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Estes Elementary

Q: Is Estes Elementary a good school?

Estes Elementary ranks 551 st of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

551^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Estes Elementary is a PK–4 public school in southern Asheville, NC, serving about 754 students as part of Buncombe County Schools. The school holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 63rd percentile statewide (551st of 1,492 elementary schools) — above the district's 56th percentile average, though not at the level of the area's highest-ranked schools. It serves a population in which nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch, so its standing is especially notable.

Estes shows real strengths in the early grades and in attendance. In the latest testing year, 3rd-grade math (75.5%) and reading (69.8%) proficiency were clearly above both the district average and the North Carolina state average. Chronic absenteeism is another bright spot: at 14.8% in 2024–2025, it runs well below the county figure of 18.7% and the statewide figure of 24.2%. Within the area, only Glen Arden Elementary ranks higher among similar schools. Estes posts better overall results than neighboring Avery's Creek Elementary, Sand Hill-Venable Elementary, and Oakley Elementary, even though those schools serve very similar populations.

The biggest academic concern is 4th-grade math. Proficiency there was 52.5%, roughly 11 points below district and state averages, and far behind Glen Arden's 71.9%. Outcomes also vary across different groups of students. White students and low-income students at Estes perform in the 89th and 59th percentiles statewide, respectively, but Hispanic students, English learners, and special education students scored well below state norms for similar students. The special education percentile fell from 60th to 12th in one year, while African American students improved from the 7th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 35th percentile in 2025–2026 — a sign that targeted support can move results. Addressing the 4th-grade math gap and supporting these student groups are the clearest opportunities for Estes to climb from solid to top-quartile status.

754

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

275 Overlook Road
Asheville, NC 28803-3316

(828) 654-1795

District: Buncombe County Schools

Students who attend Estes Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Koontz Intermediate
	Valley Springs Middle
High:	Center for Career Innovation
	Nesbitt Discovery Academy
	Roberson High

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.1%

Hispanic:

22.9%

African American:

13.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Estes Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 72nd percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg60%

551^st of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 37% (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	61.8	551 of 1492	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.1	708 of 1490	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	609 of 1505	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.4	436 of 1502	71.0%	★★★★☆
2022	68.6	424 of 1514	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	44.6	788 of 1489	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.5	533 of 1473	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	530 of 1434	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	72.3	368 of 1429	74.2%	★★★★☆
2016	70.0	396 of 1425	72.2%	★★★★☆
2015	78.7	261 of 1440	81.9%	★★★★☆
2014	80.3	235 of 1390	83.1%	★★★★☆
2013	85.3	153 of 1403	89.1%	★★★★☆
2012	79.8	215 of 1388	84.5%	★★★★☆
2011	70.5	390 of 1381	71.8%	★★★★☆
2010	66.8	477 of 1363	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	70.5	384 of 1354	71.6%	★★★★☆
2008	75.8	261 of 1324	80.3%	★★★★☆
2007	76.7	226 of 1293	82.5%	★★★★☆
2006	76.0	233 of 1276	81.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.9	590 of 903	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.3	785 of 918	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	855 of 924	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	39.4	571 of 933	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.2	652 of 927	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.1	797 of 896	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.9	668 of 949	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.5	531 of 927	42.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	35.4	395 of 634	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	14.9	844 of 878	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.9	722 of 897	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.6	438 of 519	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.2	547 of 563	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	27.5	435 of 533	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.5	283 of 514	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.2	328 of 485	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.6	225 of 497	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	22.6	375 of 421	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.8	559 of 1447	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.4	785 of 1451	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.4	776 of 1455	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	65.2	469 of 1459	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.3	494 of 1458	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.1	767 of 1440	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.3	480 of 1424	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.7	417 of 1405	70.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	19.0	900 of 981	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.3	907 of 961	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	809 of 951	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.5	627 of 915	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.4	402 of 893	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.8	534 of 843	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.2	308 of 865	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.0	421 of 851	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	595 of 1434	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.3	756 of 1437	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.1	949 of 1450	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.8	771 of 1437	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.8	618 of 1366	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.5	788 of 1329	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.0	639 of 1361	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.7	625 of 1332	53.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	523 of 1451	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.4	608 of 1450	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.1	414 of 1464	71.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.1	395 of 1461	73.0%	★★★★☆
2022	71.5	361 of 1464	75.3%	★★★★☆
2021	44.4	778 of 1444	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.2	562 of 1430	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.4	522 of 1413	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	18.5	151 of 175	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.9	115 of 159	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	62.6	48 of 154	68.8%	★★★★☆
2022	44.6	77 of 133	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.6	66 of 97	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.9	715 of 815	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	50.6	328 of 821	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.0	392 of 801	51.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.6	129 of 1146	88.7%	★★★★☆
2025	74.4	260 of 1172	77.8%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	343 of 1166	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	73.3	275 of 1183	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	76.1	242 of 1194	79.7%	★★★★☆
2021	51.7	548 of 1172	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.2	328 of 1183	72.3%	★★★★☆
2018	70.1	332 of 1178	71.8%	★★★★☆

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)89th percentile+26 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile~ school

Female (2026)61st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)59th percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2022)38th percentile-34 vs school

African American (2026)35th percentile-28 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)16th percentile-47 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)14th percentile-39 vs school

Special Education (2026)12th percentile-51 vs school

Hispanic (2026)8th percentile-55 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Reading64%+8 vs state

Mathematics63%~ state avg

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Schools Near Estes 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 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 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Estes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	275 Overlook Road	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 654-1795	754	53	14.2	99.5%	408 (54.1%)	100 (13.3%)	173 (22.9%)	25 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	44 (5.8%)	61.8	551^st of 1492 public elementary schools	63.1%		52.1	708^th of 1490 public elementary schools	52.5%	157	75.5	52.5					69.8	59.9							$10,805	$1,421	$9,384
Avery's Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	15 Park South Boulevard	Arden	28704	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 654-1810	557	37	15.2	99.5%	219 (39.3%)	56 (10.1%)	221 (39.7%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	51 (9.2%)	35.1	1000^th of 1492 public elementary schools	33.0%		32	1059^th of 1490 public elementary schools	28.9%	59	54.8	53.7					54.8	44.4							$11,019	$1,138	$9,880
Glen Arden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	50 Pinehurst Circle	Arden	28704	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 654-1800	505	37	13.6	95.8%	351 (69.5%)	25 (5.0%)	73 (14.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	50 (9.9%)	81.2	227^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.8%		81.8	222^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	85.1%	5	77.1	71.9					73.2	71.9							$10,263	$832	$9,431
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	98.0%	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		$11,073	$1,338	$9,735
Glenn C Marlow Elementary	Public	K-5	1985 Butler Bridge Road	Mills River	28759	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 654-3225	562	35	15.9	30.2%	443 (78.8%)	18 (3.2%)	58 (10.3%)	18 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	20 (3.6%)	89.5	122^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	91.8%		91.3	89^th of 1490 public elementary schools	94.0%	33	89.5	86.5	83.3				75.6	82.3	66.7				82.2		$9,247	$669	$8,577
Fletcher Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Howard Gap Road	Fletcher	28732	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 684-0580	434	28	15.3	57.4%	278 (64.1%)	29 (6.7%)	97 (22.4%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.3%)	67.3	466^th of 1492 public elementary schools	68.8%		68.3	422^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	71.7%	44	80.0	72.6	63.5				63.3	61.3	58.1				71.6		$10,006	$951	$9,055
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		$14,641	$1,562	$13,079
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
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
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		$13,509	$1,024	$12,485

Frequently Asked Questions about Estes Elementary

What schools do graduates of Estes Elementary attend?

Students who attend Estes Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Koontz Intermediate
Middle : Valley Springs Middle
High : Center for Career Innovation
High : Nesbitt Discovery Academy
High : Roberson High

How many students attend Estes Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 754 students attended Estes Elementary.

Is Estes Elementary a good school?

Estes Elementary ranks 551^st of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Estes Elementary?

Students at Estes Elementary are 54% White, 23% Hispanic, 13% African American, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Estes Elementary 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.