Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Hominy Valley Elementary

Q: Is Hominy Valley Elementary a good school?

Hominy Valley Elementary ranks 448 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

448^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 70% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Hominy Valley Elementary is a K–4 school in Candler, NC, serving 399 students as part of Buncombe County Schools. The school currently ranks 448th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools — earning a 4-star rating and 70th percentile placement — which puts it ahead of every nearby comparison school, including Pisgah Elementary, Lucy S. Herring Elementary, and Candler Elementary. What makes this especially notable is that 99.25% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet the school outperforms both district and state proficiency averages in most tested subjects.

One of Hominy Valley's biggest bright spots is 3rd-grade reading, where 72.6% of students scored proficient in 2025–26 — well above the district's 59.0% and the state's 55.6%. Its 3rd-grade math results (75.3%) are similarly strong, topping the district's 66.9% and the state's 66.4%. The school is especially effective with female students, who rank in the 76th percentile statewide, and with low-income students, who rank in the 69th percentile — a dramatic jump from the 25th percentile just two years earlier. Fourth-grade scores are closer to district averages, suggesting the school's early-grade instruction and interventions are a particular strength.

Hominy Valley also stands out for attendance. Its chronic absenteeism rate fell from 25.1% in 2022–23 to 12.5% in 2024–25 — far below the district's 18.7% and the state's 24.2%, and the lowest among nearby schools. The school achieves these results while spending less per pupil ($10,305) than nearby schools like Emma Elementary ($12,874) and Pisgah ($13,649), and with a higher student-teacher ratio of 14.5. After dipping during the pandemic years, the school appears to be rebounding toward its former top-tier status, making it a notably effective choice for families seeking a high-poverty elementary school that delivers strong results in the Candler area.

399

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

450 Enka Lake Road
Candler, NC 28715

(828) 665-0619

District: Buncombe County Schools

Students who attend Hominy Valley Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.5%

Hispanic:

14.5%

African American:

1.5%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Hominy Valley Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 83rd percentile in 2016 → 70th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (67% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (70th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg60%

448^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 17% (2016) to top 30% (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	68.6	448 of 1492	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	60.5	555 of 1490	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.3	556 of 1505	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.4	507 of 1502	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.2	493 of 1514	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.8	467 of 1489	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.8	261 of 1473	82.3%	★★★★☆
2018	86.2	145 of 1434	89.9%	★★★★☆
2017	87.3	122 of 1429	91.5%	★★★★★
2016	79.1	247 of 1425	82.7%	★★★★☆
2015	75.3	318 of 1440	77.9%	★★★★☆
2014	71.7	364 of 1390	73.8%	★★★★☆
2013	80.9	216 of 1403	84.6%	★★★★☆
2012	71.8	367 of 1388	73.6%	★★★★☆
2011	67.7	455 of 1381	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	73.7	320 of 1363	76.5%	★★★★☆
2009	81.2	180 of 1354	86.7%	★★★★☆
2008	81.3	166 of 1324	87.5%	★★★★☆
2007	73.9	283 of 1293	78.1%	★★★★☆
2006	77.9	198 of 1276	84.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	25.2	528 of 634	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	20.1	514 of 563	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.0	350 of 1447	75.8%	★★★★☆
2025	62.2	503 of 1451	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.2	576 of 1455	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.7	492 of 1459	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.9	589 of 1458	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.6	339 of 1440	76.5%	★★★★☆
2019	70.6	378 of 1424	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	82.6	178 of 1405	87.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.9	534 of 981	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	10.8	938 of 961	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	45.2	517 of 951	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	72.1	174 of 851	79.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.5	446 of 1434	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.2	686 of 1437	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.9	1081 of 1450	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.2	788 of 1437	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.5	699 of 1366	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.0	567 of 1329	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.5	217 of 1361	84.1%	★★★★☆
2018	71.2	290 of 1332	78.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.1	506 of 1451	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.3	594 of 1450	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.9	568 of 1464	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.7	530 of 1461	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.3	410 of 1464	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	58.6	570 of 1444	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	82.1	187 of 1430	86.9%	★★★★☆
2018	87.1	134 of 1413	90.5%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	46.5	376 of 821	54.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.9	628 of 1146	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.1	613 of 1172	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.9	756 of 1166	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.4	754 of 1183	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.1	635 of 1194	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.9	530 of 1172	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.0	463 of 1183	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.2	266 of 1178	77.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2026)76th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile~ school

Male (2026)65th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2025)54th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)46th percentile-24 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-25 vs school

Disabled (2022)17th percentile-51 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)9th percentile-54 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics69%+5 vs state

Reading65%+9 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Hominy Valley Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Hominy Valley Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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
Hominy Valley Elementary	Public	K-4	450 Enka Lake Road	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 665-0619	399	27	14.5	99.2%	325 (81.5%)	6 (1.5%)	58 (14.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.5%)	68.6	448^th of 1492 public elementary schools	70.0%		60.5	555^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.8%	107	75.3	63.9					72.6	59.8							$10,305	$880	$9,425
Sand Hill-Venable Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	154 Sand Hill School Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 670-5028	590	39	14.9	98.0%	311 (52.7%)	43 (7.3%)	213 (36.1%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.9%)	36.1	979^th of 1492 public elementary schools	34.4%		31.2	1069^th of 1490 public elementary schools	28.3%	90	49.5	55.7					45.9	57.5							$11,842	$1,597	$10,245
Candler Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	121 Candler School Road	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 670-5018	381	28	13.8	99.2%	260 (68.2%)	20 (5.2%)	90 (23.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	52	691^st of 1492 public elementary schools	53.7%		62.7	519^th of 1490 public elementary schools	65.2%	172	64.6	63.4					52.4	57.7							$11,201	$1,431	$9,770
Pisgah Elementary	Public	K-4	1495 Pisgah Hwy	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 670-5023	162	14	11.5	98.1%	121 (74.7%)	1 (0.6%)	32 (19.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.3%)	65	506^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.1%		51.5	718^th of 1490 public elementary schools	51.8%	212	75.9	73.8					58.6	54.8							$13,649	$1,435	$12,214
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	98.6%	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							$14,890	$1,958	$12,932
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
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
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
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	98.2%	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							$12,874	$1,531	$11,343

Frequently Asked Questions about Hominy Valley Elementary

What district is Hominy Valley Elementary in?

Buncombe County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Hominy Valley Elementary?

Students at Hominy Valley Elementary are 81% White, 15% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Hominy Valley Elementary attend?

Students who attend Hominy Valley Elementary usually go on to attend:

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

How many students attend Hominy Valley Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 399 students attended Hominy Valley Elementary.

Is Hominy Valley Elementary a good school?

Hominy Valley Elementary ranks 448^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Hominy Valley Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Candler, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hominy Valley Elementary!

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.