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Valley Springs Middle

Q: Is Valley Springs Middle a good school?

Valley Springs Middle ranks 209 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

209^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 73% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Valley Springs Middle is a public school in Arden, NC, serving about 654 students in grades 5 through 8 as part of Buncombe County Schools. The school has earned a 4-out-of-5-star rating and ranks in the 73rd percentile statewide — 209th out of 778 North Carolina middle schools — well above its district's overall 56th-percentile standing. It has also improved steadily, rising from the 61st percentile in 2023–2024 to 66th in 2024–2025 and now to 73rd in 2025–2026.

Academically, Valley Springs Middle is especially strong in 8th grade. In 2025–2026, 8th-grade math proficiency was 70.8%, far above the 53.0% posted by both the district and the state; 8th-grade reading was 64.0% versus 54.6% for the district and 56.1% for the state; and 8th-grade science reached 81.2%, compared with 71.3% for the district and 68.6% for the state. Within Buncombe County, only Cane Creek Middle ranks higher. Valley Springs clearly outperforms nearby Erwin Middle and Enka Middle, whose 8th-grade math proficiency is just 28.6% and 40.9%, respectively. Attendance is a likely contributor: Valley Springs' chronic absenteeism rate of 19.7% is below the state average of 24.2% and far lower than Erwin's 32.5% and Enka's 28.9%.

The school also spends more per student ($11,876) than most nearby schools and maintains a moderate student-teacher ratio of 14.3. Still, the most important area for improvement is equity among student groups. White, multiracial, and female students rank in the 71st–80th percentiles compared with similar students statewide, while African American students, English Language Learners, and students receiving special education services have ranked lower in recent years — though most of these groups made meaningful gains in 2025–2026. The gifted and talented subgroup is worth watching as well: its statewide percentile ranking fell from the 85th in 2022–2023 to the 36th in 2024–2025. Closing these gaps would be the next big step for an otherwise strong and improving school.

654

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

224 Long Shoals Road
Arden, NC 28704-9703

(828) 654-1785

District: Buncombe County Schools

Students who attend Valley Springs Middle usually attend:

High:	Center for Career Innovation
	Nesbitt Discovery Academy
	Roberson High

Feeder schools for Valley Springs Middle:

Elementary:	Avery's Creek Elementary
	Estes Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.2%

Hispanic:

26.9%

African American:

10.9%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Valley Springs Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2016 → 73rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (67% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg58%

North Carolina avg58%

209^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From top 16% (2016) to top 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle 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	69.8	209 of 778	73.1%	★★★★☆
2025	62.6	265 of 773	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.1	312 of 793	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.8	226 of 784	71.2%	★★★★☆
2022	65.8	239 of 786	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.1	207 of 741	72.1%	★★★★☆
2019	57.9	309 of 737	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.9	171 of 691	75.3%	★★★★☆
2017	80.6	111 of 694	84.0%	★★★★☆
2016	80.5	108 of 692	84.4%	★★★★☆
2015	75.8	148 of 705	79.0%	★★★★☆
2014	74.7	143 of 627	77.2%	★★★★☆
2013	84.6	78 of 673	88.4%	★★★★☆
2012	72.3	174 of 662	73.7%	★★★★☆
2011	75.0	148 of 648	77.2%	★★★★☆
2010	73.1	156 of 640	75.6%	★★★★☆
2009	74.7	154 of 630	75.6%	★★★★☆
2008	80.4	89 of 620	85.6%	★★★★☆
2007	80.7	62 of 606	89.8%	★★★★☆
2006	82.7	54 of 598	91.0%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	395 of 553	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.3	391 of 546	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.8	470 of 560	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.7	414 of 559	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.2	394 of 550	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	56.3	162 of 533	69.6%	★★★★☆
2019	42.4	300 of 519	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	65.4	112 of 494	77.3%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	68.0	46 of 111	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.5	65 of 109	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.8	50 of 99	49.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	49.6	157 of 449	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.7	392 of 478	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.9	360 of 504	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.5	248 of 475	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.3	189 of 363	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.0	210 of 371	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.9	255 of 356	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.0	225 of 318	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.0	140 of 312	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.9	167 of 236	29.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.0	70 of 211	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.0	15 of 151	90.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.1	204 of 731	72.1%	★★★★☆
2025	64.0	232 of 733	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.1	263 of 738	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.2	259 of 731	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.0	253 of 733	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.0	199 of 706	71.8%	★★★★☆
2019	55.5	308 of 684	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.4	194 of 656	70.4%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	52.9	291 of 458	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.6	140 of 461	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.1	67 of 452	85.2%	★★★★☆
2022	65.1	142 of 450	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.3	134 of 448	70.1%	★★★★☆
2019	64.7	137 of 416	67.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.6	268 of 566	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.8	303 of 562	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.9	293 of 564	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.0	244 of 553	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.6	235 of 541	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.3	210 of 522	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.4	348 of 493	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	65.0	121 of 472	74.4%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	14.3	49 of 50	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.8	304 of 725	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.2	265 of 729	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.3	400 of 743	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.7	325 of 735	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	182 of 689	73.6%	★★★★☆
2021	70.2	123 of 633	80.6%	★★★★☆
2019	50.9	300 of 639	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.3	174 of 604	71.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.1	216 of 736	70.7%	★★★★☆
2025	58.6	275 of 733	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.8	367 of 751	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.5	207 of 747	72.3%	★★★★☆
2022	67.5	207 of 748	72.3%	★★★★☆
2021	67.5	201 of 711	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	57.5	290 of 697	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.6	148 of 665	77.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.2	96 of 333	71.2%	★★★★☆
2025	57.8	122 of 328	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.3	167 of 306	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.2	88 of 302	70.9%	★★★★☆
2022	47.3	141 of 283	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.6	73 of 248	70.6%	★★★★☆
2019	31.0	185 of 237	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.3	151 of 221	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.1	204 of 500	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.1	317 of 478	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.0	188 of 473	60.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.5	129 of 644	80.0%	★★★★☆
2025	69.6	180 of 649	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	68.2	185 of 652	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	79.6	123 of 656	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	148 of 658	77.5%	★★★★☆
2021	77.8	118 of 632	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	60.9	237 of 624	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.9	193 of 596	67.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2026)80th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)72nd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)71st percentile~ school

Male (2026)71st percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)65th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)59th percentile-14 vs school

Asian (2025)59th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)58th percentile-15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)53rd percentile-20 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)48th percentile-25 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)36th percentile-29 vs school

African American (2026)29th percentile-45 vs school

Homeless (2023)2nd percentile-69 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science81%+13 vs state

Mathematics65%+10 vs state

Reading61%+5 vs state

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Schools Near Valley Springs Middle

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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 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Valley Springs Middle	Public	5-8	224 Long Shoals Road	Arden	28704	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 654-1785	654	46	14.3	99.5%	335 (51.2%)	71 (10.9%)	176 (26.9%)	21 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.9%)	45 (6.9%)	69.8	209^th of 778 public middle schools	73.1%		62.6	265^th of 773 public middle schools	65.7%	56			58.3	70.8			58.6	64.0		81.2	$11,876	$1,485	$10,391
Koontz Intermediate	Public	5-6	305 Overlook Road	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 684-1295	725	40	18.1	99.2%	389 (53.7%)	84 (11.6%)	158 (21.8%)	31 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	58 (8.0%)								(n/a)	58.8	52.0			55.2	55.3			61.6		$8,533	$972	$7,561
Reynolds Middle	Public	6-8	2 Rocket Drive	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 298-7484	490	33	15.0	98.2%	256 (52.2%)	102 (20.8%)	82 (16.7%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (8.4%)	50.9	389^th of 778 public middle schools	50.0%		47.9	405^th of 773 public middle schools	47.6%	16		50.0	58.3	50.9		52.4	57.6	56.0		70.8	$10,391	$728	$9,664
Cane Creek Middle	Public	6-8	570 Lower Brush Creek Road	Fletcher	28732	Henderson County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 628-0824	499	33	14.9	98.0%	409 (82.0%)	17 (3.4%)	51 (10.2%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.4%)	79.4	136^th of 778 public middle schools	82.5%		83.7	106^th of 773 public middle schools	86.3%	30		85.5	65.5	64.0		75.0	64.9	66.9		85.5	$9,589	$601	$8,988
Enka Intermediate	Public	5-6	125 Asheville Commerce Parkway	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 255-1380	585	39	14.8	99.5%	380 (65.0%)	22 (3.8%)	154 (26.3%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	20 (3.4%)								(n/a)	54.9	52.0			51.6	49.1			67.2		$9,013	$1,227	$7,786
Asheville Middle	Public	6-8	211 S French Broad Avenue	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 350-6200	670	59	11.3	50.9%	383 (57.2%)	145 (21.6%)	74 (11.0%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.5%)	53 (7.9%)	59.1	314^th of 778 public middle schools	59.6%		51	380^th of 773 public middle schools	50.8%	66		55.2	59.6	45.9		57.5	61.9	66.5		74.2	$12,770	$724	$12,046
Enka Middle	Public	7-8	390 Asbury Road	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 670-5010	588	37	16.0	99.5%	379 (64.5%)	28 (4.8%)	146 (24.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	30 (5.1%)	34.8	515^th of 778 public middle schools	33.8%		30.2	546^th of 773 public middle schools	29.4%	31			44.5	40.9			47.5	45.7		66.9	$9,775	$826	$8,949
Rugby Middle	Public	6-8	3345 Haywood Road	Hendersonville	28791	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 891-6566	849	51	16.6	39.6%	658 (77.5%)	14 (1.6%)	133 (15.7%)	12 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.5%)	83.6	101^st of 778 public middle schools	87.0%		81	128^th of 773 public middle schools	83.4%	27		75.0	78.6	80.3		69.3	73.5	64.1		81.9	$8,445	$526	$7,919
Eblen Intermediate	Public	5-6	59 Lee's Creek Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 255-5757	566	38	14.9	99.3%	301 (53.2%)	49 (8.7%)	187 (33.0%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.4%)	22 (3.9%)								(n/a)	50.2	51.3			44.0	42.3			59.0		$9,206	$1,398	$7,808
Erwin Middle	Public	7-8	20 Erwin Middle School Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4264	545	40	13.7	99.4%	277 (50.8%)	40 (7.3%)	194 (35.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.5%)	23 (4.2%)	18.9	659^th of 778 public middle schools	15.3%		19.8	639^th of 773 public middle schools	17.3%	20			43.0	28.6			41.9	34.4		50.8	$9,336	$764	$8,571

Frequently Asked Questions about Valley Springs Middle

How many students attend Valley Springs Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 654 students attended Valley Springs Middle.

What district is Valley Springs Middle in?

Buncombe County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Valley Springs Middle?

Students at Valley Springs Middle are 51% White, 27% Hispanic, 11% African American, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Valley Springs Middle a good school?

Valley Springs Middle ranks 209^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Valley Springs Middle attend?

Students who attend Valley Springs Middle usually go on to attend Center for Career Innovation

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 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.