Enrollment
224
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Asheville, NC
Bell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370045000139
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bell Elementary earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 13
- schools in Asheville · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 51.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Bell Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bell Elementary ranks #1 of 13 schools in Asheville, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045000139 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bell Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bell Elementary
Bell Elementary is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Asheville, North Carolina, enrolling 224 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.4:1, Bell Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of North Carolina schools and 22% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 51.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 224 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 149 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #16, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 224 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
15.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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 Asheville's public schools, it stands alongside Ic Imagine (1,239 students): Bell Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 13:1).
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Bell 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 Bell Elementary compares
Bell 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.8% | ▼ 22% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 224 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
224
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 15% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 224 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 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
White 67.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
African American 10.3%
Two or More 10.3%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: White at 67.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.3, Bell Elementary is less 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 Bell 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 Bell 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 | Similar 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 Bell 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 Asheville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Ic Imagine
Standard public school
1,239 students 13:1 students per teacher
Estes Elementary
Standard public school
754 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
The Franklin School of Innovation
Standard public school
717 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Sand Hill-Venable Elem
Standard public school
590 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Oakley Elementary
Standard public school
502 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Haw Creek Elementary
Standard public school
402 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~224 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bell 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 Bell Elementary
How many students attend Bell Elementary?
Bell Elementary has 224 students enrolled. It is a public school in Asheville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bell Elementary is 12.4:1, which is 22% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 21% 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 Bell Elementary?
51.8% of students at Bell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bell Elementary is White at 67.4% of enrollment, in Asheville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bell Elementary?
Bell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Bell Elementary rank among schools in Asheville?
By Resource Investment Index, Bell Elementary ranks #1 of 13 schools in Asheville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Asheville on the city page.
Is Bell Elementary a good school?
Bell Elementary earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Bell 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.