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Banoak Elementary

Q: Is Banoak Elementary a good school?

Banoak Elementary ranks 589 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

589^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 61% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Banoak Elementary is a small K-6 school in rural Vale, North Carolina, serving 291 students in Catawba County Schools, a district that earns three stars overall. Nearly all of its students (98.97%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, which makes its academic results especially noteworthy. After years of ranking in the high-40s to low-50s percentile statewide, Banoak jumped to the 72nd percentile in 2023–2024 and now sits in the 61st percentile (589th of 1,492 elementary schools) — a step back from its recent peak but still well above its pre-2023 baseline.

Academically, Banoak’s biggest strength is reading. Its 4th-grade reading score of 69.8% proficient is roughly 14 points above the district and 12 points above the state — well ahead of Startown Elementary (42.9%), Longview Elementary (50.6%), Childers Elementary (40.3%), and North Brook Elementary (60.0%). Fifth-grade science is another standout at 76.3% proficient, above the district (70.1%) and state (67.7%). The clearest challenge is 6th-grade math: at 56.5% proficient, Banoak trails its district by 11 points — a gap that has persisted for four straight years. Fifth-grade reading also trails the state.

Where Banoak truly shines is in getting students to school. Its chronic absenteeism rate was just 13.6% in 2024–2025, far below the district’s 18.0% and the statewide 24.2% — and better than most nearby schools; only Mountain View Elementary posts a clearly lower rate. Banoak also serves its low-income students well compared to the rest of the state, ranking as high as the 80th percentile for that subgroup, and its gifted students ranked in the 96th percentile statewide in 2024–2025. In a local field that includes higher-performing schools like Union Elementary and Mountain View, plus comparable schools like Blackburn Elementary and North Brook, Banoak is a solid mid-upper-tier school that has figured out early literacy, science, and attendance — and now needs to translate that success to upper-grade math.

291

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

99%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7651 W NC 10 Hwy
Vale, NC 28168-8804

(704) 462-2849

District: Catawba County Schools

Students who attend Banoak Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Jacobs Fork Middle
High:	Fred T Foard High

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.0%

Hispanic:

8.6%

Two or more races:

7.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Banoak Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 47th percentile in 2016 → 61st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the North Carolina median (61st percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school62%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg60%

589^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 39%▲ up 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 47% (2016) to top 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

87^th of 246Catawba 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	59.7	589 of 1492	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.0	485 of 1490	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.2	421 of 1505	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	49.7	775 of 1502	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.5	716 of 1514	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.9	501 of 1489	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.2	764 of 1473	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.4	704 of 1434	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.4	738 of 1429	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	48.8	756 of 1425	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	67.8	454 of 1440	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.1	522 of 1390	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	67.1	409 of 1403	70.8%	★★★★☆
2012	70.1	404 of 1388	70.9%	★★★★☆
2011	69.2	431 of 1381	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.4	607 of 1363	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.3	502 of 1354	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.4	593 of 1324	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.3	501 of 1293	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	57.7	578 of 1276	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.4	441 of 1447	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	75.7	274 of 1451	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	64.5	463 of 1455	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.2	771 of 1459	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.0	901 of 1458	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.9	548 of 1440	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.3	751 of 1424	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.5	793 of 1405	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	28 of 710	96.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.0	525 of 1434	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.1	364 of 1437	74.7%	★★★★☆
2024	72.1	285 of 1450	80.3%	★★★★☆
2023	42.8	858 of 1437	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.7	759 of 1366	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	67.0	300 of 1329	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	59.1	500 of 1361	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.7	403 of 1332	69.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.0	718 of 1451	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.1	724 of 1450	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.3	385 of 1464	73.7%	★★★★☆
2023	50.1	745 of 1461	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.3	432 of 1464	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	70.1	387 of 1444	73.2%	★★★★☆
2019	49.0	765 of 1430	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.4	767 of 1413	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.6	752 of 1146	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.1	735 of 1172	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.4	670 of 1166	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.2	998 of 1183	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.2	901 of 1194	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	48.1	600 of 1172	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.8	951 of 1183	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.9	926 of 1178	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2025)96th percentile+29 vs school

Female (2026)70th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)63rd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)51st percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science76%+9 vs state

Mathematics63%~ state avg

Reading58%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Banoak 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 Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Banoak Elementary	Public	K-6	7651 W NC 10 Hwy	Vale	28168	Lincoln County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 462-2849	291	17	16.6	99.0%	230 (79.0%)	5 (1.7%)	25 (8.6%)	9 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.6%)	59.7	589^th of 1492 public elementary schools	60.5%		65	485^th of 1490 public elementary schools	67.4%	104	67.7	62.3	68.4	56.5	58.1	69.8	47.4	54.3	76.3	$9,603	$1,411	$8,191
Union Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4875 Reepsville Rd	Vale	28168	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 276-1493	342	22	15.2	99.1%	310 (90.6%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.1%)	76	302^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	79.8%		72.4	356^th of 1490 public elementary schools	76.1%	54	74.1	72.6	77.6		58.6	69.4	61.2		89.8	$10,166	$909	$9,257
Blackburn Elementary	Public	K-6	4377 W NC 10 Hwy	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 462-1344	484	28	17.3	99.0%	277 (57.2%)	24 (5.0%)	82 (16.9%)	60 (12.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	39 (8.1%)	61.5	556^th of 1492 public elementary schools	62.7%		65.3	479^th of 1490 public elementary schools	67.9%	77	71.4	59.8	77.6	71.8	61.4	47.6	51.3	52.6	84.2	$9,091	$979	$8,112
Mountain View Elementary	Public	K-6	5911 Dwayne Starnes Road	Hickory	28602	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 294-2020	708	40	17.5	99.6%	475 (67.1%)	33 (4.7%)	54 (7.6%)	74 (10.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (10.0%)	75.7	306^th of 1492 public elementary schools	79.5%		79.6	250^th of 1490 public elementary schools	83.2%	56	84.0	77.0	70.4	80.0	63.8	68.0	60.9	60.0	73.9	$8,895	$775	$8,120
North Brook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	642 Hwy 274	Vale	28168	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 276-2479	344	24	14.5	99.1%	296 (86.0%)	6 (1.7%)	23 (6.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.7%)	64.3	513^th of 1492 public elementary schools	65.6%		63.1	510^th of 1490 public elementary schools	65.8%	3	80.3	74.5	66.7		65.2	60.0	41.2		68.6	$9,492	$999	$8,493
George Hildebrand Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8078 G Hildebrand Sch Road	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 879-9595	327	22	14.7	98.5%	277 (84.7%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.4%)	12 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	17 (5.2%)	67.8	458^th of 1492 public elementary schools	69.3%		77.1	291^st of 1490 public elementary schools	80.5%	167	67.3	69.6	66.7		51.0	76.8	63.2		75.4	$10,687	$1,383	$9,305
Childers Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2595 Rock Dam Road	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 736-9610	418	30	13.7	97.1%	306 (73.2%)	10 (2.4%)	81 (19.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.5%)	30.6	1078^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.7%		42.6	868^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.7%	210	40.7	49.3	66.2		33.9	40.3	43.1		69.2	$9,897	$1,409	$8,488
Southwest Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	1580 32nd Street SW	Hickory	28602	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 324-8884	292	22	13.4	99.0%	91 (31.2%)	75 (25.7%)	73 (25.0%)	23 (7.9%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	27 (9.2%)								(n/a)										$10,139	$1,799	$8,340
Startown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4119 Startown Road	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 464-1257	540	34	15.7	99.4%	289 (53.5%)	32 (5.9%)	103 (19.1%)	60 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (10.4%)	46.8	787^th of 1492 public elementary schools	47.3%		54.5	660^th of 1490 public elementary schools	55.7%	127	87.1	61.4	51.8	57.1	65.7	42.9	48.2	51.4	54.2	$9,647	$1,184	$8,463
Hildebran Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	703 US Hwy 70 West	Hildebran	28637	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 397-3181	297	16	18.5	96.0%	225 (75.8%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.7%)	28 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (6.4%)	56.7	630^th of 1492 public elementary schools	57.8%		53.2	687^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.9%	57	56.5	63.0	61.0		54.3	69.6	51.2		80.5	$10,444	$1,872	$8,572

Frequently Asked Questions about Banoak Elementary

What schools do graduates of Banoak Elementary attend?

Students who attend Banoak Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jacobs Fork Middle
High : Fred T Foard High

How many students attend Banoak Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 291 students attended Banoak Elementary.

Is Banoak Elementary a good school?

Banoak Elementary ranks 589^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Banoak Elementary in?

Catawba County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Banoak Elementary?

Students at Banoak Elementary are 79% White, 9% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

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Schools in Vale, NC

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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.