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Oakley Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1206^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Oakley Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Asheville, NC, serving approximately 502 students within the Buncombe County Schools district, where nearly all students (about 98%) come from families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school currently ranks in the bottom fifth of North Carolina elementary schools (19th percentile, 1 star for 2025-26), and its chronic absenteeism rate of 25.9% is well above the district rate of 18.7% and notably higher than nearby high-poverty schools like Bell Elementary (12.9%) and Haw Creek Elementary (16.5%).

Academically, Oakley trails its district and state averages in most subjects. For example, only 34.2% of 4th graders were proficient in math, compared with 69.7% at Bell Elementary and 73.8% at Haw Creek Elementary — two nearby Buncombe County Schools serving nearly identical poverty levels (96% and 99% free/reduced lunch, respectively). Those 35- to 39-point gaps show that poverty alone doesn't explain Oakley's results, and attendance may be a more actionable lever for improvement. Oakley also has a higher student-teacher ratio (15.4:1) than most nearby schools, including Bell and Haw Creek (both 12.3:1), while spending per student is similar.

There are meaningful bright spots. Oakley's 5th grade reading proficiency (55.9%) matched the district and exceeded the state average, and its Gifted and Talented students ranked in the 96th percentile statewide in 2025-26. However, the school's lowest-performing subgroups — including English Learners, Hispanic, African American, special education, and low-income students — rank in the bottom 2–10 percentiles, revealing large equity gaps that deserve attention. On a positive note, Oakley has been improving: its state ranking climbed from the 9th percentile in 2023-24 to the 19th percentile in 2025-26, with math proficiency rising from roughly 31% to 43% over that period. For parents considering Oakley, the school offers genuine strengths in advanced learning and upper-grade literacy, alongside significant challenges in attendance, early-grade math and reading, and support for its most vulnerable learners.

502

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

95.7%

Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 4.3% (any vaccine)

753 Fairview Road
Asheville, NC 28803-1141

(828) 274-7515

District: Buncombe County Schools

Students who attend Oakley Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.4%

Hispanic:

24.5%

African American:

23.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Oakley Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 9th percentile in 2024 → 19th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 19th (2026) from a 9th-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (46% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg61%

1,206^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From bottom 39% (2016) to bottom 19% (2026)

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	24.0	1206 of 1492	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.4	1273 of 1490	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.5	1369 of 1505	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.4	1298 of 1502	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.2	1107 of 1514	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.4	907 of 1489	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.7	1281 of 1473	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	1182 of 1434	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	21.7	1192 of 1429	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	43.2	871 of 1425	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.8	991 of 1440	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	36.0	917 of 1390	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.2	721 of 1403	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.5	950 of 1388	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	41.1	905 of 1381	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.4	874 of 1363	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	50.4	760 of 1354	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.7	718 of 1324	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	55.8	634 of 1293	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	57.9	573 of 1276	55.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	11.5	865 of 903	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.9	871 of 918	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.3	904 of 924	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.2	912 of 933	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	23.4	795 of 927	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.6	669 of 896	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.1	867 of 949	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.3	726 of 927	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	27.6	718 of 878	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	9.8	512 of 519	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.1	544 of 563	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	518 of 533	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.3	432 of 485	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.6	286 of 497	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.4	294 of 421	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.7	1022 of 1447	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.1	1043 of 1451	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.0	1325 of 1455	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	1213 of 1459	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.7	1070 of 1458	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.0	893 of 1440	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	17.3	1270 of 1424	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.1	1237 of 1405	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.2	31 of 743	95.8%	★★★★★
2024	47.3	509 of 669	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	56.9	271 of 500	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.2	554 of 612	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	9.7	960 of 981	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.8	921 of 961	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.2	933 of 951	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	909 of 915	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.4	695 of 893	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.4	498 of 843	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.7	564 of 865	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.1	651 of 851	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.0	1292 of 1434	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.2	1355 of 1437	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.7	1426 of 1450	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	1411 of 1437	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	1217 of 1366	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.1	967 of 1329	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.7	1305 of 1361	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	32.4	983 of 1332	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	1319 of 1451	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.9	1359 of 1450	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.4	1328 of 1464	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.5	1307 of 1461	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.4	1043 of 1464	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.8	855 of 1444	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.5	1203 of 1430	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.9	1066 of 1413	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	17.0	793 of 821	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	680 of 1146	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.2	804 of 1172	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.7	919 of 1166	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	959 of 1183	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.7	796 of 1194	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.7	825 of 1172	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.5	1058 of 1183	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.8	1011 of 1178	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)96th percentile+77 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile+21 vs school

Female (2026)29th percentile+10 vs school

Disabled (2019)18th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)10th percentile-9 vs school

Male (2026)9th percentile-10 vs school

African American (2026)4th percentile-15 vs school

Special Education (2025)3rd percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)2nd percentile-17 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)1st percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science56%-12 vs state

Reading46%-10 vs state

Mathematics42%-21 vs state

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Schools Near Oakley 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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 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	Vaccination: Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	—	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		95.7%	4.3%	$11,073	$1,338	$9,735
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		97.4%	2.6%	$10,953	$1,366	$9,587
Haw Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10 Bethesda Road	Asheville	28805	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 298-4022	402	33	12.3	—	256 (63.7%)	61 (15.2%)	35 (8.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	45 (11.2%)	74.6	328^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.0%		68.4	419^th of 1490 public elementary schools	71.9%	91	65.0	73.8	68.2				66.7	72.1	70.5				79.5		90.9%	6.1%	$10,330	$1,007	$9,324
Evergreen Community Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	50 Bell Road	Asheville	28805	Buncombe County	Evergreen Community Charter	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 298-2173	430	32	13.3	40.5%	353 (82.1%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (7.2%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (9.1%)	66.4	480^th of 1492 public elementary schools	67.8%		65.4	477^th of 1490 public elementary schools	68.0%	3	62.5	59.6	60.8	66.0	71.4	78.0	68.8	57.4	76.5	76.0	77.1	77.6	70.6	91.8	93.2%	2.3%
Mountain City Public Montessori	Public, Charter	K-8	27 Church Street	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Mountain City Public Montessori	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 570-5554	137	7	20.1	—	106 (77.4%)	5 (3.6%)	8 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (13.1%)	44.3	839^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.8%		45	831^st of 1490 public elementary schools	44.2%	8	52.6	36.0	25.0	40.0		20.0	73.7	56.0	58.3	80.0		60.0	75.0	80.0
Hall Fletcher Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	60 Ridgelawn Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 350-6400	318	25	12.5	58.8%	171 (53.8%)	76 (23.9%)	40 (12.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	27 (8.5%)	28.6	1124^th of 1492 public elementary schools	24.7%		40.4	910^th of 1490 public elementary schools	38.9%	214	48.6	40.4	59.1				40.0	40.4	54.5				59.1		94.7%	2.6%	$14,641	$1,562	$13,079
Isaac Dickson Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	125 Hill Street	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(828) 350-6800	390	29	13.3	41.0%	220 (56.4%)	75 (19.2%)	36 (9.2%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.5%)	47 (12.1%)	61.4	558^th of 1492 public elementary schools	62.6%		62.6	520^th of 1490 public elementary schools	65.1%	38	60.4	79.0	59.6				56.3	77.4	52.6				66.7		95.7%	2.2%	$12,739	$936	$11,803
Claxton Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	241 Merrimon Avenue	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 350-6500	405	31	12.9	37.8%	287 (70.9%)	53 (13.1%)	34 (8.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (7.2%)	75	322^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	78.4%		72.8	348^th of 1490 public elementary schools	76.6%	26	70.3	72.1	67.6				73.4	67.6	73.0				73.0		93.1%	3.4%	$11,974	$943	$11,031
Asheville PEAK Academy	Public, Charter	K-7	133 Livingston Street	Asheville	28801	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%)	20.6	1268^th of 1492 public elementary schools	15.0%		42	880^th of 1490 public elementary schools	40.9%	388	40.0	50.0	38.9	72.7	61.5		20.0	50.0	27.8	54.5	61.5		38.9		100%	0%
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%)	44	845^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.4%		42.9	866^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.9%	21	38.1	61.9	52.6	50.0	68.2	45.5	52.4	71.4	57.9	55.0	63.6	72.7	52.6	81.8	95.2%	4.8%

Frequently Asked Questions about Oakley Elementary

What schools do graduates of Oakley Elementary attend?

Students who attend Oakley Elementary usually go on to attend:

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

Is Oakley Elementary a good school?

Oakley Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.2% of North Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Oakley Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 502 students attended Oakley Elementary.

What district is Oakley Elementary in?

Buncombe County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Oakley Elementary?

Students at Oakley Elementary are 40% White, 25% Hispanic, 24% African American, 10% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.