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

New rankings! North Carolina test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Blue Ridge Elementary

Q: Is Blue Ridge Elementary a good school?

Blue Ridge Elementary ranks 743 rd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

743^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Blue Ridge Elementary serves 382 students in grades PK through 5 in Burnsville, North Carolina, and is part of Yancey County Schools, serving a very high-poverty student population (98.4% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch). Overall, the school currently ranks at the state median, earning a 3-star rating and the 50th percentile statewide—a significant fall from its 91st-percentile ranking in 2020-21, though it has stabilized in the 48th–52nd percentile range over the last three years.

Academically, the school presents a mixed profile. Strengths include 4th-grade math (63.3% proficient in 2025-26, above the state average), 5th-grade reading (61.9% vs. 55.3% statewide), and 5th-grade science (71.4% vs. 67.7% statewide). The main weaknesses are 3rd-grade reading (40.4% vs. 55.6% statewide) and 5th-grade math (52.4% vs. 62.9% statewide). Compared with other local schools, Blue Ridge sits in the middle: South Toe Elementary in the same district outperforms it in every tested grade and subject, while Burnsville Elementary is significantly weaker. Mars Hill Elementary generally scores higher overall, although Blue Ridge posts stronger 5th-grade reading and much lower chronic absenteeism, while Mitchell Elementary scores below Blue Ridge in most subjects.

Attendance is a genuine bright spot: chronic absenteeism fell from 47.9% in 2021-22 to just 14.4% in 2024-25—9.8 percentage points better than the state average. Blue Ridge also does excellent work with advanced learners, as its gifted students ranked in the 96th percentile statewide in 2025-26, a dramatic jump from the 34th percentile a year earlier. However, outcomes for the broader population remain uneven, with low-income students performing in the 34th percentile and special education students near the middle of the pack. Volatile year-to-year scores, such as 3rd-grade math swinging from 69.6% to 26.2% and back to 59.6% over three years, also suggest small cohorts and changing class characteristics. Overall, Blue Ridge is a mid-tier school with strong attendance recovery, impressive upper-elementary instruction, and a clear need to strengthen early literacy and middle-grade math to reclaim its former high ranking.

382

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

910 Cane River School Rd
Burnsville, NC 28714

(828) 682-8150

District: Yancey County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.9%

Hispanic:

5.8%

Two or more races:

1.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Blue Ridge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 91st percentile in 2021 → 50th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (50th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 41 percentile points since 2021

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg55%

North Carolina avg61%

743^rd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 41 pts since 2021

From top 9% (2021) to top 50% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

93^rd of 246Yancey 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	49.2	743 of 1492	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.4	770 of 1490	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.1	728 of 1505	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.8	500 of 1502	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.2	310 of 1514	79.5%	★★★★☆
2021	89.5	130 of 1489	91.3%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	68.5	112 of 646	82.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.2	754 of 1447	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.6	622 of 1451	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.6	673 of 1455	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.1	559 of 1459	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.3	312 of 1458	78.6%	★★★★☆
2021	86.3	144 of 1440	90.0%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.2	31 of 743	95.8%	★★★★☆
2025	51.7	467 of 710	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.8	389 of 669	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.9	950 of 1434	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.8	543 of 1437	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.3	575 of 1450	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.6	383 of 1437	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	82.3	123 of 1366	91.0%	★★★★★
2021	92.1	43 of 1329	96.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.7	707 of 1451	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.4	907 of 1450	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.8	790 of 1464	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	66.4	440 of 1461	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.0	335 of 1464	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	86.3	154 of 1444	89.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.5	433 of 815	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.8	702 of 801	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	939 of 1146	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.0	898 of 1172	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.5	888 of 1166	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.9	745 of 1183	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.6	535 of 1194	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	75.0	252 of 1172	78.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)96th percentile+46 vs school

Disabled (2021)83rd percentile-9 vs school

Male (2026)51st percentile~ school

Female (2026)48th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)47th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)34th percentile-16 vs school

White (2026)18th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science71%+4 vs state

Mathematics58%-5 vs state

Reading54%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Blue Ridge Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Blue Ridge 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 Blue Ridge 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	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 (2025)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	98.4%	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
Burnsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	395 Burnsville School Road	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 682-4515	350	23	15.2	99.1%	237 (67.7%)	1 (0.3%)	100 (28.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.1%)	25.4	1177^th of 1492 public elementary schools	21.1%		36.8	968^th of 1490 public elementary schools	35.0%	209	42.2	45.5	52.3	36.1	57.1	43.1	55.4	$11,092	$1,740	$9,353
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			$13,378	$1,474	$11,905
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	98.9%	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	$10,436	$1,370	$9,066
South Toe Elementary	Public	K-5	139 South Toe School Rd	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 675-4321	107	8	12.9	97.2%	89 (83.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.8%)	78.7	255^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.9%		52.8	694^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.4%	439	72.7	78.3	73.7	81.8	69.6	63.2	73.7	$12,329	$1,937	$10,392
Gouge Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	134 Laurel Street	Bakersville	28705	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 766-2260	144	13	11.0	97.9%	135 (93.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)								(n/a)								$11,440	$2,103	$9,338
Mitchell Elementary School	Public	3-5	5035 S 226 Hwy Ste A	Bakersville	28705	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 766-2070	373	25	15.1	98.4%	307 (82.3%)	1 (0.3%)	55 (14.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	30.8	1075^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.9%					(n/a)	64.3	51.1	56.6	34.8	47.4	45.5	52.5
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	98.7%	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			$12,071	$1,473	$10,597
Greenlee Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	2206 Carters Ridge Road	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 766-9562	246	19	12.7	95.5%	194 (78.9%)	3 (1.2%)	38 (15.4%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)								(n/a)								$12,363	$1,195	$11,168
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	98.8%	194 (79.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (15.5%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)								$13,048	$1,194	$11,853

Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Ridge Elementary

How many students attend Blue Ridge Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 382 students attended Blue Ridge Elementary.

What district is Blue Ridge Elementary in?

Yancey County Schools

Is Blue Ridge Elementary a good school?

Blue Ridge Elementary ranks 743^rd of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Blue Ridge Elementary?

Students at Blue Ridge Elementary are 92% White, 6% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Rate Blue Ridge Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Burnsville, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Blue Ridge Elementary!

Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.