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Hot Springs Elementary

Q: Is Hot Springs Elementary a good school?

Hot Springs Elementary ranks 613 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

613^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 59% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Hot Springs Elementary is a very small, rural K-5 school in Hot Springs, NC, serving 128 students as part of Madison County Schools, a district rated well above average statewide in a community where nearly all students (about 98%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

This school stands out for its small size, low student-teacher ratio of 10.6, and high per-pupil spending compared with nearby schools like Mars Hill Elementary, Brush Creek Elementary, Leicester Elementary, and North Buncombe Elementary. Yet results are uneven. Hot Springs currently earns 3 stars with a statewide rank in the 59th percentile, which is below Mars Hill (67th) and North Buncombe (71st). The most notable pattern is a huge grade-level gap in the latest year: the 4th grade posted exceptional scores—87% proficient in math and 73.9% in reading, far outpacing every comparison school and the state. By contrast, the same school’s 5th grade scored well below nearby schools and the state in math, reading, and science. Because each grade may have only 20–25 children, these swings can be driven by just a few students, so a single year should not be overinterpreted.

Chronic absenteeism, while improving from 47.9% in 2022-23 to 26.1% in 2024-25, remains higher than at the nearby schools listed above, which all fall between 21% and 23%. Subgroup rankings show the school has been relatively effective for low-income students (67th percentile) but much weaker for White students (31st percentile), a gap worth monitoring given very small subgroup sizes. Ultimately, Hot Springs has solid resources and a history of strong performance, but its recent results are volatile and grade-specific. The key question is whether the current exceptional 4th grade cohort continues to thrive in 5th grade—or whether the upper-elementary dip repeats with a different group of students.

128

Students ?

10.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

97.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

86.7%

Kindergartners up to date on all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 6.7% (any vaccine)

63 Serpentine Ave
Hot Springs, NC 28743

(828) 622-3292

District: Madison County Schools

Students who attend Hot Springs Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Madison Middle School
High:	Madison Early College High
	Madison High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.1%

Two or more races:

5.5%

Hispanic:

4.7%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Hot Springs Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 56th percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (59th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

!Science scores 12 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg63%

North Carolina avg61%

613^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 41%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

From top 44% (2016) to top 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

70^th of 246Madison 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	57.8	613 of 1492	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.2	630 of 1490	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.9	261 of 1505	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.4	383 of 1502	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	86.4	156 of 1514	89.7%	★★★★☆
2021	88.0	152 of 1489	89.8%	★★★★☆
2019	88.7	111 of 1473	92.5%	★★★★★
2018	80.5	219 of 1434	84.7%	★★★★☆
2017	88.6	102 of 1429	92.9%	★★★★★
2016	55.5	630 of 1425	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	67.6	460 of 1440	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	48.1	732 of 1390	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.4	715 of 1403	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	65.2	503 of 1388	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	53.1	740 of 1381	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	88.8	53 of 1363	96.1%	★★★★★
2009	53.4	721 of 1354	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	26.8	1050 of 1324	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	38.7	916 of 1293	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	67.2	385 of 1276	69.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	71.9	339 of 1451	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	66.9	434 of 1459	70.3%	★★★★☆
2021	90.6	94 of 1440	93.5%	★★★★★
2019	84.5	142 of 1424	90.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.1	477 of 1434	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.2	500 of 1437	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	80.8	148 of 1450	89.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.9	148 of 1437	89.7%	★★★★☆
2021	98.1	7 of 1329	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	96.9	6 of 1361	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	94.1	19 of 1332	98.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.7	492 of 1451	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.0	743 of 1450	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	75.7	293 of 1464	80.0%	★★★★☆
2023	66.3	442 of 1461	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.7	249 of 1464	83.0%	★★★★☆
2021	83.7	184 of 1444	87.3%	★★★★☆
2019	91.2	75 of 1430	94.8%	★★★★★
2018	88.9	105 of 1413	92.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	787 of 1146	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.6	756 of 1172	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.1	441 of 1166	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.7	535 of 1183	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.0	367 of 1194	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	75.0	251 of 1172	78.6%	★★★★☆
2019	74.8	246 of 1183	79.2%	★★★★☆
2018	64.7	406 of 1178	65.5%	★★★☆☆

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)77th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)67th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)66th percentile+7 vs school

White (2026)31st percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics71%+7 vs state

Reading60%+3 vs state

Science56%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hot Springs 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 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 Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th 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
Hot Springs Elementary	Public	K-5	63 Serpentine Ave	Hot Springs	28743	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 622-3292	128	12	10.6	97.7%	114 (89.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.5%)	57.8	613^th of 1492 public elementary schools	58.9%		56.2	630^th of 1490 public elementary schools	57.7%	17	66.7	87.0	55.6	57.1	73.9	44.4	55.6	86.7%	6.7%	$12,379	$2,100	$10,279
Brush Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	265 Upper Brush Creek Road	Marshall	28753	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 649-1547	356	30	11.8	—	330 (92.7%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	51.3	711^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.3%		45.2	827^th of 1490 public elementary schools	44.5%	116	68.3	57.4	63.5	58.3	57.4	48.4	65.1	88.9%	5.6%	$11,596	$1,473	$10,123
Mars Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	200 School House Lane	Mars Hill	28754	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 689-2922	445	33	13.4	—	418 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	15 (3.4%)	66.1	489^th of 1492 public elementary schools	67.2%		45.7	821^st of 1490 public elementary schools	44.9%	332	73.4	67.5	68.2	65.6	56.6	56.5	77.6	88.2%	7.4%	$10,436	$1,370	$9,066
Leicester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	31 Gilbert Road	Leicester	28748	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 683-2341	399	26	15.3	—	322 (80.7%)	8 (2.0%)	61 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.5%)	65.2	505^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.2%		43.9	852^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	42.8%	347	67.8	74.7		61.0	57.8			92.1%	1.6%	$11,642	$1,459	$10,183
North Buncombe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	251 Flat Creek Church Rd	Weaverville	28787	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 645-6054	593	39	15.3	—	440 (74.2%)	9 (1.5%)	111 (18.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.4%)	68.9	437^th of 1492 public elementary schools	70.7%		67.5	436^th of 1490 public elementary schools	70.7%	1	75.6	67.2		59.7	64.8			91.7%	2.1%	$12,071	$1,473	$10,597

Frequently Asked Questions about Hot Springs Elementary

Is Hot Springs Elementary a good school?

Hot Springs Elementary ranks 613^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Hot Springs Elementary attend?

Students who attend Hot Springs Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Madison Middle School
High : Madison Early College High
High : Madison High School

How many students attend Hot Springs Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 128 students attended Hot Springs Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Hot Springs Elementary?

Students at Hot Springs Elementary are 89% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

What district is Hot Springs Elementary in?

Madison County Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

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

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

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 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.