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North Buncombe High

Q: Is North Buncombe High a good school?

North Buncombe High ranks 309 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

309^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 53% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

North Buncombe High is a traditional public high school in Weaverville, NC, serving 896 students in grades 9-12 as part of Buncombe County Schools. The school's state ranking has declined steadily over the past decade, from a strong 4-star rating in the low-80s percentile (2016-2018) to a 3-star rating at the 53rd percentile in 2025-2026, when it ranked 309th of 662 North Carolina high schools. It remains a solid, mid-tier school overall, but it is no longer the high performer it was a decade ago.

North Buncombe has real strengths, and attendance is a particular bright spot: chronic absenteeism has fallen from 32.4% in 2021-2022 to 13.0% in the most recent school year, nearly 6 points better than the district average and well ahead of the state average. The school also serves English language learners and Special Education students effectively compared with other North Carolina high schools; both groups currently score at the 71st and 73rd percentiles statewide, above the school's overall standing. Compared with nearby Erwin High, North Buncombe High is dramatically stronger, posting roughly double the proficiency on Biology and English II end-of-course exams, a 90% graduation rate versus 87%, and chronic absenteeism of 13.0% versus 27.3%.

The clearest academic concern is Math III, where 64% of North Buncombe students scored proficient, below Buncombe County Schools' 68.2% and North Carolina's 68.9%. This is a new gap, since the school had previously met or exceeded district and state averages in this subject. It now lags Madison High School by a wide margin in Math III, even while topping that school in Biology, English II, and Math I. Against Asheville High, North Buncombe holds its own in Biology and Math I but falls behind in English II and Math III. Equity gaps are widening as well: even as English learner and Special Education outcomes improved, low-income, male, and Gifted & Talented students all slipped, and the Gifted & Talented drop from the 80th to the 18th percentile is particularly steep.

896

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,935

Per pupil spending ?

99%

Free/discounted lunch ?

890 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787-9343

(828) 645-4221

District: Buncombe County Schools

Feeder schools for North Buncombe High:

Elementary:	Barnardsville Elementary
	North Buncombe Elementary
	Weaverville Elementary
	Weaverville Primary
Middle:	North Buncombe Middle
	North Windy Ridge Intermediate

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.9%

Hispanic:

17.1%

Two or more races:

3.5%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare North Buncombe High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 78th percentile in 2016 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg60%

309^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 47%▼ down 24 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 6High Schools in the Buncombe County Schools

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	52.9	309 of 662	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.3	238 of 641	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.2	226 of 640	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.1	201 of 626	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.6	200 of 621	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.6	215 of 594	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.7	126 of 514	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	71.3	90 of 469	80.8%	★★★★☆
2017	69.3	83 of 476	82.6%	★★★★☆
2016	58.1	114 of 507	77.5%	★★★★☆
2015	57.9	129 of 531	75.7%	★★★★☆
2014	59.9	117 of 451	74.1%	★★★★☆
2013	45.8	183 of 505	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	46.2	267 of 502	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	55.9	226 of 506	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.7	149 of 499	70.1%	★★★★☆
2009	65.6	113 of 490	76.9%	★★★★☆
2008	57.1	184 of 477	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	74.1	43 of 453	90.5%	★★★★★
2006	60.9	146 of 431	66.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	36.7	182 of 330	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.3	123 of 334	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.5	170 of 364	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	27.4	261 of 349	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.0	85 of 289	70.6%	★★★★☆
2025	40.0	154 of 273	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.3	175 of 262	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.1	137 of 226	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.2	37 of 124	70.2%	★★★★☆
2019	53.6	49 of 173	71.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	256 of 629	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.1	252 of 610	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.2	209 of 602	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.0	175 of 588	70.2%	★★★★☆
2022	71.0	162 of 594	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	63.2	123 of 475	74.1%	★★★★☆
2019	68.1	102 of 475	78.5%	★★★★☆
2018	74.1	86 of 449	80.8%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	332 of 407	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	53.1	250 of 412	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	74.1	81 of 403	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	77.6	57 of 398	85.7%	★★★★☆
2021	66.2	109 of 337	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.4	207 of 325	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	336 of 474	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.8	339 of 462	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.7	309 of 454	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.3	282 of 449	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.1	304 of 436	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.3	105 of 370	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	40.7	171 of 354	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.7	159 of 340	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.9	377 of 620	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	64.2	167 of 606	72.4%	★★★★☆
2024	57.6	200 of 613	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.0	180 of 597	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	71.5	119 of 544	78.1%	★★★★☆
2021	67.3	39 of 432	91.0%	★★★★★
2019	55.9	99 of 446	77.8%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	68 of 424	84.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.1	334 of 624	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.5	224 of 601	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.8	233 of 607	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.9	234 of 602	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.3	203 of 585	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.5	166 of 481	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.3	139 of 488	71.5%	★★★★☆
2018	67.3	105 of 463	77.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.4	101 of 372	72.8%	★★★★☆
2025	48.1	139 of 352	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.5	197 of 349	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.1	332 of 551	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.6	264 of 542	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.7	240 of 553	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.5	209 of 537	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.5	200 of 534	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.8	187 of 439	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.9	156 of 444	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.0	131 of 427	69.3%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)73rd percentile+20 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)71st percentile+17 vs school

Female (2026)59th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)46th percentile-7 vs school

Disabled (2022)45th percentile-23 vs school

White (2026)40th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)39th percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)29th percentile-24 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)18th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English II69%+4 vs state

Biology66%+8 vs state

Math III64%-5 vs state

Math I49%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near North Buncombe High

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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)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (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	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
North Buncombe High	Public	9-12	890 Clarks Chapel Road	Weaverville	28787	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 645-4221	896	54	16.5	99.0%	689 (76.9%)	9 (1.0%)	153 (17.1%)	7 (0.8%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	31 (3.5%)	52.9	309^th of 662 public high schools	53.3%		58.3	238^th of 641 public high schools	62.9%	71	66.2	68.9	49.4	64.0	$9,935	$695	$9,241
Madison Velocity Learning Center	Public	9-12	5740 US Hwy 25/70	Marshall	28753	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 649-2876	19	0		84.2%	19 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Madison High School	Public	9-12	5740 US Hwy 25-70	Marshall	28753	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 649-2876	377	45	8.4	97.9%	354 (93.9%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	54.7	288^th of 662 public high schools	56.5%		51.2	286^th of 641 public high schools	55.4%	2	58.9	67.1	42.7	86.1	$13,733	$1,107	$12,625
Madison Early College High	Public	9-12	5734 US 25/70 Hwy	Marshall	28753	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 649-0319	270	10	27.0	98.9%	231 (85.6%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.4%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	79.8	140^th of 662 public high schools	78.9%		76.9	146^th of 641 public high schools	77.2%	6	82.8	84.5	64.0	85.4	$6,768	$164	$6,604
Erwin High	Public	9-12	60 Lees Creek Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4251	1,013	69	14.6	99.7%	481 (47.5%)	94 (9.3%)	359 (35.4%)	4 (0.4%)	5 (0.5%)	23 (2.3%)	47 (4.6%)	15.4	582^nd of 662 public high schools	12.1%		17.7	541^st of 641 public high schools	15.6%	41	35.7	40.7	23.4	46.8	$10,603	$744	$9,859
Nesbitt Discovery Academy	Public	9-12	175 Bingham Rd Ste 10	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 271-4521	372	17	21.8	98.7%	307 (82.5%)	4 (1.1%)	31 (8.3%)	16 (4.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.2%)	94.4	12^th of 662 public high schools	98.2%					(n/a)	98.8	100.0	88.9	99.9	$7,222	$451	$6,771
Asheville High	Public	9-12	419 McDowell Street	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 350-2500	1,221	89	13.7	41.3%	804 (65.8%)	173 (14.2%)	121 (9.9%)	12 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	19 (1.6%)	90 (7.4%)	57.2	272^nd of 662 public high schools	58.9%		53.4	270^th of 641 public high schools	57.9%	2	65.5	78.3	29.5	71.1	$14,811	$688	$14,123
Silsa	Public	9-12	419 McDowell Street	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 350-2700	332	14	23.9	39.2%	214 (64.5%)	64 (19.3%)	35 (10.5%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.2%)	67.2	204^th of 662 public high schools	69.2%		76.9	145^th of 641 public high schools	77.4%	59	69.4	86.2	47.5	76.7	$7,028	$199	$6,830
Early College	Public	9-12	340 Victoria Road	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4123	271	11	24.8	98.9%	138 (50.9%)	10 (3.7%)	110 (40.6%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	7 (2.6%)	89.2	83^rd of 662 public high schools	87.5%		90.6	71^st of 641 public high schools	88.9%	12	91.7	88.2	74.2	100.0	$7,736	$216	$7,520
Center for Career Innovation	Public	9-12	340 Victoria Road	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4123	41	4	10.2	43.9%	27 (65.9%)	3 (7.3%)	9 (22.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.9%)								(n/a)					$10,465	$251	$10,214

Frequently Asked Questions about North Buncombe High

Is North Buncombe High a good school?

North Buncombe High ranks 309^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into North Buncombe High?

North Buncombe High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Barnardsville Elementary
Elementary : North Buncombe Elementary
Elementary : Weaverville Elementary
Elementary : Weaverville Primary
Middle : North Buncombe Middle
Middle : North Windy Ridge Intermediate

What is the racial makeup of North Buncombe High?

Students at North Buncombe High are 77% White, 17% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend North Buncombe High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 896 students attended North Buncombe High.

What district is North Buncombe High 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.