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Blue Ridge School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

1274^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Blue Ridge School is a small elementary school in the mountain community of Cashiers, NC, serving 144 students from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade within the Jackson County Public Schools system. The student body is largely economically disadvantaged, with 90.3% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, though this is lower than nearby schools like Scotts Creek School and Fairview School. Chronic absenteeism, however, is a significant challenge at 30.1%, the highest rate among neighboring schools such as Rosman Elementary, T C Henderson, and South Macon Elementary.

Because of its small enrollment, a single grade cohort can drastically swing Blue Ridge’s overall test scores, from the 65th percentile statewide in 2022–2023 down to the 15th percentile in 2025–2026. Despite relatively high per-pupil spending, academic results are mixed. In 2024–2025, 6th grade math and 4th grade reading were strong, but 3rd grade reading lagged far behind. By 2025–2026, 3rd grade math (36.4%) and reading (27.3%) proficiency were the lowest among its nearby peers, and no grade level reached even 40% proficiency in reading. Nearby T C Henderson and Rosman Elementary have shown more consistent performance over the same period.

That said, the school’s overall ranking masks certain strengths. Economically disadvantaged students at Blue Ridge have historically performed well, reaching the 88th percentile in 2022–2023. This indicates effective strategies for specific groups, even amid fluctuating schoolwide results. The most urgent question is whether the recent drop in early-grade reading is a temporary small-cohort anomaly or the start of a broader trend. Addressing the elevated chronic absenteeism rate will be critical to providing the stable learning environment every student needs to succeed.

144

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

90.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

95 Bobcat Drive
Cashiers, NC 28717-9998

(828) 743-2646

District: Jackson County Public Schools

Students who attend Blue Ridge School usually attend:

High:	Blue Ridge Early College
	Jackson County Early College

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.2%

Hispanic:

40.3%

American Indian:

2.1%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 19th percentile in 2016 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (42% vs 59% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!Reading scores 20 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg45%

North Carolina avg59%

1,274^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 19% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

184^th of 246Jackson County Public 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	20.4	1274 of 1492	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	47.0	801 of 1490	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.0	887 of 1505	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.5	526 of 1502	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.6	944 of 1514	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.0	898 of 1489	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.6	1089 of 1473	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.9	803 of 1434	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	44.3	849 of 1429	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	24.7	1150 of 1425	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	19.9	1216 of 1440	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	23.6	1108 of 1390	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	35.2	944 of 1403	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	53.9	708 of 1388	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	72.5	356 of 1381	74.2%	★★★★☆
2010	73.1	330 of 1363	75.8%	★★★★☆
2009	69.3	413 of 1354	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	53.3	661 of 1324	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	40.9	882 of 1293	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	50.3	713 of 1276	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	44.4	812 of 1455	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.9	504 of 1459	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.3	918 of 1458	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.6	996 of 1440	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.9	976 of 1424	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.1	781 of 1405	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	77.3	128 of 915	86.0%	★★★★☆
2018	45.9	474 of 851	44.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	52.1	640 of 1437	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.5	429 of 1450	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	173 of 1437	88.0%	★★★★☆
2022	59.6	458 of 1366	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.8	275 of 1329	79.3%	★★★★☆
2019	21.4	1178 of 1361	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	50.7	657 of 1332	50.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	686 of 1450	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.2	779 of 1464	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.8	493 of 1461	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.8	810 of 1464	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.0	819 of 1444	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.1	1070 of 1430	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	47.6	797 of 1413	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	38.8	781 of 1172	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.2	997 of 1166	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.9	659 of 1183	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.1	1035 of 1194	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.1	960 of 1172	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.0	1065 of 1183	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.7	877 of 1178	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2023)86th percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)55th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)53rd percentile+6 vs school

Female (2024)44th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)33rd percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics48%-15 vs state

Reading36%-20 vs state

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Schools Near Blue Ridge School

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Blue Ridge School	Public	PK, KG-6	95 Bobcat Drive	Cashiers	28717	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 743-2646	144	10	14.5	90.3%	78 (54.2%)	2 (1.4%)	58 (40.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	20.4	1274^th of 1492 public elementary schools	14.6%		47	801^st of 1490 public elementary schools	46.2%	473	36.4	50.0		53.8			27.3	38.9		38.5							$13,938	$1,846	$12,092
Cullowhee Valley School	Public	PK, KG-8	240 Wisdom Drive	Cullowhee	28723	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 293-5667	570	35	16.3	—	341 (59.8%)	5 (0.9%)	171 (30.0%)	3 (0.5%)	22 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.9%)	30.2	1089^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.0%		25.4	1172^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	21.3%	83	52.9	50.7	59.2	35.6	45.7	27.3	39.7	57.7	46.5	33.3	47.2	45.5	54.9	52.7	97%	0%	$10,392	$1,261	$9,131
T C Henderson	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	11839 Rosman Hwy	Lake Toxaway	28747	Transylvania County	Transylvania County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 862-4463	133	11	12.1	97.7%	103 (77.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (15.8%)	3 (2.3%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.0%)	60.1	574^th of 1492 public elementary schools	61.5%		59.4	577^th of 1490 public elementary schools	61.3%	3	66.7	68.4					44.4	73.7							85.7%	14.3%	$14,225	$1,533	$12,692
East Franklin Elementary	Public	K-4	100 Watauga St	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 524-3216	315	25	12.5	—	200 (63.5%)	0 (0.0%)	109 (34.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	23.2	1222^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	18.1%		31.1	1072^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	28.1%	150	56.1	44.4					40.9	42.9							93.2%	3.4%	$10,178	$875	$9,304
South Macon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	855 Addington Bridge Road	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 369-0796	465	34	13.8	—	325 (69.9%)	0 (0.0%)	124 (26.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.2%)	38.3	939^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.1%		61.2	543^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	63.6%	396	56.4	52.9					51.3	52.9							96%	0%	$11,730	$1,457	$10,273
Fairview School	Public	PK, KG-8	251 Big Orange Way	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 586-2819	797	48	16.5	98.0%	550 (69.0%)	11 (1.4%)	144 (18.1%)	10 (1.3%)	32 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.3%)	36.2	977^th of 1492 public elementary schools	34.5%		49.6	749^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.7%	228	62.5	43.6	63.5	55.2	62.3	80.2	55.6	41.5	42.7	47.9	64.9	65.1	57.3	83.7	93.3%	3.3%	$8,533	$860	$7,673
Rosman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	167 Rosman School Rd	Rosman	28772	Transylvania County	Transylvania County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 862-4431	344	26	13.0	—	301 (87.5%)	2 (0.6%)	28 (8.1%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	79.4	248^th of 1492 public elementary schools	83.4%		69.2	405^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.8%	157	72.7	78.0	72.6				63.6	72.9	75.8				77.4		88.1%	7.1%	$10,924	$1,095	$9,829
Iotla Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1166 Iotla Church Road	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 524-2938	408	32	12.9	—	328 (80.4%)	2 (0.5%)	64 (15.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)	50.1	726^th of 1492 public elementary schools	51.3%		41	900^th of 1490 public elementary schools	39.6%	174	61.2	62.0					54.1	57.7							87.7%	2.7%	$10,664	$1,364	$9,300
Cartoogechaye Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	3295 Old Murphy Road	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 524-2845	354	25	14.3	—	256 (72.3%)	5 (1.4%)	76 (21.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.5%)	53.4	676^th of 1492 public elementary schools	54.7%		61.1	545^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.4%	131	61.5	61.4					50.8	65.7							93.2%	2.3%	$10,078	$941	$9,137
Scotts Creek School	Public	PK, KG-8	516 Parris Branch	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 631-2740	422	29	14.6	—	290 (68.7%)	9 (2.1%)	75 (17.8%)	6 (1.4%)	12 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.1%)	22.3	1240^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.9%		32.3	1051^st of 1490 public elementary schools	29.5%	189	44.2	35.7	38.1	51.3	39.0	40.5	37.2	44.6	35.7	51.3	46.3	43.2	61.9	83.8	97.4%	2.6%	$9,973	$1,203	$8,770

Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Ridge School

What schools do graduates of Blue Ridge School attend?

Students who attend Blue Ridge School usually go on to attend:

High : Blue Ridge Early College
High : Jackson County Early College

What is the racial makeup of Blue Ridge School?

Students at Blue Ridge School are 54% White, 40% Hispanic, 2% American Indian, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Is Blue Ridge School a good school?

Blue Ridge School ranks in the bottom 14.6% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Blue Ridge School in?

Jackson County Public Schools

How many students attend Blue Ridge School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 144 students attended Blue Ridge School.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.