Avery County Schools School District

775 Cranberry Street
Newland, NC 28657
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Avery County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Student Attention
Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 3 public middle schools serving 407 students in Avery County Schools School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in North Carolina.
Public Middle Schools in Avery County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 48% (versus the North Carolina public middle school average of 48%), and reading proficiency score of 48% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 17% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public middle school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
9 Schools
882 Schools
# Students
1,871 Students
494,023 Students
# Teachers
150 Teachers
31,644 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
12:1
12:1

District Rank

Avery County Schools School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 85-89% has decreased from 95% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#123 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Avery County Schools  School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
55%
51%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Avery County Schools  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
53%
50%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Avery County Schools  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
69%
63%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Avery County Schools  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
85-89%
86%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Avery County Schools  School District and public school graduation rate of North Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.31
0.71
# American Indian Students
4 Students
5,633 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
10 Students
19,933 Students
% Asian Students
n/a
4%
# Hispanic Students
272 Students
98,873 Students
% Hispanic Students
15%
20%
# Black Students
7 Students
122,407 Students
% Black Students
n/a
25%
# White Students
1,528 Students
215,701 Students
% White Students
82%
44%
# Hawaiian Students
1 Student
646 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
49 Students
30,848 Students
% of Two or more races Students
3%
6%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
87
1,882
# Students in K Grade:
136
16,660
# Students in 1st Grade:
133
16,806
# Students in 2nd Grade:
166
17,050
# Students in 3rd Grade:
95
16,530
# Students in 4th Grade:
124
16,849
# Students in 5th Grade:
129
19,618
# Students in 6th Grade:
140
111,560
# Students in 7th Grade:
125
116,793
# Students in 8th Grade:
127
119,029
# Students in 9th Grade:
135
12,380
# Students in 10th Grade:
165
10,877
# Students in 11th Grade:
146
9,420
# Students in 12th Grade:
163
8,569
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $19,801 is higher than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $19,482 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$37 MM
$17,307 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Avery County Schools  School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$37 MM
$17,964 MM
This chart displays total spending of Avery County Schools  School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$19,801
$11,187
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Avery County Schools  School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$19,482
$11,612
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Avery County Schools  School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in North Carolina by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Avery County Schools School District Public Middle Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Cranberry Middle School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
6230 North Us Highway 19e
Elk Park, NC 28622
(828) 733-2932
Grades: 6-8
| 184 students
Rank: #22.
Blue Ridge High School
Alternative School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50% )
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
76 Old Montezuma Rd
Newland, NC 28657
(828) 737-5800
Grades: 6-12
| 15 students
Rank: #33.
Avery Middle School
(Math: 35% | Reading: 42%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
102 Old Montezuma Road
Newland, NC 28657
(828) 733-0145
Grades: 6-8
| 208 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 9 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 1,871 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 18%
  • : 85-89% (Top 50% in NC)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 55% (Top 50%)
  • : 53% (Top 50%)
  • : 69% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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