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

Mars Hill Elementary

Q: Is Mars Hill Elementary a good school?

Mars Hill Elementary ranks 489 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

489^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Mars Hill Elementary is a K-5 school serving about 445 students in the town of Mars Hill, part of Madison County Schools in western North Carolina. The district is a relative standout, ranking 70th out of 246 districts statewide (four stars), and the school itself earned three stars for 2025-26 — 489th out of 1,492 elementary schools, or the 67th percentile. Among nearby schools, Mars Hill sits in a middle-upper group: it ranks ahead of Brush Creek Elementary, Blue Ridge Elementary, Ira B Jones Elementary, and Woodfin Elementary, while Weaverville Elementary (88th percentile) and West Buncombe Elementary (87th percentile) remain the area's top performers.

Academically, Mars Hill beats the state average in nearly every 2025-26 tested subject. Third-grade reading (65.6% proficient vs. 55.6% statewide) and third-grade math (73.4% vs. 66.4%) are clear strengths, and fifth-grade science (77.6%) is the strongest score among nearby schools offering fifth grade. The one subject below the state average is fourth-grade reading (56.6% vs. 57.7%), a trend worth watching. This past year also represented a major rebound from a difficult 2024-25: third-grade reading jumped 24.9 points, third-grade math rose 18.7 points, and fifth-grade science improved 15.6 points — gains well beyond statewide trends.

The school serves one of the most economically disadvantaged student bodies in the region, with 98.9% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Yet its low-income students rank at the 76th percentile statewide for performance compared with similar populations — a genuinely strong result. Special-education outcomes also improved dramatically, rising from the 16th percentile in 2023-24 to the 78th percentile in 2025-26. Chronic absenteeism (21.7%) is better than the district (26.9%) and state (24.2%), though area peers like Weaverville Elementary (11.6%) and West Buncombe Elementary (16.3%) show there is room to keep improving. Mars Hill hasn't yet returned to its pre-2020 level (82nd–85th percentile), but 2025-26 suggests it is on a promising path.

445

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

88.2%

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

Exemptions: 7.4% (any vaccine)

200 School House Lane
Mars Hill, NC 28754-9512

(828) 689-2922

District: Madison County Schools

Students who attend Mars Hill Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.9%

Two or more races:

3.4%

Hispanic:

1.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Mars Hill Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 45th percentile in 2025 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (66% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 67th (2026) from a 45th-percentile low (2025)

✓Above the North Carolina median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg63%

North Carolina avg61%

489^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 26% (2016) to top 33% (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	66.1	489 of 1492	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.7	821 of 1490	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.1	561 of 1505	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.0	601 of 1502	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.9	480 of 1514	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.3	476 of 1489	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.4	227 of 1473	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	78.2	252 of 1434	82.4%	★★★★☆
2017	80.1	224 of 1429	84.3%	★★★★☆
2016	71.5	370 of 1425	74.0%	★★★★☆
2015	77.2	286 of 1440	80.1%	★★★★☆
2014	62.0	509 of 1390	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.7	670 of 1403	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	58.3	640 of 1388	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.9	710 of 1381	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	64.5	519 of 1363	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	69.8	403 of 1354	70.2%	★★★★☆
2008	66.3	420 of 1324	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.5	399 of 1293	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.0	453 of 1276	64.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	50.0	250 of 634	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.8	210 of 646	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.0	178 of 878	79.7%	★★★★☆
2018	74.8	112 of 897	87.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	384 of 1447	73.5%	★★★★☆
2025	45.1	813 of 1451	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.7	521 of 1455	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.0	534 of 1459	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.0	344 of 1458	76.4%	★★★★☆
2021	61.1	506 of 1440	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.1	239 of 1424	83.2%	★★★★☆
2018	80.6	213 of 1405	84.8%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	68.0	102 of 582	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	56.9	354 of 612	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.0	343 of 1434	76.1%	★★★★☆
2025	43.8	828 of 1437	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.5	742 of 1450	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.5	781 of 1437	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.4	531 of 1366	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.0	218 of 1329	83.6%	★★★★☆
2019	77.7	189 of 1361	86.1%	★★★★☆
2018	82.9	122 of 1332	90.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.6	557 of 1451	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.2	791 of 1450	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.5	602 of 1464	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.0	647 of 1461	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.0	642 of 1464	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.5	448 of 1444	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.0	215 of 1430	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	73.4	330 of 1413	76.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.3	181 of 815	77.8%	★★★★☆
2025	54.2	280 of 821	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.0	671 of 801	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.8	762 of 1146	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	20.1	1030 of 1172	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.7	798 of 1166	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.1	866 of 1183	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.6	731 of 1194	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.4	692 of 1172	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.4	433 of 1183	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.3	535 of 1178	54.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2023)82nd percentile+22 vs school

Special Education (2026)78th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)76th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)73rd percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)62nd percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2022)61st percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science78%+10 vs state

Mathematics69%+6 vs state

Reading59%+3 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Mars Hill Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Mars Hill 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 Mars Hill Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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
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
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
Barnardsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	20 Hillcrest Drive	Barnardsville	28709	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 626-2290	125	11	10.9	97.6%	113 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)	66.9	470^th of 1492 public elementary schools	68.5%		83.9	192^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	87.1%	278	57.9	90.5		47.4	85.7			73.7%	10.5%	$13,378	$1,474	$11,905
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
Weaverville Primary	Public	PK, KG-1	39 S Main Street	Weaverville	28787	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 645-4275	245	16	15.8	—	194 (79.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (15.5%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)								93.2%	4.5%	$13,048	$1,194	$11,853
Weaverville Elementary	Public	2-4	129 S Main Street	Weaverville	28787	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 645-3127	342	22	15.9	97.4%	272 (79.5%)	7 (2.0%)	50 (14.6%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	85	180^th of 1492 public elementary schools	87.9%		81.6	229^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.6%	49	78.8	81.0		69.7	73.8					$10,024	$1,099	$8,924
Blue Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	910 Cane River School Rd	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 682-8150	382	25	15.3	—	351 (91.9%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	49.2	743^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	50.2%		48.4	770^th of 1490 public elementary schools	48.3%	27	59.6	63.3	52.4	40.4	56.7	61.9	71.4	100%	0%
Woodfin Elementary	Public	K-5	108 Elk Mountain Road	Asheville	28804	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 232-4287	111	11	10.2	97.3%	39 (35.1%)	3 (2.7%)	60 (54.1%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.3%)	7	1453^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	2.6%		8.2	1442^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	3.2%	11	31.6	35.7		31.6	32.1			95%	5%	$17,004	$1,575	$15,428
Ira B Jones Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	544 Kimberly Avenue	Asheville	28804	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 350-6700	369	27	13.5	54.5%	199 (53.9%)	97 (26.3%)	31 (8.4%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.5%)	24 (6.5%)	43.7	850^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.0%		41.1	897^th of 1490 public elementary schools	39.8%	47	53.8	45.0	56.1	48.7	50.0	69.0	76.2	100%	0%	$13,444	$825	$12,620
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Mars Hill Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Mars Hill Elementary?

Students at Mars Hill Elementary are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Mars Hill Elementary in?

Madison County Schools

What schools do graduates of Mars Hill Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mars Hill Elementary usually go on to attend:

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

Is Mars Hill Elementary a good school?

Mars Hill Elementary ranks 489^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mars Hill Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 445 students attended Mars Hill Elementary.

Rate Mars Hill Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Mars Hill, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Mars Hill Elementary!

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.