Enrollment
372
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Asheville, NC
Nesbitt Discovery Academy
Federal NCES profile for Nesbitt Discovery Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370045003320
👥 S:T ratio 17
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nesbitt Discovery Academy earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 8
- high schools in Asheville · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 18.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Nesbitt Discovery Academy has class sizes larger than 91% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nesbitt Discovery Academy ranks #1 of 8 high schools in Asheville, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045003320 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nesbitt Discovery Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nesbitt Discovery Academy
Nesbitt Discovery Academy is a lower-poverty, mid-sized high school in Asheville, North Carolina, enrolling 372 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.7:1 is larger than about 91% of North Carolina schools and 31% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.7% free-meal eligibility runs 72% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 372 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 92 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #11.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 31/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 186 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
10.2% 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 Asheville's high schools, it stands alongside Roberson High (1,479 students): Nesbitt Discovery Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.7:1 vs 15.6:1).
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Nesbitt Discovery Academy.
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 Nesbitt Discovery Academy compares
Nesbitt Discovery Academy 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 | 20.7:1 | ▲ 31% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.7% | ▼ 72% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 372 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
372
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% 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
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 91% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
10.2%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 186 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 82.5%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
Asian 4.3%
Two or More 3.2%
African American 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 82.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.9, Nesbitt Discovery Academy is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buncombe County Schools, which includes Nesbitt Discovery Academy.
$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 Nesbitt Discovery Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberson High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Reynolds High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Enka High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Erwin High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nesbitt Discovery Academy'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 high schools in Asheville
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Roberson High
Standard public school
1,479 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Asheville High
Standard public school
1,221 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Reynolds High
Standard public school
1,169 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Erwin High
Standard public school
1,013 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
School of Inquiry and Life Sciences
Standard public school
332 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Early College
Standard public school
271 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~372 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nesbitt Discovery Academy's federal record.
- Compare Nesbitt Discovery Academy 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 Nesbitt Discovery Academy
How many students attend Nesbitt Discovery Academy?
Nesbitt Discovery Academy has 372 students enrolled. It is a high school in Asheville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nesbitt Discovery Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Nesbitt Discovery Academy is 20.7:1, which is 31% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nesbitt Discovery Academy?
18.7% of students at Nesbitt Discovery Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nesbitt Discovery Academy?
The largest demographic group at Nesbitt Discovery Academy is White at 82.5% of enrollment, in Asheville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nesbitt Discovery Academy?
Nesbitt Discovery Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Nesbitt Discovery Academy rank among high schools in Asheville?
By Resource Investment Index, Nesbitt Discovery Academy ranks #1 of 8 high 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 high schools in Asheville on the city page.
Is Nesbitt Discovery Academy a good school?
Nesbitt Discovery Academy earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Nesbitt Discovery Academy, 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.