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Bruce Drysdale Elementary

Q: Is Bruce Drysdale Elementary a good school?

Bruce Drysdale Elementary ranks 698 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

698^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 53% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Bruce Drysdale Elementary is a K–5 elementary school in Hendersonville, North Carolina, enrolling about 473 students in Henderson County Schools. Serving a population where roughly 99% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the school has climbed from a long stretch of 1-star ratings to a solid, mid-tier 3-star performance in recent years. Reading is its strongest subject: in the most recent school year, it beat both the district and state in reading at every grade level. That is especially striking when compared with similar high-poverty neighbors such as Edneyville Elementary, Hillandale Elementary, and Upward Elementary, whose reading scores trail well behind. While Clear Creek Elementary is the only similar-poverty school in the cluster ranked higher, Bruce Drysdale Elementary outperforms most of the rest.

Math is the mirror-image concern, especially in 4th grade, where proficiency was just 38.6%—about 24 points below the district and 23 points below the state. Third-grade math is also lower than average, while 5th-grade math sits much closer to par. Science is a dependable strength, with 5th-grade proficiency at or above the state average for four consecutive years. For parents weighing options, the literacy and science programs are clear positives, while math in the earlier grades may deserve extra attention at home.

Chronic absenteeism affects 20.6% of students—higher than nearly every comparable school in the region, including Clear Creek Elementary at 10.9%, Dana Elementary at 13.5%, and Edneyville Elementary at 13.3%. The school also shows uneven results across student groups, with gifted learners thriving while special education and English Learner students need more support. Still, the school has clearly turned a corner from its earlier struggles and held on to its gains. For parents, the overall picture is one of genuine improvement—with reading and science as standout strengths and math and attendance the clearest opportunities for further progress.

473

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

271 Bearcat Blvd.
Hendersonville, NC 28792-3621

(828) 697-5568

District: Henderson County Schools

Students who attend Bruce Drysdale Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hendersonville Middle
High:	Henderson County Early College
	Hendersonville High

Racial breakdown:

White:

42.9%

Hispanic:

30.7%

Two or more races:

10.8%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Bruce Drysdale Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 62nd percentile in 2023 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 62nd-percentile peak (2023) to 53rd (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg63%

North Carolina avg61%

698^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 47%▲ up 30 pts since 2016

From bottom 23% (2016) to top 47% (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	51.8	698 of 1492	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.5	750 of 1490	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.5	639 of 1505	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.4	573 of 1502	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.5	582 of 1514	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	580 of 1489	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.0	1081 of 1473	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.6	1070 of 1434	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	32.5	1042 of 1429	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	28.2	1101 of 1425	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	38.5	941 of 1440	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.5	786 of 1390	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	38.8	872 of 1403	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.9	946 of 1388	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	24.5	1143 of 1381	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	30.4	1048 of 1363	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	35.2	976 of 1354	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	36.1	917 of 1324	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.4	716 of 1293	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	38.1	896 of 1276	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.6	475 of 903	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.8	724 of 949	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.4	626 of 927	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	30.0	470 of 634	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.3	204 of 646	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.3	520 of 878	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.9	702 of 897	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.0	324 of 519	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.1	385 of 563	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.7	286 of 533	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.4	284 of 514	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.6	112 of 485	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	33.3	364 of 497	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.9	251 of 421	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.5	658 of 1447	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.2	749 of 1451	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.0	642 of 1455	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.0	659 of 1459	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.9	629 of 1458	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.5	580 of 1440	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	26.8	1133 of 1424	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.9	992 of 1405	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.2	31 of 743	95.8%	★★★★★
2025	60.1	327 of 710	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.0	102 of 582	82.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.9	437 of 981	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.0	501 of 961	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.5	356 of 951	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.9	458 of 915	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.9	292 of 893	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.1	240 of 843	71.5%	★★★★☆
2019	35.7	605 of 865	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.6	736 of 851	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.3	601 of 1434	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.4	1010 of 1437	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	58.3	546 of 1450	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.1	597 of 1437	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.5	365 of 1366	73.3%	★★★★☆
2021	72.6	225 of 1329	83.1%	★★★★☆
2019	37.2	926 of 1361	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.3	912 of 1332	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	740 of 1451	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.3	720 of 1450	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.3	605 of 1464	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.5	499 of 1461	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.0	532 of 1464	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.5	540 of 1444	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.6	997 of 1430	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.6	1070 of 1413	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.8	133 of 181	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.8	166 of 175	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	51.4	83 of 159	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.6	672 of 815	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.6	803 of 821	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	33.8	538 of 801	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.5	514 of 1146	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.4	532 of 1172	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.7	474 of 1166	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.7	394 of 1183	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.3	501 of 1194	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.3	344 of 1172	70.6%	★★★★☆
2019	43.8	715 of 1183	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.5	631 of 1178	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2026)96th percentile+43 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)58th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)55th percentile~ school

White (2026)55th percentile~ school

Female (2026)55th percentile~ school

Male (2026)49th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)47th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)38th percentile-16 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)27th percentile-27 vs school

Disabled (2022)26th percentile-36 vs school

Special Education (2026)18th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science70%~ state avg

Reading61%+5 vs state

Mathematics54%-10 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Friday, September 21, 2012

I think that Bruce Drysdale is a not so good school when it comes to children they say with a learning disability. I believe that the school teachers want to try they best to help to their ability but they don't put forth effort on helping the child. They just put them in a EIP class and doesn't have a Diagnose on what's wrong I feel that this school should be shut down because they sent out letters to parents saying they can change their children's schools because they had a low Nation Grade. Close Quote

Schools Near Bruce Drysdale 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
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
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
The Mountain Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	613 Glover Street	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	The Mountain Community School	Yes	No	No	No	(828) 696-8480	190	13	14.1		158 (83.2%)	2 (1.1%)	17 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.8%)	82	217^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.5%		67.8	432^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	71.0%	215	76.2	54.5	90.5	68.2	56.5	27.8	85.7	77.3	90.5	63.6	87.0	50.0	95.2	61.1
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
Sugarloaf Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2270 Sugarloaf Rd	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 697-4600	415	31	13.5	99.3%	150 (36.1%)	19 (4.6%)	196 (47.2%)	8 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	35 (8.4%)	30.4	1083^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	27.4%		27.3	1127^th of 1490 public elementary schools	24.4%	44	58.0	52.5	36.0				52.2	42.4	48.0				58.7		$10,601	$1,711	$8,890
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
Hillandale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	40 Preston Lane	East Flat Rock	28726	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 697-4782	483	35	14.0	99.4%	238 (49.3%)	15 (3.1%)	188 (38.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	29 (6.0%)	34.7	1013^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.1%		30.8	1076^th of 1490 public elementary schools	27.8%	63	66.2	50.6	64.0				44.1	44.6	42.7				56.0		$10,217	$1,373	$8,844
Upward Elementary	Public	K-5	45 Education Drive	Flat Rock	28731	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 697-4764	389	29	13.4	99.2%	144 (37.0%)	10 (2.6%)	205 (52.7%)	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.3%)	14 (3.6%)	20.6	1267^th of 1492 public elementary schools	15.1%		24.2	1201^st of 1490 public elementary schools	19.4%	66	52.5	37.5	46.3				36.1	41.7	50.0				51.9		$10,637	$1,538	$9,099
Dana Elementary	Public	1-5	690 Ridge Road	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 685-7743	403	30	13.6	99.3%	157 (39.0%)	4 (1.0%)	227 (56.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	13 (3.2%)	19.9	1278^th of 1492 public elementary schools	14.3%		10.2	1419^th of 1490 public elementary schools	4.8%	141	62.0	46.4	45.8				36.0	42.0	38.9				41.7		$10,155	$1,652	$8,503
Edneyville Elementary	Public	K-5	2875 Pace Road	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 685-7600	405	31	13.2	99.3%	238 (58.8%)	3 (0.7%)	144 (35.6%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	15 (3.7%)	35.1	1001^st of 1492 public elementary schools	32.9%		33.4	1031^st of 1490 public elementary schools	30.8%	30	66.7	54.8	51.4				52.8	43.8	34.3				61.4		$10,529	$1,426	$9,103

Frequently Asked Questions about Bruce Drysdale Elementary

How many students attend Bruce Drysdale Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 473 students attended Bruce Drysdale Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Bruce Drysdale Elementary?

Students at Bruce Drysdale Elementary are 43% White, 31% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 10% African American, 4% Pacific Islander, 1% American Indian.

Is Bruce Drysdale Elementary a good school?

Bruce Drysdale Elementary ranks 698^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Bruce Drysdale Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bruce Drysdale Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hendersonville Middle
High : Henderson County Early College
High : Hendersonville High

What district is Bruce Drysdale Elementary in?

Henderson 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.