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Public elementary school · Avery County Schools · Banner Elk, North Carolina

Banner Elk Elementary

Banner Elk Elementary rates 6.0, right at the middle of Avery County Schools's elementary schools, whose rated median is 5.7.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.0this school

6.0 on a one-to-ten scale; the Avery County Schools median is 5.7.

#1,584 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina · Avery County Schools: 5 elementary schools rated, median 5.7

The brief

An Avery County Schools elementary school where students score 34 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,584 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 3 of 8 in Avery County Schools.

Banner Elk Elementary is listed in Avery County Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math85%23 points above the North Carolina average of 62%2026 NC
Reading83%27 points above the North Carolina average of 56%2026 NC
In 2026, 85% of students were proficient in math and 83% in reading, against North Carolina averages of 62% and 56%.2026 NC; 60 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
2.2
50% of the rating
Academics
9.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
9.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 77% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 71% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 28604; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Banner Elk Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$64,052
Median home value
$319,200
Median rent
$932/mo
College educated
44.1%
Homeownership
76.5%
Poverty rate
9.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28604; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
31
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
25
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
333/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Banner Elk. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Banner Elk), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
98.2%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Banner Elk Elementary serve?

Banner Elk Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Banner Elk Elementary?

Banner Elk Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 168 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Banner Elk Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Banner Elk Elementary is 12:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Banner Elk Elementary rank in NC?

Banner Elk Elementary ranks #1,584 of 2,660 schools in NC.

What is Banner Elk Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Banner Elk Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.0 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Banner Elk Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Banner Elk Elementary has 77% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 71% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Banner Elk Elementary a charter school?

No, Banner Elk Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Banner Elk Elementary a Title I school?

No, Banner Elk Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Banner Elk Elementary?

98.2% of students at Banner Elk Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
168
Student-teacher ratio
12:1
Teachers (FTE)
14
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Avery County
Phone
(828) 737-5700
Rank in district
#3 of 8
Schools in district
8
District spending per student
$15,513
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
18.2%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 28604)
7,280
Area average commute
24.3 min
Area median age
42.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.