operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 3700450
Buncombe County Schools
Arden, NC
Students22,172
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
Profile coverage
8 of 8 core data areas available
Each area is matched to this district’s NCES ID. Dates show the reporting year. Source links and coverage were last checked August 26, 2026.
✓Academic results2025Current release✓Attendance2022–23Current release✓Spending2022–23Current release✓Enrollment & staffing2023–24Current release✓Student support2021–22Older federal release✓Safety & civil rights2021–22Older federal release✓Community context2023Current release✓Programs & opportunities2021–22Older federal release
Five things to know
The district at a glance
Every answer links to the underlying measure. Reporting years stay attached to the data.
01Comparable nationwide
Explore outcomes by student group →Are students making academic progress?
5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore →02Comparable nationwideAre students missing too much school?
26.3% chronically absent2022–23 · 22,041 students measuredExplore →03Comparable nationwideIs the district improving?
Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore →04Comparable nationwideHow much does the district spend?
$13,585current spending per studentExplore →05Comparable nationwideDoes the district have enough support staff?
274:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore →Student outcomes
How are students doing?
Four views answer different questions. State test percentages show grade-level expectations; the national research trend shows change over time; graduation and dropout measures describe high-school outcomes.
Are results improving over time?
43rdlatest estimated national standing
20192022202320242025
10 percentile points lower than 2019.
How many high-school students left during the year?
1.4%of students enrolled in grades 9–12
District1.4%
NC2.0%
U.S.2.6%
Lower is better. This annual rate is not the opposite of the graduation rate because the measures use different students and time periods.
State proficiency standards differ and should not be used for cross-state rankings. Graduation ranges and privacy protections are preserved exactly. The academic trend uses Stanford Education Data Archive estimates and is not a state proficiency percentage.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
What has changed?
The district’s recent direction
Each card uses its own clearly labeled period. Measures from different sources are never blended.
Lower than the first comparable year.
2019–2025 · Stanford research estimateLower than the first year. Fewer students were chronically absent.
2020–21–2022–23Student enrollment grew.
2021–22 to 2023–24 · NCESSpending per student increased before adjusting for inflation.
FY 2022 to FY 2023 · NCES F-33Enrollment 2023–24Finance 2022–23Attendance 2022–23State tests 2024–25 where published
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K127 students
0.6%Kindergarten–grade 59,863 students
44.5%Grades 6–84,854 students
21.9%Grades 9–127,282 students
32.8%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten127
Kindergarten1,565
Grade 11,579
Grade 21,785
Grade 31,590
Grade 41,740
Grade 51,604
Grade 61,598
Grade 71,659
Grade 81,597
Grade 92,009
Grade 101,884
Grade 111,843
Grade 121,546
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Early learning · 2023–24
How much public pre-K is reported?
Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers9 FTE
Kindergarten teachers106.2 FTE
Elementary teachers955.4 FTE
Secondary teachers479.3 FTE
Ungraded teachers10 FTE
Elementary school counselors37.7 FTE
Secondary school counselors39.8 FTE
Instructional coordinators5.2 FTE
District administrators17.9 FTE
District administrative support108 FTE
School administrative support110.1 FTE
Library and media support22.5 FTE
Other support staff638.4 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Teachers and staff
Teacher workforce
Loading the district’s workforce comparison…
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in NC receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Alamance-Burlington SchoolsGraham, NC
- Students
- 22,477
- Community poverty
- 18.4%
- English learners
- 11.2%
- Special education
- 12.3%
- Students
- 20,721
- Community poverty
- 11.3%
- English learners
- 6.3%
- Special education
- 10.2%
- Students
- 20,033
- Community poverty
- 13.4%
- English learners
- 8.4%
- Special education
- 11.8%
- Students
- 20,983
- Community poverty
- 29.0%
- English learners
- 10.6%
- Special education
- 13.7%
- Students
- 24,327
- Community poverty
- 18.4%
- English learners
- 4.7%
- Special education
- 11.4%
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictNCUnited States
Academic standing2025Needs attention
43rd percentile45th percentile45th percentileThis district is 2 percentile points lower than the state figure and 2 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23Stronger than benchmarks
26.3%28.7%27.8%This district is 2.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023Context only
$15,526$13,391$19,509This district is $2,135 per student higher than the state figure and $3,983 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$13,585$12,316$15,859This district is $1,269 per student higher than the state figure and $2,274 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023Context only
$1,537$1,359$1,964This district is $178 per student higher than the state figure and $427 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$199$215$336This district is $16 per student lower than the state figure and $137 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$1,616$1,306$1,793This district is $310 per student higher than the state figure and $177 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023Context only
$8,094$7,126$8,742This district is $968 per student higher than the state figure and $648 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023Context only
$3,440$2,889$3,769This district is $551 per student higher than the state figure and $329 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023Context only
$7,931$5,278$11,715This district is $2,653 per student higher than the state figure and $3,784 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023Context only
$771$656$869This district is $115 per student higher than the state figure and $98 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
14:115:115:1This district is 1.0 students per teacher lower than the state figure and 1.0 students per teacher lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
274:1340:1376:1This district is 66 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 102 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
155.4128.4138.9This district is 27.0 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 16.5 staff per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
21.914.718.5This district is 7.2 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 3.4 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24Mixed comparison
0.80.50.9This district is 0.3 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24Mixed comparison
99.2%99.3%99.0%This district is 0.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24Stronger than benchmarks
1.4%2.0%2.6%This district is 0.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24Context only
0.6%1.5%2.9%This district is 0.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
9.0%8.7%12.0%This district is 0.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
12.2%11.9%14.0%This district is 0.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
2.7%1.9%3.9%This district is 0.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
100.0%92.5%95.8%This district is 7.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24Context only
+0.4%+0.9%+0.5%This district is 0.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district recordsContext only
45.2%50.8%50.6%This district is 5.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 5.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollmentMixed comparison
6.4%7.8%4.5%This district is 1.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollmentMixed comparison
15.4%15.6%9.0%This district is 0.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollmentNeeds attention
25.0%13.3%6.7%This district is 11.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 18.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollmentContext only
8.1%6.9%5.1%This district is 1.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimateStronger than benchmarks
14.1%15.6%14.4%This district is 1.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
9.0%Students learning English1,944 students · 41 of 45 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
12.2%Students receiving IDEA special-education services2,630 students · 43 of 45 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
2.7%Students with Section 504 plans568 students · 42 of 45 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.4%English learners also receiving IDEA services302 students · 43 of 45 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Asian students254 assessments
68 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged10,586 assessments
56 out of 100White students12,541 assessments
55 out of 100Fem9,614 assessments
44 out of 100Mal10,030 assessments
43 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students9,058 assessments
28 out of 100Hispanic students4,353 assessments
22 out of 100Black students1,331 assessments
17 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$13,190
→FY 2023$13,585+3.0% year over year
FY 2022$1,199
→FY 2023$1,537+28.2% year over year
FY 2022$8,707
→FY 2023$7,931-8.9% year over year
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
6,489 of 22,298 students
5,619 of 22,079 students
5,790 of 22,041 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I11 reporting schools
91%
Calculus11 reporting schools
82%
Biology11 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry11 reporting schools
91%
Physics11 reporting schools
91%
Computer science11 reporting schools
64%
Advanced Placement11 reporting schools
73%
Dual enrollment11 reporting schools
91%
Gifted programs45 reporting schools
96%
International Baccalaureate11 reporting schools
0%
Athletics10 reporting schools
60%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
1,555Out-of-school suspensions45 reporting schoolsSee schools →1,895In-school suspensions45 reporting schoolsSee schools →186Law-enforcement referrals45 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests45 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →