Enrollment
505
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Arden, NC
Glen Arden Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Glen Arden Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370045000151
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Glen Arden Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Arden · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 31.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Glen Arden Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Glen Arden Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Arden, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045000151 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Glen Arden Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Glen Arden Elementary
Glen Arden Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Arden, North Carolina, enrolling 505 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 31.1% free-meal eligibility runs 53% below the North Carolina average.
With 505 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 274 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #34.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.5% 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 Arden's public schools, it stands alongside Avery's Creek Elementary (557 students): Glen Arden Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14:1 vs 13.3:1).
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Glen Arden 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 Glen Arden Elementary compares
Glen Arden 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.1% | ▼ 53% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 505 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
505
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 35% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 69.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Two or More 9.9%
African American 5.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 69.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.4, Glen Arden 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 Glen Arden 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 Glen Arden 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 | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enka High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Erwin High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Glen Arden 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 Arden
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~505 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Glen Arden Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Glen Arden 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 Glen Arden Elementary
How many students attend Glen Arden Elementary?
Glen Arden Elementary has 505 students enrolled. It is a public school in Arden, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Glen Arden Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Glen Arden Elementary is 14:1, which is 11% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% 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 Glen Arden Elementary?
31.1% of students at Glen Arden Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Glen Arden Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Glen Arden Elementary is White at 69.5% of enrollment, in Arden, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Glen Arden Elementary?
Glen Arden Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Glen Arden Elementary rank among public schools in Arden?
By Resource Investment Index, Glen Arden Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Arden, 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 Arden on the city page.
Is Glen Arden Elementary a good school?
Glen Arden Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Glen Arden 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.