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Saluda Elementary School

Q: Is Saluda Elementary School a good school?

Saluda Elementary School ranks 185 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

185^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 88% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Saluda Elementary School is a small, rural elementary school serving 142 students in grades PK–5 in Saluda, NC, near the Henderson County line and under Polk County Schools. Despite its size, the school has built a remarkable academic reputation, most recently ranking 185th out of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools (88th percentile) with a 4-star rating, and earning 5 stars in most years since 2015–2016. In the immediate area, only Hendersonville Elementary finishes higher, and the larger Polk County school, Tryon Elementary, trails well behind.

What makes Saluda especially noteworthy is that it achieves these results while serving a very high-poverty community: nearly 98% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. In the latest testing year, the school recorded 100% proficiency in both 4th-grade math and 3rd-grade reading — far above district and state averages. Nearby schools with similarly high poverty rates, including Edneyville Elementary, Bruce Drysdale Elementary, and Upward Elementary, rank much lower, which points to Saluda's unusually supportive conditions: a 10.3-to-1 student-teacher ratio and per-pupil spending of $13,956, among the highest in the area.

Families should keep in mind that Saluda is small enough that test scores can swing noticeably from year to year as different cohorts move through (5th-grade reading dropped from 94.4% to 54.5% between two recent classes, while 3rd-grade reading jumped from 78.3% to 100%). The school's chronic absenteeism rate has improved to 18.8% — below district and state averages — and recent subgroup data shows female students ranking 3rd in the state. Altogether, Saluda Elementary School offers families a strong example of high-poverty students succeeding at elite levels through small classes, strong funding, and consistently high expectations.

142

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

97.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

95%

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

Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)

214 E Main Street
Saluda, NC 28773-0127

(828) 894-1040

District: Polk County Schools

Students who attend Saluda Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Polk County Middle School
High:	Polk County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.0%

Hispanic:

7.0%

Two or more races:

2.8%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Saluda Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 91st percentile in 2016 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (83% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school83%

District avg66%

North Carolina avg61%

185^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 12%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

57^th of 246Polk 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	84.3	185 of 1492	87.6%	★★★★☆
2025	91.2	92 of 1490	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	91.7	91 of 1505	94.0%	★★★★★
2023	80.9	217 of 1502	85.6%	★★★★☆
2022	91.0	98 of 1514	93.5%	★★★★★
2021	94.5	65 of 1489	95.6%	★★★★★
2019	87.8	124 of 1473	91.6%	★★★★★
2018	88.0	120 of 1434	91.6%	★★★★★
2017	92.1	62 of 1429	95.7%	★★★★★
2016	87.3	122 of 1425	91.4%	★★★★★
2015	93.0	50 of 1440	96.5%	★★★★★
2014	86.2	148 of 1390	89.4%	★★★★☆
2013	85.1	155 of 1403	89.0%	★★★★☆
2012	88.1	64 of 1388	95.4%	★★★★★
2011	88.3	64 of 1381	95.4%	★★★★★
2010	90.2	32 of 1363	97.7%	★★★★★
2009	90.8	36 of 1354	97.3%	★★★★★
2008	88.4	84 of 1324	93.7%	★★★★★
2007	78.5	196 of 1293	84.8%	★★★★☆
2006	60.8	525 of 1276	58.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	97.7	3 of 1447	99.8%	★★★★★
2025	92.6	60 of 1451	95.9%	★★★★★
2024	87.9	118 of 1455	91.9%	★★★★★
2023	86.3	132 of 1459	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	88.2	116 of 1458	92.0%	★★★★★
2021	94.3	51 of 1440	96.5%	★★★★★
2019	82.4	177 of 1424	87.6%	★★★★☆
2018	91.0	66 of 1405	95.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	58.2	600 of 1461	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	91.6	85 of 1444	94.1%	★★★★★
2019	93.0	50 of 1430	96.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	93.3	10 of 1146	99.1%	★★★★★
2025	82.6	157 of 1172	86.6%	★★★★☆
2024	75.2	255 of 1166	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	62.7	422 of 1183	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.7	249 of 1194	79.1%	★★★★☆
2021	86.2	109 of 1172	90.7%	★★★★★
2019	79.6	187 of 1183	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	82.0	160 of 1178	86.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2026)100th percentile+12 vs school

White (2026)99th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2023)59th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics87%+24 vs state

Reading84%+27 vs state

Science73%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Saluda Elementary 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
Saluda Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	214 E Main Street	Saluda	28773	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 894-1040	142	14	10.3	97.9%	125 (88.0%)	2 (1.4%)	10 (7.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.8%)	84.3	185^th of 1492 public elementary schools	87.6%		91.2	92^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	93.8%	93	559.4	100.0	63.6				100.0	80.0	54.5				72.7		95%	0%	$13,956	$1,586	$12,371
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	—	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		92.6%	1.9%	$10,637	$1,538	$9,099
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	—	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		95.8%	2.8%	$10,217	$1,373	$8,844
Tryon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 School Place	Tryon	28782	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 859-6584	367	27	13.7	—	238 (64.9%)	36 (9.8%)	64 (17.4%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	65.5	498^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.6%		66.1	465^th of 1490 public elementary schools	68.8%	33	89.1	70.0	58.0				72.7	71.7	48.0				58.0		78.6%	11.9%	$12,033	$1,081	$10,952
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	—	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		91.1%	8.9%	$10,155	$1,652	$8,503
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	95%	5%
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	—	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		82.9%	8.6%	$10,601	$1,711	$8,890
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	—	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		91.7%	4.2%	$10,708	$1,509	$9,198
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		91.2%	5.9%	$9,752	$871	$8,881
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		89.5%	10.5%	$10,145	$1,115	$9,030

Frequently Asked Questions about Saluda Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Saluda Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Saluda Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Polk County Middle School
High : Polk County High School

Is Saluda Elementary School a good school?

Saluda Elementary School ranks 185^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Saluda Elementary School?

Students at Saluda Elementary School are 88% White, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Saluda Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 142 students attended Saluda Elementary School.

What district is Saluda Elementary School in?

Polk County Schools

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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.