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Public elementary school · Buncombe County Schools · Asheville, North Carolina

Emma Elementary

Emma Elementary rates 6.8, right at the middle of Buncombe County Schools's elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.6.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.8this school

6.8 on a one-to-ten scale; the Buncombe County Schools median is 6.6.

#986 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina · Buncombe County Schools: 22 elementary schools rated, median 6.6

The brief

A Buncombe County Schools elementary school serving grades Kindergarten – 4th.

Students at Emma Elementary score 53% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 50%).

It ranks 986 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 20 of 45 in Buncombe County Schools.

Math62%Level with the North Carolina average of 62%2026 NC
Reading44%12 points below the North Carolina average of 56%2026 NC
In 2026, 62% of students were proficient in math and 44% in reading, against North Carolina averages of 62% and 56%.2026 NC; 52 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
6.0
50% of the rating
Academics
6.3
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
9.6
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 45% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 38% (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 28806; 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

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Emma 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
$59,925
Median home value
$335,800
Median rent
$1,224/mo
College educated
44.5%
Homeownership
57.2%
Poverty rate
14%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28806; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
36
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
20
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
5,127/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Asheville. 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 (Asheville), 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
98.9%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.5Compare →
  2. 8.2Compare →
  3. 8.2Compare →
  4. 7.9Compare →
  5. 7.8Compare →
  6. 7.4Compare →
  7. Emma Elementarythis school
    6.8
  8. 5.4Compare →
  9. Asheville Peak Academy1.3 mi · charter
    4.2Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and six rate higher than Emma Elementary.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does Emma Elementary serve?

Emma Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 4th.

How many students attend Emma Elementary?

Emma Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 270 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Emma Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Emma Elementary is 11.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Emma Elementary rank in NC?

Emma Elementary ranks #986 of 2,660 schools in NC.

What is Emma Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Emma Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.8 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 Emma Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Emma Elementary has 45% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 38% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Emma Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Emma Elementary a Title I school?

No, Emma Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

98.9% of students at Emma 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
Kindergarten – 4th
Enrollment
270
Student-teacher ratio
11.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
24
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Buncombe County
Rank in district
#20 of 45
Schools in district
45
District spending per student
$13,585
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 28806)
45,644
Area average commute
20.7 min
Area median age
38.2

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

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.