Enrollment
369
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Asheville, NC
Ira B Jones Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ira B Jones Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370027000076
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ira B Jones Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of North Carolina schools.
- #11 of 13
- schools in Asheville · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 48.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ira B Jones Elementary has class sizes smaller than 81% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ira B Jones Elementary ranks #11 of 13 schools in Asheville, NC.
School address
District: Asheville City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370027000076 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ira B Jones Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ira B Jones Elementary
Ira B Jones Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Asheville, North Carolina, enrolling 369 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 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 48.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 369 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 311 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #177.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and African American (26%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 369 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Asheville City Schools spends $15,998 per pupil, 33% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Asheville's public schools, it stands alongside Ic Imagine (1,239 students): Ira B Jones Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 13:1).
Asheville City Schools also operates Asheville High (1,221 students) and Asheville Middle (670 students) alongside Ira B Jones 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 Ira B Jones Elementary compares
Ira B Jones 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.7% | ▼ 26% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 369 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
369
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.7%
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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 19% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.9%
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
$15,998
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 369 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 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 53.9%
African American 26.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Two or More 6.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.5%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: White at 53.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.8, Ira B Jones 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 Asheville City Schools, which includes Ira B Jones Elementary.
$15,998
Per student
+33%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.0%
State 40.4%
Federal 14.6%
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 Ira B Jones Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Asheville Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Claxton Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Isaac Dickson Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| School of Inquiry and Life Sciences | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ira B Jones Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,221
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 332
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~369 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ira B Jones Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ira B Jones Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Asheville City 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 Ira B Jones Elementary
How many students attend Ira B Jones Elementary?
Ira B Jones Elementary has 369 students enrolled. It is a public school in Asheville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ira B Jones Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ira B Jones Elementary is 12.7:1, which is 20% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 19% 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 Ira B Jones Elementary?
48.7% of students at Ira B Jones Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ira B Jones Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ira B Jones Elementary is White at 53.9% of enrollment, in Asheville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ira B Jones Elementary?
Ira B Jones Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 Ira B Jones Elementary rank among schools in Asheville?
By Resource Investment Index, Ira B Jones Elementary ranks #11 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 Ira B Jones Elementary a good school?
Ira B Jones Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Asheville City Schools?
Besides Ira B Jones Elementary, Asheville City Schools also operates Asheville High (1,221 students), Asheville Middle (670 students), and Claxton Elementary (405 students). See the Asheville City 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.