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Needs Improvement

#2535 of 2,648 schools in NC

Johnston Elementary

Elementary School · Buncombe County Schools · Asheville, NC

A Buncombe County Schools elementary school where students score 19 points below what's typical for similar communities.

230 Johnston Boulevard, Asheville, NC 28806

  • Math 27% vs NC 60% (2025)
  • Reading 28% vs NC 53% (2025)
  • 10.2:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress1.7Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-3.03 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics2.6Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency26.8% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency28.2% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg-37 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-18.4 pts
Overall Proficiency28% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)47% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected-19.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile8th
Resources & Environment7.9Very Good20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio10.2:1
District spending per student$13,585
Chronic Absenteeism42.9%

Students at Johnston Elementary score 28% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 47%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency27%(2025 NC)
School
State
60%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency28%(2025 NC)
School
State
53%(2025 NC)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 13 points since 2020, reaching 28% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
72%
ELA
52%
2010
Math
72%
ELA
62%
2011
Math
77%
ELA
57%
2012
Math
32%
ELA
42%
2013
Math
22%
ELA
37%
2014
Math
27%
ELA
32%
2015
Math
42%
ELA
37%
2016
Math
27%
ELA
17%
2017
Math
22%
ELA
22%
2018
Math
17%
ELA
17%
2019
Math
17%
ELA
17%
2020*
Math
12%
ELA
17%
2021*
Math
12%
ELA
17%
2022
Math
20%
ELA
20%
2025
Math
27%
ELA
28%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 32% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 31% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 34 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

98.4%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Johnston Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 11Car-Dependent
  • Transit 31Some Transit
  • Bike 8Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,723/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Asheville), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$59,925

Median home value

$335,800

Median rent

$1,224/mo

College educated

44.5%

Homeownership

57.2%

Poverty rate

14%

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

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
1 School RdPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–K0.9 mi1Compare →
Eliada AcademyPrivate · tuitionNot rated1–111.0 mi12Compare →
Emmanuel Lutheran SchoolPrivate · tuition6.9privatePK–81.0 mi97Compare →
Lucy S. Herring ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.6PK–51.2 mi270Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

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

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Buncombe County Schools

Schools in district
45
Rank in district
#44 of 45
District spending per student
$13,585NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.1%Census SAIPE · 2024

Johnston Elementary is listed in Buncombe County Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Johnston Elementary

Johnston Elementary is a public elementary school in Asheville, NC, part of Buncombe County Schools, serving approximately 184 students in grades Pre-K-4th with a 10.2:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.2 out of 10 and ranks #2,535 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 32% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 31% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Johnston Elementary

What grades does Johnston Elementary serve?

Johnston Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 4th.

How many students attend Johnston Elementary?

Johnston Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 184 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Johnston Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Johnston Elementary is 10.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Johnston Elementary rank in NC?

Johnston Elementary ranks #2,535 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Johnston Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Johnston Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.2 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 Johnston Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Johnston Elementary has 32% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 31% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Johnston Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Johnston Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

98.4% of students at Johnston 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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 4th
Enrollment
184
Student-Teacher Ratio
10.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
18
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Buncombe County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
42.9%
Area population (ZIP 28806)
45,644
Area average commute
20.7 min
Area median age
38.2
About this school's data

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

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 · 2025 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 · 2025 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)
NCES EdFacts · 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, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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