%		86.1	166^th of 1505 public elementary schools	89.0%	54	80.0	84.7					60.8	63.1							$11,223	$1,315	$9,908
Meadowbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	85 Morningstar Rd	Canton	28716	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 646-3445	198	12	16.7	98.0%	170 (85.9%)	6 (3.0%)	17 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	35.2	996^th of 1490 public elementary schools	33.2%		61.1	562^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	62.7%	434	74.3	58.8	35.0				42.9	52.9	45.0				30.0		$11,254	$1,792	$9,462

Frequently Asked Questions about Candler Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Candler Elementary?

Students at Candler Elementary are 68% White, 24% Hispanic, 5% African American, 3% Two or more races.

Is Candler Elementary a good school?

Candler Elementary ranks 519^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Candler Elementary in?

Buncombe County Schools

What schools do graduates of Candler Elementary attend?

Students who attend Candler Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Enka Middle
High : Center for Career Innovation
High : Enka High
High : Nesbitt Discovery Academy

How many students attend Candler Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 381 students attended Candler Elementary.

Rate Candler Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Candler, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Candler 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.