Enrollment
557
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Arden, NC
Avery's Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Avery's Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370045001781
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Avery's Creek Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Arden · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.3:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 63.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Avery's Creek Elementary has class sizes smaller than 75% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Avery's Creek Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Arden, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045001781 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Avery's Creek Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Avery's Creek Elementary
Avery's Creek Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Arden, North Carolina, enrolling 557 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.6% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 557 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 462 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #28, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and White (39%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 279 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Arden's public schools, it stands alongside Glen Arden Elementary (505 students): Avery's Creek Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 14:1).
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Avery's Creek Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Avery's Creek Elementary compares
Avery's Creek Elementary on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▼ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.6% | ▼ 4% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 557 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
557
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 25% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,190
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 279 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 39.7%
White 39.3%
African American 10.1%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Avery's Creek Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buncombe County Schools, which includes Avery's Creek Elementary.
$13,190
Per student
+10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.2%
State 49.5%
Federal 21.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Avery's Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reynolds High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enka High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Erwin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Avery's Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,169
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Arden
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~557 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Avery's Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Avery's Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Buncombe County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Avery's Creek Elementary
How many students attend Avery's Creek Elementary?
Avery's Creek Elementary has 557 students enrolled. It is a public school in Arden, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Avery's Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Avery's Creek Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 16% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Avery's Creek Elementary?
63.6% of students at Avery's Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Avery's Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Avery's Creek Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 39.7% of enrollment, in Arden, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Avery's Creek Elementary?
Avery's Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Avery's Creek Elementary rank among public schools in Arden?
By Resource Investment Index, Avery's Creek Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Arden, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Arden on the city page.
Is Avery's Creek Elementary a good school?
Avery's Creek Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Buncombe County Schools?
Besides Avery's Creek Elementary, Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students), Reynolds High (1,169 students), and Enka High (1,051 students). See the Buncombe County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.