Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Hendersonville, North Carolina - 23 schools
An equity score of 47/100 ranks Henderson County Schools #134 of 297 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,579 per pupil, Henderson County Schools ranks #178 of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
Henderson County Schools operates 23 public schools serving 12,896 students, placing it in the mid-size range in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 12 combined, 5 high, 4 middle, 2 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Henderson County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,579 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 21.8% local, 58.3% state, and 19.9% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 47/100, ranked #134 of 297 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 4 of 23 schools offering Advanced Placement (52 AP courses district-wide), a 379.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.8% White, 29.4% Hispanic or Latino, 3.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Bruce Drysdale Elementary, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
Its largest campus is West Henderson High, enrolling 1,053 students (8% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Henderson County Career Academy, at 114 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Henderson County Schools school enrollment ranges from 114 students (lowest) to 1,053 students (highest), a spread of 939 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.
Average demographic composition across 23 schools in Henderson County Schools.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Henderson County Schools's schools, below the North Carolina average of 56.1.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
| School | Enrollment |
|---|---|
| West Henderson High | 1,053 |
| North Henderson High | 1,052 |
| East Henderson High | 932 |
| Rugby Middle | 849 |
| Apple Valley Middle | 820 |
| Hendersonville High | 794 |
| Flat Rock Middle | 748 |
| Mills River Elementary | 608 |
| Glenn C Marlow Elementary | 562 |
| Hendersonville Middle | 540 |
| Hillandale Elementary | 483 |
| Bruce Drysdale Elementary | 473 |
| Clear Creek Elementary | 435 |
| Fletcher Elementary | 434 |
| Sugarloaf Elementary | 415 |
| Edneyville Elementary | 405 |
| Dana Elementary | 403 |
| Upward Elementary | 389 |
| Hendersonville Elementary | 323 |
| Etowah Elementary | 302 |
| Atkinson Elementary | 288 |
| Henderson County Early College | 197 |
| Henderson County Career Academy | 114 |
The North Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | More locally funded |
| Moore County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Craven County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Burke County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Lincoln County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
Comparisons are relative to Henderson County Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Wake County Schools →Henderson County Schools has 23 schools, including 5 high, 4 middle, 12 combined, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 12,896 students.
Henderson County Schools spends $11,579 per student. The district has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #134 in North Carolina.
Henderson County Schools students are 59.8% White, 29.4% Hispanic or Latino, 3.3% African American, 1.3% Asian, averaged across 23 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
Henderson County Schools has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #134 out of 297 districts in North Carolina.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.