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Mills River Elementary

Q: Is Mills River Elementary a good school?

Mills River Elementary ranks 258 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

258^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Mills River Elementary serves 608 students in grades K–5 in Mills River, NC, as part of Henderson County Schools. The school currently ranks #258 of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools for 2025–26, placing it in the 83rd percentile statewide with a 4-star rating. Mills River has a track record of strong performance: from 2015–16 through 2018–19, it consistently earned 5-star ratings and ranked in the top 10% of the state, and since 2020–21 it has remained in the 83rd–89th percentile range.

Academically, the school exceeds both the district and state averages in every subject and grade tested. Math and science are standout areas: 5th-grade science proficiency is an impressive 85.7%, well above the statewide average of 67.7% and higher than nearby Glenn C Marlow Elementary’s 82.2%. Reading scores are above district and state averages too, but reading is the relative soft spot, especially in 5th grade at 58.9%. Attendance is a major success story: chronic absenteeism has dropped from 20.4% in 2021–22 to just 8.0% in 2024–25 — far below the district rate of 14.5% and the state rate of 24.2%. Subgroup results are strong as well, with students with disabilities ranking in the 85th percentile statewide for three consecutive years.

Compared with nearby schools, Mills River outperforms most, including Bruce Drysdale Elementary, Clear Creek Elementary, and Fletcher Elementary, and sits just ahead of Etowah Elementary. Two nearby peers — Glenn C Marlow Elementary and Hendersonville Elementary — are consistently ranked in the top 10% statewide, but Mills River holds its own, even edging both out in 5th-grade science. With 608 students, it is the largest elementary school in its local Henderson County cluster, achieving these results while serving a bigger student body than most of its high-performing neighbors. Overall, Mills River is a reliable, high-performing school; its 5th-grade reading performance is the main area worth watching in the years ahead.

608

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

40.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

94 School House Road
Mills River, NC 28759

(828) 891-6563

District: Henderson County Schools

Students who attend Mills River Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Rugby Middle
High:	Henderson County Early College
	West Henderson High

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.7%

Hispanic:

12.5%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Mills River Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 93rd percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (73% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school73%

District avg63%

North Carolina avg61%

258^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From top 7% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

74^th of 246Henderson 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	78.6	258 of 1492	82.7%	★★★★☆
2025	83.2	199 of 1490	86.6%	★★★★☆
2024	82.7	208 of 1505	86.2%	★★★★☆
2023	84.6	171 of 1502	88.6%	★★★★☆
2022	84.6	187 of 1514	87.6%	★★★★☆
2021	83.9	199 of 1489	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	87.3	139 of 1473	90.6%	★★★★★
2018	87.1	136 of 1434	90.5%	★★★★★
2017	87.4	120 of 1429	91.6%	★★★★★
2016	89.5	95 of 1425	93.3%	★★★★★
2015	77.7	277 of 1440	80.8%	★★★★☆
2014	78.7	259 of 1390	81.4%	★★★★☆
2013	82.6	195 of 1403	86.1%	★★★★☆
2012	70.4	397 of 1388	71.4%	★★★★☆
2011	77.1	248 of 1381	82.0%	★★★★☆
2010	81.4	171 of 1363	87.5%	★★★★☆
2009	88.2	73 of 1354	94.6%	★★★★★
2008	88.0	89 of 1324	93.3%	★★★★★
2007	86.6	69 of 1293	94.7%	★★★★★
2006	87.0	81 of 1276	93.7%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	54.6	209 of 634	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	237 of 646	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.4	202 of 878	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	53.0	346 of 897	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.9	273 of 1447	81.1%	★★★★☆
2025	86.2	138 of 1451	90.5%	★★★★★
2024	84.2	164 of 1455	88.7%	★★★★☆
2023	84.8	153 of 1459	89.5%	★★★★☆
2022	81.7	205 of 1458	85.9%	★★★★☆
2021	79.8	226 of 1440	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	86.0	126 of 1424	91.2%	★★★★★
2018	81.0	204 of 1405	85.5%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.4	208 of 743	72.0%	★★★★☆
2025	46.0	544 of 710	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	63.6	236 of 669	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.2	65 of 582	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	58.4	259 of 500	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	77.0	22 of 494	95.5%	★★★★★
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.7	304 of 981	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.1	561 of 961	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.7	410 of 951	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.9	290 of 915	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.1	328 of 893	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.5	114 of 865	86.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.5	204 of 851	76.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.8	364 of 1434	74.6%	★★★★☆
2025	71.9	282 of 1437	80.4%	★★★★☆
2024	75.0	234 of 1450	83.9%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	313 of 1437	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	78.3	166 of 1366	87.8%	★★★★☆
2021	71.4	239 of 1329	82.0%	★★★★☆
2019	81.1	146 of 1361	89.3%	★★★★☆
2018	79.2	165 of 1332	87.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.0	268 of 1451	81.5%	★★★★☆
2025	76.4	279 of 1450	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	76.7	276 of 1464	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	80.9	211 of 1461	85.6%	★★★★☆
2022	84.1	178 of 1464	87.8%	★★★★☆
2021	82.9	196 of 1444	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	86.1	149 of 1430	89.6%	★★★★☆
2018	90.2	89 of 1413	93.7%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	122 of 815	85.0%	★★★★☆
2025	68.9	136 of 821	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	73.2	108 of 801	86.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	410 of 1146	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.7	320 of 1172	72.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.9	325 of 1166	72.1%	★★★★☆
2023	73.4	274 of 1183	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	75.0	258 of 1194	78.4%	★★★★☆
2021	70.6	303 of 1172	74.1%	★★★★☆
2019	79.4	189 of 1183	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	80.7	183 of 1178	84.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2026)85th percentile~ school

Male (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)81st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)75th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)72nd percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)69th percentile-14 vs school

Disabled (2022)67th percentile-21 vs school

White (2026)64th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science86%+18 vs state

Mathematics76%+12 vs state

Reading65%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Mills River 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 Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mills River Elementary	Public	K-5	94 School House Road	Mills River	28759	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 891-6563	608	39	15.5	40.6%	497 (81.7%)	7 (1.2%)	76 (12.5%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	22 (3.6%)	78.6	258^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.7%		83.2	199^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.6%	59	84.1	71.2	74.1	73.2	66.3	58.9	85.7	$9,074	$912	$8,162
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
Etowah Elementary	Public	K-5	320 Etowah School Road	Etowah	28729	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 891-6560	302	22	13.9	52.6%	228 (75.5%)	3 (1.0%)	55 (18.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.0%)	77.8	269^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.0%		81.8	224^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.0%	45	81.3	72.9	75.4	54.2	62.7	78.9	86.0	$10,276	$964	$9,313
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
Hendersonville Elementary	Public	K-5	1039 Randall Circle	Hendersonville	28791	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4752	323	22	14.3	38.7%	263 (81.4%)	8 (2.5%)	27 (8.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.1%)	88.5	139^th of 1492 public elementary schools	90.7%		90.2	108^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.8%	31	86.3	90.2	75.0	76.5	88.5	71.2	78.8	$10,145	$1,115	$9,030
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
Clear Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	737 N Clear Creek Road	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 697-4760	435	31	14.2	99.3%	234 (53.8%)	18 (4.1%)	145 (33.3%)	10 (2.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.7%)	66.3	486^th of 1492 public elementary schools	67.4%		70.5	383^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	74.3%	103	63.9	72.4	84.2	53.5	50.6	63.2	86.8	$9,070	$1,106	$7,964
Bruce Drysdale Elementary	Public	K-5	271 Bearcat Blvd.	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 697-5568	473	32	14.5	99.4%	203 (42.9%)	48 (10.1%)	145 (30.7%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.5%)	17 (3.6%)	51 (10.8%)	51.8	698^th of 1492 public elementary schools	53.2%		49.5	750^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.7%	52	60.5	38.6	63.0	61.0	59.0	63.0	69.5	$10,708	$1,509	$9,198
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
Atkinson Elementary	Public	K-5	2510 Old Kanuga Road	Hendersonville	28739	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 697-4755	288	22	13.2	42.4%	240 (83.3%)	5 (1.7%)	26 (9.0%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	10 (3.5%)	76.9	281^st of 1492 public elementary schools	81.2%		64.5	490^th of 1490 public elementary schools	67.1%	209	88.6	67.4	70.5	70.5	58.7	81.8	75.0	$9,752	$871	$8,881

Frequently Asked Questions about Mills River Elementary

How many students attend Mills River Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 608 students attended Mills River Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Mills River Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mills River Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Rugby Middle
High : Henderson County Early College
High : West Henderson High

What is the racial makeup of Mills River Elementary?

Students at Mills River Elementary are 82% White, 13% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What district is Mills River Elementary in?

Henderson County Schools

Is Mills River Elementary a good school?

Mills River Elementary ranks 258^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Mills River Elementary!

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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.