Emma Elementary

Emma Elementary is a small pre-K–4 school in Asheville, NC, serving 277 students in the Buncombe County Schools district. Nearly all of its students — about 98 percent — qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which makes the school's recent gains especially meaningful. After four years stuck near the 12th–15th percentile statewide, Emma Elementary jumped to the 38th percentile in 2025–2026 and earned 2 stars, up from 1 star. The improvement appeared across nearly every tested area, including a striking rise in 3rd-grade math from 32 percent to 66.7 percent proficiency.

Math is now a genuine strength. Emma's 3rd-grade math proficiency is essentially tied with the district and state averages — a notable achievement given the poverty level. Reading is the clear weakness: just 38.5 percent of 3rd graders read proficiently, more than 20 points behind the district and roughly 17 behind the state. Emma now outperforms similar high-poverty neighbors Johnston Elementary, at the 16th percentile, and Woodfin Elementary, at the 3rd. But West Buncombe Elementary serves a nearly identical population and ranks in the 87th percentile, with 70.7 percent of 3rd graders reading proficiently — a reminder of how much room Emma still has to grow.

Emma's most encouraging signal is how well it serves low-income students. Its low-SES subgroup ranked in the 63rd percentile statewide in 2025–2026, up from the 17th percentile just a year earlier. Chronic absenteeism also improved to 18.1 percent, now below the district's 18.7 percent and well below Woodfin's 27.6 percent. In math, Emma more than holds its own against Asheville City Schools serving far fewer low-income families: its 3rd-grade math score tops Lucy S. Herring Elementary, Isaac Dickson Elementary, and Hall Fletcher Elementary. Reading, especially 3rd-grade reading, remains the clearest frontier. If the momentum continues, this rebound could become a sustained turnaround.