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Saluda Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

92^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 94% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Saluda Elementary School is a public elementary school in Saluda, North Carolina, serving 145 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Polk County Schools district, which is ranked 41 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Saluda Elementary School consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in North Carolina, with a statewide ranking ranging from 50 to 217 over the past 10 years. The school has maintained a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period, indicating exceptional academic performance. Its student proficiency rates in core subjects like Mathematics, Reading, and Science are significantly higher than the state and district averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 3rd-grade Mathematics proficiency rate was 95.6%, compared to 64.1% for the state and 77.6% for the Polk County Schools district. Additionally, Saluda Elementary School has a very low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9 to 10.8 students per teacher over the past three years, suggesting a more personalized learning environment for students.

When compared to nearby schools in the Henderson County Schools district, Saluda Elementary School significantly outperforms its peers in academic achievement, particularly in Mathematics and Reading proficiency rates. However, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 31.58% in 2021-2022 to 97.93% in 2023-2024, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students that may require additional resources and support to ensure their academic success.

142

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,956

Per pupil spending ?

97.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

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%

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Compare Saluda Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 97th percentile in 2015 → 94th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (84% vs 57% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Polk County Schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school84%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg57%

92^nd of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 6%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Elementary Schools in the Polk County Schools

41^st of 242Polk 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
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
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
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 (2025)96th percentile~ school

White (2025)87th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2023)59th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics91%+30 vs state

Reading80%+27 vs state

Science78%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Saluda Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
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%)	91.2	92^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	93.8%		91.7	91^st of 1505 public elementary schools	94.0%	1	95.6	76.9	94.4				78.3	61.5	94.4				77.8		$13,956	$1,586	$12,371
Upward Elementary	Public	PK, KG-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%)	24.2	1201^st of 1490 public elementary schools	19.4%		22	1248^th of 1505 public elementary schools	17.1%	47	45.7	49.1	42.4				27.1	39.6	41.4				57.6		$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	99.4%	238 (49.3%)	15 (3.1%)	188 (38.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	29 (6.0%)	30.8	1076^th of 1490 public elementary schools	27.8%		23.9	1211^th of 1505 public elementary schools	19.5%	135	58.5	58.8	35.4				41.5	48.8	25.3				49.4		$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	99.2%	238 (64.9%)	36 (9.8%)	64 (17.4%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	66.1	465^th of 1490 public elementary schools	68.8%		76.1	308^th of 1505 public elementary schools	79.5%	157	79.3	70.8	60.7				55.2	64.6	57.1				55.4		$12,033	$1,081	$10,952
Dana Elementary	Public	PK, KG-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%)	10.2	1419^th of 1490 public elementary schools	4.8%		23.7	1219^th of 1505 public elementary schools	19.0%	200	28.8	43.2	23.1				21.2	47.3	9.2				18.8		$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%)	67.8	432^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	71.0%		64	507^th of 1505 public elementary schools	66.3%	75	61.9	76.2	52.4	65.2	50.0	50.0	61.9	81.0	57.1	65.2	40.9	62.5	57.1	87.5
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	99.3%	150 (36.1%)	19 (4.6%)	196 (47.2%)	8 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	35 (8.4%)	27.3	1127^th of 1490 public elementary schools	24.4%		35.5	1007^th of 1505 public elementary schools	33.1%	120	45.0	56.3	43.7				21.7	45.1	39.4				56.3		$10,601	$1,711	$8,890
Bruce Drysdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-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%)	49.5	750^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.7%		56.5	639^th of 1505 public elementary schools	57.5%	111	53.6	49.4	67.6				40.5	52.9	60.8				67.6		$10,708	$1,509	$9,198
Atkinson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-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%)	64.5	490^th of 1490 public elementary schools	67.1%		77.9	280^th of 1505 public elementary schools	81.4%	210	67.3	65.3	60.4				55.1	63.3	56.3				66.7		$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%)	90.2	108^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.8%		90.2	112^th of 1505 public elementary schools	92.6%	4	86.8	83.0	78.0				69.8	71.7	76.0				84.0		$10,145	$1,115	$9,030

Frequently Asked Questions about Saluda Elementary School

What district is Saluda Elementary School in?

Polk County Schools

Is Saluda Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Saluda Elementary School ranks in the top 6.2% of North Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Saluda Elementary School?

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

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.

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

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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.