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Glen Arden Elementary

Q: Is Glen Arden Elementary a good school?

Glen Arden Elementary ranks 227 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

227^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 85% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Glen Arden Elementary serves 505 students in grades PK–4 in Arden, NC, and is part of Buncombe County Schools, a mid-tier district statewide. The school is a clear standout: it ranks in the 85th percentile of North Carolina elementary schools (227th out of 1,492 in 2025–26) and has placed in the upper tier every year since 2015–16. What makes this stand out most is the population the school serves — roughly 96% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the school's low-income students rank in the 91st percentile statewide, and its special education students ranked in the 92nd percentile in their most recent reported year.

Academically, Glen Arden outperforms its district and the state by double digits in nearly every subject and grade. In 2025–26, 3rd grade math proficiency reached 77.1%, compared with 66.9% for the district and 66.4% for the state; 3rd grade reading was 73.2%, versus 59.0% and 55.6%, respectively. At times the gap is much larger — in 2023–24, 3rd grade math hit 88.1%, roughly 25 points above the state average. Chronic absenteeism is also markedly low for a school with this much need: 13.8% in 2024–25, versus 18.7% for the district and 24.2% statewide. And with a student-teacher ratio of 13.6, class sizes tend to be more favorable than at most nearby schools.

Area comparisons reinforce how unusual this success is. Fairview Elementary, another nearby high-poverty school, is similarly strong, ranking in the 88th percentile. But other schools with comparable demographics, such as Oakley Elementary (19th percentile) and Avery's Creek Elementary (33rd percentile), perform far below Glen Arden. Even across district lines, Glen Arden more than holds its own: it matches or exceeds Mills River Elementary's scores while serving a far higher percentage of low-income students, and only Glenn C Marlow Elementary — a much more affluent school — clearly outranks it. The school's main challenges going forward are reversing a recent dip in performance for Hispanic students and closing a persistent gender gap, but overall Glen Arden is delivering consistently strong results for a very high-need community.

505

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

95.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

50 Pinehurst Circle
Arden, NC 28704

(828) 654-1800

District: Buncombe County Schools

Students who attend Glen Arden Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Cane Creek Middle
	Koontz Intermediate
High:	Center for Career Innovation
	Nesbitt Discovery Academy
	Roberson High

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.5%

Hispanic:

14.5%

Two or more races:

9.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Glen Arden Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 85th percentile in 2016 → 85th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (74% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school74%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg60%

227^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

109^th of 246Buncombe 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	81.2	227 of 1492	84.8%	★★★★☆
2025	81.8	222 of 1490	85.1%	★★★★☆
2024	86.2	164 of 1505	89.1%	★★★★☆
2023	80.3	232 of 1502	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	77.7	278 of 1514	81.6%	★★★★☆
2021	77.1	284 of 1489	80.9%	★★★★☆
2019	87.7	125 of 1473	91.5%	★★★★★
2018	84.7	159 of 1434	88.9%	★★★★☆
2017	75.8	311 of 1429	78.2%	★★★★☆
2016	80.7	214 of 1425	85.0%	★★★★☆
2015	85.6	151 of 1440	89.5%	★★★★☆
2014	89.4	109 of 1390	92.2%	★★★★★
2013	92.4	79 of 1403	94.4%	★★★★★
2012	83.9	124 of 1388	91.1%	★★★★★
2011	69.9	405 of 1381	70.7%	★★★★☆
2010	79.7	204 of 1363	85.0%	★★★★☆
2009	79.7	212 of 1354	84.3%	★★★★☆
2008	89.1	73 of 1324	94.5%	★★★★★
2007	85.4	91 of 1293	93.0%	★★★★★
2006	90.9	38 of 1276	97.0%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.8	172 of 1447	88.1%	★★★★☆
2025	90.0	94 of 1451	93.5%	★★★★★
2024	87.8	120 of 1455	91.8%	★★★★★
2023	78.4	239 of 1459	83.6%	★★★★☆
2022	71.0	356 of 1458	75.6%	★★★★☆
2021	70.0	365 of 1440	74.7%	★★★★☆
2019	89.8	76 of 1424	94.7%	★★★★★
2018	82.6	177 of 1405	87.4%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	43.1	529 of 612	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.1	339 of 981	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.8	207 of 961	78.5%	★★★★☆
2024	83.8	89 of 951	90.6%	★★★★★
2022	63.2	242 of 893	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	63.8	217 of 843	74.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.6	123 of 1434	91.4%	★★★★★
2025	72.5	272 of 1437	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	76.8	206 of 1450	85.8%	★★★★☆
2023	69.6	325 of 1437	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	59.5	461 of 1366	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.6	346 of 1329	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	81.8	138 of 1361	89.9%	★★★★☆
2018	75.5	215 of 1332	83.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.1	353 of 1451	75.7%	★★★★☆
2025	68.2	402 of 1450	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	79.3	246 of 1464	83.2%	★★★★☆
2023	79.7	231 of 1461	84.2%	★★★★☆
2022	81.9	203 of 1464	86.1%	★★★★☆
2021	80.8	222 of 1444	84.6%	★★★★☆
2019	81.9	191 of 1430	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	84.8	158 of 1413	88.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.1	49 of 181	72.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	82.4	64 of 801	92.0%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.7	275 of 1146	76.0%	★★★★☆
2025	66.5	368 of 1172	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.9	262 of 1166	77.5%	★★★★☆
2023	70.3	315 of 1183	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	70.5	316 of 1194	73.5%	★★★★☆
2021	64.6	386 of 1172	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.4	254 of 1183	78.5%	★★★★☆
2018	75.4	261 of 1178	77.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2024)92nd percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)91st percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)88th percentile+3 vs school

White (2026)76th percentile-9 vs school

Male (2026)76th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)73rd percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)65th percentile-19 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)14th percentile-78 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics74%+11 vs state

Reading73%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Glen Arden 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 Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Glen Arden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	50 Pinehurst Circle	Arden	28704	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 654-1800	505	37	13.6	95.8%	351 (69.5%)	25 (5.0%)	73 (14.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	50 (9.9%)	81.2	227^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.8%		81.8	222^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	85.1%	5	77.1	71.9		73.2	71.9			$10,263	$832	$9,431
Estes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	275 Overlook Road	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 654-1795	754	53	14.2	99.5%	408 (54.1%)	100 (13.3%)	173 (22.9%)	25 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	44 (5.8%)	61.8	551^st of 1492 public elementary schools	63.1%		52.1	708^th of 1490 public elementary schools	52.5%	157	75.5	52.5		69.8	59.9			$10,805	$1,421	$9,384
Fletcher Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Howard Gap Road	Fletcher	28732	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 684-0580	434	28	15.3	57.4%	278 (64.1%)	29 (6.7%)	97 (22.4%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.3%)	67.3	466^th of 1492 public elementary schools	68.8%		68.3	422^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	71.7%	44	80.0	72.6	63.5	63.3	61.3	58.1	71.6	$10,006	$951	$9,055
Avery's Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	15 Park South Boulevard	Arden	28704	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 654-1810	557	37	15.2	99.5%	219 (39.3%)	56 (10.1%)	221 (39.7%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	51 (9.2%)	35.1	1000^th of 1492 public elementary schools	33.0%		32	1059^th of 1490 public elementary schools	28.9%	59	54.8	53.7		54.8	44.4			$11,019	$1,138	$9,880
Glenn C Marlow Elementary	Public	K-5	1985 Butler Bridge Road	Mills River	28759	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 654-3225	562	35	15.9	30.2%	443 (78.8%)	18 (3.2%)	58 (10.3%)	18 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	20 (3.6%)	89.5	122^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	91.8%		91.3	89^th of 1490 public elementary schools	94.0%	33	89.5	86.5	83.3	75.6	82.3	66.7	82.2	$9,247	$669	$8,577
Fairview Elementary	Public	K-5	1355 Charlotte Hwy	Fairview	28730	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 628-2732	646	38	16.8	97.4%	555 (85.9%)	8 (1.2%)	53 (8.2%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.9%)	85	179^th of 1492 public elementary schools	88.0%		84.9	176^th of 1490 public elementary schools	88.2%	3	79.6	76.0	83.8	66.0	75.0	68.5	89.2	$10,427	$1,254	$9,173
Oakley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	753 Fairview Road	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 274-7515	502	32	15.4	98.0%	203 (40.4%)	120 (23.9%)	123 (24.5%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (9.8%)	24	1206^th of 1492 public elementary schools	19.2%		20.4	1273^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	14.6%	67	45.8	34.2	48.5	45.8	38.0	55.9	55.9	$11,073	$1,338	$9,735
Clear Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	737 N Clear Creek Road	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 697-4760	435	31	14.2	99.3%	234 (53.8%)	18 (4.1%)	145 (33.3%)	10 (2.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.7%)	66.3	486^th of 1492 public elementary schools	67.4%		70.5	383^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	74.3%	103	63.9	72.4	84.2	53.5	50.6	63.2	86.8	$9,070	$1,106	$7,964
Mills River Elementary	Public	K-5	94 School House Road	Mills River	28759	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 891-6563	608	39	15.5	40.6%	497 (81.7%)	7 (1.2%)	76 (12.5%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	22 (3.6%)	78.6	258^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.7%		83.2	199^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.6%	59	84.1	71.2	74.1	73.2	66.3	58.9	85.7	$9,074	$912	$8,162
Bell Elementary	Public	1-5	90 Maple Springs Road	Asheville	28805	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 298-3789	224	18	12.3	96.0%	151 (67.4%)	23 (10.3%)	24 (10.7%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (10.3%)	40.6	894^th of 1492 public elementary schools	40.1%		68.5	413^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.3%	481	54.1	69.7	60.5	43.2	60.6	47.4	52.6	$10,953	$1,366	$9,587

Frequently Asked Questions about Glen Arden Elementary

Is Glen Arden Elementary a good school?

Glen Arden Elementary ranks 227^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Glen Arden Elementary?

Students at Glen Arden Elementary are 70% White, 14% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 5% African American.

How many students attend Glen Arden Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 505 students attended Glen Arden Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Glen Arden Elementary attend?

Students who attend Glen Arden Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cane Creek Middle
Middle : Koontz Intermediate
High : Center for Career Innovation
High : Nesbitt Discovery Academy
High : Roberson High

What district is Glen Arden Elementary in?

Buncombe County Schools

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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.