Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Buncombe County Schools

This page covers 11 middle schools in Buncombe County Schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

11
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 11
1
rank
Valley Springs Middle
Grades 05–08634 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.4:1)
57
/100
Student:Teacher
12.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
53%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Cane Creek Middle
Grades 06–08452 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
13.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
36%
Low economic need
3
rank
Erwin Middle
Grades 07–08568 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.6:1)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
12.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
74%
High economic need
4
rank
Reynolds Middle
Grades 06–08479 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.8:1)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
12.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
59%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
North Buncombe Middle
Grades 07–08504 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (13.2:1)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
13.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
45%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
North Windy Ridge Intermediate
Grades 05–06494 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
14.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
47%
Near nat'l 52.2%
7
rank
Koontz Intermediate
Grades 05–06650 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
15.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
50%
Near nat'l 52.2%
8
rank
Owen Middle
Grades 06–08418 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.6:1)
50
/100
Student:Teacher
11.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
62%
Near nat'l 52.2%
9
rank
Eblen Intermediate
Grades 05–06555 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
14.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
76%
High economic need
10
rank
Enka Middle
Grades 07–08602 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
45
/100
Student:Teacher
14.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
65%
Near nat'l 52.2%
1 more middle schools in Buncombe County Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Buncombe County Schools
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
11
Middle Schools
45
Total Schools
57
#1 Score
50
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Compare Buncombe County Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.