Enrollment
163
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Black Mountain, NC
Black Mountain Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Black Mountain Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370045001361
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Black Mountain Elementary earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Black Mountain · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.5:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 49.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Black Mountain Elementary has class sizes smaller than 84% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Black Mountain Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Black Mountain, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045001361 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Black Mountain Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Black Mountain Elementary
Black Mountain Elementary is a small elementary school in Black Mountain, North Carolina, enrolling 163 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of North Carolina schools, with 163 enrolled.
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.
Against 83 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #21.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 163 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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.
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Black Mountain 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 Black Mountain Elementary compares
Black Mountain 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 21% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.0% | ▼ 26% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 163 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
163
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 16% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.9%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 163 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 82.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
Two or More 5.5%
African American 4.3%
Largest group: White at 82.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.4, Black Mountain 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 Black Mountain 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 Black Mountain Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberson High | Larger | Similar 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 Black Mountain 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 elementary 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 (~163 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Black Mountain Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Black Mountain 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 Black Mountain Elementary
How many students attend Black Mountain Elementary?
Black Mountain Elementary has 163 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Black Mountain, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Black Mountain Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Black Mountain Elementary is 12.5:1, which is 21% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 20% 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 Black Mountain Elementary?
49.0% of students at Black Mountain Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Black Mountain Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Black Mountain Elementary is White at 82.8% of enrollment, in Black Mountain, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Black Mountain Elementary?
Black Mountain 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 Black Mountain Elementary rank among public schools in Black Mountain?
By Resource Investment Index, Black Mountain Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Black Mountain, 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 Black Mountain on the city page.
Is Black Mountain Elementary a good school?
Black Mountain Elementary earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Black Mountain 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.