Enrollment
277
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Asheville, NC
Emma Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Emma Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370045000146
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emma Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 9
- elementary schools in Asheville · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.1:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 98.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Emma Elementary has class sizes smaller than 91% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emma Elementary ranks #3 of 9 elementary schools in Asheville, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045000146 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emma Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emma Elementary
Emma Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Asheville, North Carolina, enrolling 277 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.1:1, Emma Elementary is leaner than roughly 91% of North Carolina schools and 30% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 277 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 294 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and White (31%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.1% 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 Asheville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Koontz Intermediate (725 students): Emma Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.1:1 vs 16.9:1).
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Emma 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 Emma Elementary compares
Emma 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 30% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.3% | ▲ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above 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
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 9% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
27.1%
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 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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 51.3%
White 31.0%
African American 13.0%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.2, Emma 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 Emma 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 Emma 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emma 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 in Asheville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Koontz Intermediate
Standard public school
725 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
West Buncombe Elementary
Standard public school
580 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Eblen Intermediate
Standard public school
566 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Evergreen Community Charter
Standard public school
430 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Claxton Elementary
Standard public school
405 students 15:1 students per teacher
Francine Delany New School
Standard public school
193 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~277 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emma Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Emma 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 Emma Elementary
How many students attend Emma Elementary?
Emma Elementary has 277 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Asheville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emma Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Emma Elementary is 11.1:1, which is 30% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 29% 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 Emma Elementary?
98.3% of students at Emma Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emma Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Emma Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 51.3% of enrollment, in Asheville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emma Elementary?
Emma Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Emma Elementary rank among elementary schools in Asheville?
By Resource Investment Index, Emma Elementary ranks #3 of 9 elementary 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 elementary schools in Asheville on the city page.
Is Emma Elementary a good school?
Emma Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Emma 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.