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West Buncombe Elementary

Q: Is West Buncombe Elementary a good school?

West Buncombe Elementary ranks 192 nd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

192^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

West Buncombe Elementary is a K–4 school in Asheville, NC, serving about 580 students within Buncombe County Schools. Nearly all students (98%) qualify for free/reduced-price lunch, yet the school consistently earns 4 SchoolDigger stars and currently ranks in the 87th percentile statewide.

What makes this especially remarkable is how West Buncombe compares with nearby schools serving similar populations. The three closest Buncombe County elementary schools—Emma Elementary, Johnston Elementary, and Woodfin Elementary—all have nearly identical poverty rates (97%–98.6% free/reduced lunch), yet West Buncombe dramatically outperforms them. For example, 3rd grade math proficiency at West Buncombe is 86.9%, compared with 66.7% at Emma, 48.9% at Johnston, and 31.6% at Woodfin. West Buncombe also matches or exceeds many Asheville City Schools that serve far fewer low-income students; its 4th grade math score of 76.6% was higher than every comparable Asheville City school except Isaac Dickson Elementary. The school is especially strong in math and does exceptionally well with student subgroups: low-income students rank in the 91st percentile statewide, English learners in the 93rd, and male students in the 92nd.

Attendance and efficiency are also standout areas. West Buncombe's chronic absenteeism dropped to 16.3% in 2024–2025, below the district rate of 18.7%, the state rate of 24.2%, and far below local peers like Woodfin (27.6%) and Johnston (23.8%). At the same time, the school spends roughly $11,223 per student—the lowest among nearby schools with available data—and maintains a higher student-teacher ratio (14.7) than most neighbors. Despite fewer resources per student, West Buncombe produces dramatically stronger academic results, suggesting that effective instruction and a strong school culture are making a real difference for its students.

580

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

80%

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

Exemptions: 7.8% (any vaccine)

175 Erwin Hills Road
Asheville, NC 28806-2186

(828) 232-4282

District: Buncombe County Schools

Students who attend West Buncombe Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.8%

Hispanic:

24.1%

African American:

3.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare West Buncombe Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 87th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (75% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school75%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg60%

192^nd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to top 13% (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	83.8	192 of 1492	87.1%	★★★★☆
2025	81.9	220 of 1490	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	86.1	166 of 1505	89.0%	★★★★☆
2023	75.7	307 of 1502	79.6%	★★★★☆
2022	71.4	385 of 1514	74.6%	★★★★☆
2021	72.4	360 of 1489	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	72.1	364 of 1473	75.3%	★★★★☆
2018	79.1	237 of 1434	83.5%	★★★★☆
2017	75.8	310 of 1429	78.3%	★★★★☆
2016	78.3	262 of 1425	81.6%	★★★★☆
2015	67.7	457 of 1440	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	76.6	290 of 1390	79.1%	★★★★☆
2013	76.7	273 of 1403	80.5%	★★★★☆
2012	55.6	682 of 1388	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	49.1	807 of 1381	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.8	738 of 1363	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	45.0	853 of 1354	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	45.8	791 of 1324	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	54.0	668 of 1293	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	60.0	539 of 1276	57.8%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	21.9	566 of 634	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.4	533 of 646	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.9	34 of 519	93.4%	★★★★★
2025	61.1	142 of 563	74.8%	★★★★☆
2024	83.0	53 of 533	90.1%	★★★★★
2023	64.6	106 of 514	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	59.0	124 of 485	74.4%	★★★★☆
2021	87.5	20 of 385	94.8%	★★★★★
2019	48.9	214 of 497	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.1	66 of 421	84.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.2	286 of 1447	80.2%	★★★★☆
2025	84.3	163 of 1451	88.8%	★★★★☆
2024	84.4	161 of 1455	88.9%	★★★★☆
2023	66.8	438 of 1459	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	63.0	499 of 1458	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.1	303 of 1440	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	77.8	245 of 1424	82.8%	★★★★☆
2018	83.3	165 of 1405	88.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.6	211 of 981	78.5%	★★★★☆
2025	55.9	385 of 961	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.8	262 of 951	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	57.4	329 of 915	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.2	574 of 893	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.4	368 of 843	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.4	469 of 865	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.0	335 of 851	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.5	127 of 1434	91.1%	★★★★★
2025	84.9	97 of 1437	93.2%	★★★★★
2024	90.3	47 of 1450	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	83.4	115 of 1437	92.0%	★★★★★
2022	85.5	85 of 1366	93.8%	★★★★★
2021	86.0	89 of 1329	93.3%	★★★★★
2019	80.5	152 of 1361	88.8%	★★★★☆
2018	89.2	51 of 1332	96.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.1	115 of 1451	92.1%	★★★★★
2025	75.3	301 of 1450	79.2%	★★★★☆
2024	84.5	166 of 1464	88.7%	★★★★☆
2023	82.4	194 of 1461	86.7%	★★★★☆
2022	78.2	259 of 1464	82.3%	★★★★☆
2021	67.2	429 of 1444	70.3%	★★★★☆
2019	64.1	466 of 1430	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.1	355 of 1413	74.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.5	249 of 815	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	96.9	13 of 821	98.4%	★★★★★
2024	92.4	25 of 801	96.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.9	190 of 1146	83.4%	★★★★☆
2025	77.1	224 of 1172	80.9%	★★★★☆
2024	80.0	197 of 1166	83.1%	★★★★☆
2023	66.5	366 of 1183	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.9	434 of 1194	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.5	474 of 1172	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.6	418 of 1183	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	366 of 1178	68.9%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)93rd percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)92nd percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)91st percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)83rd percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)80th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)78th percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2026)69th percentile-18 vs school

Disabled (2022)11th percentile-64 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics81%+17 vs state

Reading69%+13 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, May 25, 2024

West Buncombe Elementary is an excellent school for children. The staff is well educated, friendly and supportive of all students. My children attended this school and were very successful academically because of the foundation they got at West Buncombe. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Great school! Close Quote

Schools Near West Buncombe 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
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	—	393 (67.8%)	21 (3.6%)	140 (24.1%)	7 (1.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.4%)	83.8	192^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	87.1%		81.9	220^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.2%	28	86.9	76.6					70.7	68.5							80%	7.8%	$11,223	$1,315	$9,908
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	—	86 (31.0%)	36 (13.0%)	142 (51.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	38.7	927^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.9%		18.3	1312^th of 1490 public elementary schools	11.9%	385	66.7	58.5					38.5	49.1							97.8%	2.2%	$12,874	$1,531	$11,343
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	—	74 (34.1%)	41 (18.9%)	87 (40.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	12 (5.5%)	22	1247^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.4%		6.7	1450^th of 1490 public elementary schools	2.7%	203	48.9	50.0					29.8	53.1							90%	2.5%	$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%)	7	1453^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	2.6%		8.2	1442^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	3.2%	11	31.6	35.7					31.6	32.1							95%	5%	$17,004	$1,575	$15,428
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%)	63	535^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.1%		69	408^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.6%	127	63.0	73.6	59.6				60.9	78.8	48.9				72.3		83%	6.4%	$13,509	$1,024	$12,485
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%
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about West Buncombe Elementary

What is the racial makeup of West Buncombe Elementary?

Students at West Buncombe Elementary are 68% White, 24% Hispanic, 4% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend West Buncombe Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 580 students attended West Buncombe Elementary.

What schools do graduates of West Buncombe Elementary attend?

Students who attend West Buncombe Elementary usually go on to attend:

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

Is West Buncombe Elementary a good school?

West Buncombe Elementary ranks 192^nd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is West Buncombe Elementary in?

Buncombe County Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

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

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

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 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.