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Leicester Elementary

Q: Is Leicester Elementary a good school?

Leicester Elementary ranks 852 nd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

852^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Leicester Elementary is a public elementary school serving 394 students in grades PK-4 in the Buncombe County Schools district in Leicester, North Carolina. Over the past 10 years, the school has generally ranked in the bottom half of North Carolina elementary schools, with a current ranking of 852 out of 1,490 schools and a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Leicester Elementary faces several challenges, including declining academic performance, achievement gaps among student subgroups, and a high-poverty student population. The school's test scores in math and reading are generally below the Buncombe County and North Carolina averages, and its ranking and star rating have declined over the past 10 years. Additionally, the school has a particularly low ranking for its Hispanic and White student populations compared to the state averages, indicating significant achievement gaps. Despite relatively high spending per student and a low student-teacher ratio, the school appears to be struggling to effectively support its high-poverty student population, with over 99% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

When comparing Leicester Elementary to the other Buncombe County elementary schools in the area, it generally underperforms on test scores and school rankings. However, it has a lower student-teacher ratio and higher spending per student, suggesting that resources may not be translating into better academic outcomes. Addressing these challenges should be a priority for the school and district leadership.

399

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,642

Per pupil spending ?

98.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

31 Gilbert Road
Leicester, NC 28748-9601

(828) 683-2341

District: Buncombe County Schools

Students who attend Leicester Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Eblen Intermediate
	Erwin Middle
High:	Center for Career Innovation
	Erwin High
	Nesbitt Discovery Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.7%

Hispanic:

15.3%

African American:

2.0%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Leicester Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 47th percentile in 2015 → 43rd in 2025

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school52%

District avg57%

North Carolina avg57%

852^nd of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 47% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^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	43.9	852 of 1490	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.7	1145 of 1505	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.0	796 of 1502	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.2	933 of 1514	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.8	887 of 1489	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.9	622 of 1473	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.2	673 of 1434	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	30.4	1072 of 1429	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	46.8	798 of 1425	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.5	760 of 1440	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	57.0	588 of 1390	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	48.1	695 of 1403	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	38.6	963 of 1388	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	51.9	760 of 1381	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	58.3	643 of 1363	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	46.8	821 of 1354	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	58.2	579 of 1324	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.0	667 of 1293	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	55.5	613 of 1276	52.0%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	40.8	334 of 634	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.9	794 of 897	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	46.9	770 of 1451	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.6	1229 of 1455	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.1	1004 of 1459	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.1	1013 of 1458	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.2	855 of 1440	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	72.5	340 of 1424	76.1%	★★★★☆
2018	61.0	569 of 1405	59.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	29.8	745 of 961	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.5	739 of 843	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.0	410 of 851	51.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	43.7	830 of 1437	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.0	1168 of 1450	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	60.5	485 of 1437	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.8	604 of 1366	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.5	507 of 1329	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.7	248 of 1361	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	274 of 1332	79.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	881 of 1450	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.6	943 of 1464	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.5	500 of 1461	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.2	823 of 1464	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.7	868 of 1444	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.0	936 of 1430	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.4	820 of 1413	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	30.3	893 of 1172	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.9	1106 of 1166	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.0	972 of 1183	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.5	995 of 1194	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	938 of 1172	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.2	831 of 1183	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	942 of 1178	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)47th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)47th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)39th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)24th percentile-19 vs school

Hispanic (2025)22nd percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics53%-8 vs state

Reading51%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Leicester 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 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
Leicester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	31 Gilbert Road	Leicester	28748	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 683-2341	399	26	15.3	98.7%	322 (80.7%)	8 (2.0%)	61 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.5%)	43.9	852^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	42.8%		27.7	1145^th of 1505 public elementary schools	23.9%	293	58.8	47.3		52.5	50.0			$11,642	$1,459	$10,183
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
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
Woodfin Elementary	Public	K-5	108 Elk Mountain Road	Asheville	28804	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 232-4287	111	11	10.2	97.3%	39 (35.1%)	3 (2.7%)	60 (54.1%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.3%)	8.2	1442^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	3.2%		10.8	1416^th of 1505 public elementary schools	5.9%	26	25.9	36.4		14.8	40.9			$17,004	$1,575	$15,428
Emma Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	37 Brickyard Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 232-4272	277	22	12.8	98.2%	86 (31.0%)	36 (13.0%)	142 (51.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	18.3	1312^th of 1490 public elementary schools	11.9%		19.7	1288^th of 1505 public elementary schools	14.4%	24	32.1	49.1		26.4	43.6			$12,874	$1,531	$11,343
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
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
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
Weaverville Elementary	Public	2-4	129 S Main Street	Weaverville	28787	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 645-3127	342	22	15.9	97.4%	272 (79.5%)	7 (2.0%)	50 (14.6%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	81.6	229^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.6%		85	178^th of 1505 public elementary schools	88.2%	51	71.5	70.2		69.9	74.0			$10,024	$1,099	$8,924
Weaverville Primary	Public	PK, KG-1	39 S Main Street	Weaverville	28787	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 645-4275	245	16	15.8	98.8%	194 (79.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (15.5%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)								$13,048	$1,194	$11,853

Frequently Asked Questions about Leicester Elementary

What district is Leicester Elementary in?

Buncombe County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Leicester Elementary?

Students at Leicester Elementary are 81% White, 15% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Is Leicester Elementary a good school?

Leicester Elementary ranks 852^nd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Leicester Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 399 students attended Leicester Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Leicester Elementary attend?

Students who attend Leicester Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Eblen Intermediate
Middle : Erwin Middle
High : Center for Career Innovation
High : Erwin High
High : Nesbitt Discovery Academy

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Schools in Leicester, NC

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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.