Enrollment
296
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370045003578
Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy — Asheville, NC
Federal NCES profile for Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy reports 296 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 13.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 20.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 25% above the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 29% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 48.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 27% below the North Carolina average and 7% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Buncombe County Schools spends $14,785 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.2% from local sources (property taxes), 49.5% from the state, and 21.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), calculated from 2 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.5:1 | ▲ 25% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.1% | ▼ 27% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 296 | top 23% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
48.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 27% 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
20.5:1
students per teacher
— 25% above state mean
Top 93% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$14,785
per pupil, district-wide
— above North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 296 Top 23% in North Carolina — larger than 77% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 13.0
Students per teacher 20.5:1 +25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 48.1% -27% vs state
NCES ID 370045003578
Student demographics
White 78.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
African American 6.1%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 78.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buncombe County Schools, which includes Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy.
$14,785
Per student
+13%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,169
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
Similar other schools in Asheville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Ic Imagine
Standard public school
1,239 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Estes Elementary
Standard public school
754 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
The Franklin School of Innovation
Standard public school
717 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Sand Hill-Venable Elem
Standard public school
590 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Oakley Elementary
Standard public school
502 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Haw Creek Elementary
Standard public school
402 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy
How many students attend Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy?
Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy has 296 students enrolled. It is a other school in Asheville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy is 20.5:1, which is 25% higher than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy?
48.1% of students at Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy is White at 78.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Asheville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy?
Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.