Other / mixed grade configuration · Banner Elk, NC

Banner Elk Elementary

Federal NCES profile for Banner Elk Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370030000082
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10051/100
👥 S:T ratio
54
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
21
📋 Attendance
61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Banner Elk Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.

51
Resource Index · Higher
11.4:1
small classes for North Carolina
41.5%
free-lunch eligible
159
students enrolled

Banner Elk Elementary has class sizes smaller than 90% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.

School address

Banner Elk, NC 28604
District: Avery County Schools · North Carolina

NCES ID 370030000082 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-8 students YoY

Banner Elk Elementary held near 168 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-8 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 14.6 → 14.1 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-8 students YoY 370030000082 · Banner Elk, NC Other · SMALL · TRAD

159 enr · 11.4:1 · 41.5% lunch · RII 51

Nearest enrollment peer: Avery County High (542 students)

Banner Elk Elementary held near 168 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-8 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 14.6 → 14.1 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Carolina schools → · Find another →

Banner Elk Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Banner Elk Elementary reports 159 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Banner Elk Elementary compares

Banner Elk Elementary held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs North Carolina and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs North Carolina North Carolina avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 11.4:1 ▼ 28% 15.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 41.5% ▼ 37% 66.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 159 top 92% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
159
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
41.5%
free-lunch eligible - 37% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher - 28% below state mean
Top 10% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,513
per pupil, district-wide - above North Carolina avg of $12,294
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.4 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 87.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
Asian 2.5%
African American 1.3%

Largest group: White at 87.4% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 22.8/100

Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Banner Elk Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Avery County Schools reports $15,513 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Banner Elk Elementary Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Avery County High Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Newland Elementary Larger Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Cranberry Middle Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Freedom Trail Elementary Larger Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Crossnore Elementary Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Banner Elk Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Avery County Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~159 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)

Frequently asked questions about Banner Elk Elementary

How many students attend Banner Elk Elementary?

Banner Elk Elementary has 159 students enrolled. It is a public school in Banner Elk, NC. CCD year-over-year: 176 (2022-23) → 168 (2023-24), nearly flat (-8).

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

The student-teacher ratio at Banner Elk Elementary is 11.4:1, which is 28% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 27% 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 Banner Elk Elementary?

41.5% of students at Banner Elk Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Banner Elk Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Banner Elk Elementary is White at 87.4% of enrollment, in Banner Elk, NC.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Banner Elk Elementary?

Banner Elk Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

What other schools are in Avery County Schools?

Besides Banner Elk Elementary, Avery County Schools also operates Avery County High (542 students), Newland Elementary (214 students), and Cranberry Middle (202 students). See the Avery County Schools district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

Compiled from official source data by .