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

Mills River Elementary

Q: Is Mills River Elementary a good school?

Mills River Elementary ranks 199 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

199^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Mills River Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Mills River, North Carolina, which is part of the Henderson County Schools district. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with a current ranking of 199 out of 1,490 schools and a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the key factors that sets Mills River Elementary apart is its exceptional academic performance. The school consistently outperforms the state and district averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas, with 78.7% of 3rd graders proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 65.2% for the district and 64.1% for the state. Additionally, the school has been ranked among the top 20% of North Carolina elementary schools for the past 10 years, demonstrating a sustained high level of performance.

While Mills River Elementary excels in many areas, the school's performance for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic and gifted/talented students, suggests that there may be opportunities for improvement to ensure equitable outcomes for all students. When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the Henderson County Schools district, Mills River Elementary generally outperforms its peers, particularly in mathematics and science, though some schools, such as Hendersonville Elementary, also demonstrate strong academic performance.

608

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,074

Per pupil spending ?

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: Improving — 81st percentile in 2015 → 87th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (73% vs 57% meeting standards)

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

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school73%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg57%

199^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From top 19% (2015) to top 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 13Elementary Schools in the Henderson County Schools

86^th of 242Henderson 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)

Female (2025)90th percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2025)83rd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)81st percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)80th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)73rd percentile-14 vs school

Disabled (2022)67th percentile-21 vs school

Hispanic (2025)42nd percentile-45 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)23rd percentile-63 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science82%+20 vs state

Mathematics77%+16 vs state

Reading66%+13 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Mills River Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Mills River 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 Mills River Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	PK, KG-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%)	83.2	199^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.6%		82.7	208^th of 1505 public elementary schools	86.2%	9	78.7	70.4	81.9	62.0	70.4	64.9	81.9	$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%)	91.3	89^th of 1490 public elementary schools	94.0%		92.9	71^st of 1505 public elementary schools	95.3%	18	91.0	76.1	83.1	83.1	75.3	72.0	84.7	$9,247	$669	$8,577
Etowah Elementary	Public	PK, KG-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%)	81.8	224^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.0%		71.6	375^th of 1505 public elementary schools	75.1%	151	85.7	66.0	75.0	58.9	69.8	70.2	77.1	$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%)	68.3	422^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	71.7%		68.9	428^th of 1505 public elementary schools	71.6%	6	71.9	68.4	54.8	53.1	62.0	62.2	76.7	$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%)	90.2	108^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.8%		90.2	112^th of 1505 public elementary schools	92.6%	4	86.8	83.0	78.0	69.8	71.7	76.0	84.0	$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%)	32	1059^th of 1490 public elementary schools	28.9%		41.8	896^th of 1505 public elementary schools	40.5%	163	48.1	53.1		39.6	46.9			$11,019	$1,138	$9,880
Clear Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-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%)	70.5	383^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	74.3%		69.7	409^th of 1505 public elementary schools	72.8%	26	65.9	75.6	77.0	45.1	62.8	60.8	75.7	$9,070	$1,106	$7,964
Bruce Drysdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-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%)	49.5	750^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.7%		56.5	639^th of 1505 public elementary schools	57.5%	111	53.6	49.4	67.6	40.5	52.9	60.8	67.6	$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%)	81.8	222^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	85.1%		86.2	164^th of 1505 public elementary schools	89.1%	58	77.7	67.9		63.8	73.8			$10,263	$832	$9,431
Atkinson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-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%)	64.5	490^th of 1490 public elementary schools	67.1%		77.9	280^th of 1505 public elementary schools	81.4%	210	67.3	65.3	60.4	55.1	63.3	56.3	66.7	$9,752	$871	$8,881

Frequently Asked Questions about Mills River Elementary

Is Mills River Elementary a good school?

Mills River Elementary ranks 199^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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

Rate Mills River Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Mills River, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Mills River Elementary!

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.