Enrollment
224
Elementary
DISTRICT 390 · STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BUNCOMBE COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370045000139
Bell Elementary
90 Maple Springs Road, Asheville, NC 28805 · (828) 298-3789 · Buncombe County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL224 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 79% of North Carolina public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded North Carolina public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
12.4:1
18 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.1:1 · STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
96%
215 students
DISTRICT 96% · STATE 82%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 37 | 17% |
| Grade 1 | 40 | 18% |
| Grade 2 | 33 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 41 | 18% |
| Grade 4 | 36 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 37 | 17% |
This year's kindergarten class (37) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (37).
Student demographics
51%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 54% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
61.8%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
63.6%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 62 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 64 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all North Carolina schools, those numbers are about 51 and 52.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
65.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
49.5%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+15.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 65% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 50% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among North Carolina's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Bell Elementary
Bell Elementary's state test result (65.0% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Elementary this school | 224 | 96.0% | 65.0% |
| District No 7 Elementary Wade | 211 | 96.7% | 57.1% |
| Jamesville Elementary Jamesville | 217 | 98.6% | 67.4% |
| J S Waters School Goldston | 222 | 98.6% | 59.3% |
| Oak Lane Elementary Hurdle Mills | 224 | 98.7% | 61.3% |
| London Elementary School Walnut Cove | 230 | 98.7% | 38.3% |
Matched among North Carolina elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Bell Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 65.0% | #351 of 1,297 | #9 of 27 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 63.6% | #512 of 1,296 | #8 of 27 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 61.8% | #281 of 1,300 | #9 of 27 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 224 | #1,334 of 1,485 | #25 of 33 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.4:1 | #129 of 1,377 | #3 of 26 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 51.3% | #965 of 1,379 | #12 of 26 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 96.0% | #1,037 of 1,414 | #21 of 29 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -22.8% | #212 of 937 | #4 of 18 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
224
-15 (-6%) vs 2020
-48% since 1990-91, when it was 431
Student : Teacher
12.4:1
was 12.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 224 | 18.1 | 12.4:1 | 96% (215) |
| 2023-24 | 204 | 18.3 | 11.2:1 | 99% (201) |
| 2022-23 | 218 | 18.9 | 11.5:1 | 53% (116) |
| 2020-21 | 239 | 19 | 12.6:1 | 35% (84) |
| 2017-18 | 290 | 21.4 | 13.6:1 | 50% (146) |
| 2015-16 | 287 | 21 | 13.7:1 | 56% (160) |
| 2010-11 | 300 | 20 | 15.0:1 | 51% (152) |
| 2000-01 | 332 | 34 | 9.8:1 | 36% (121) |
| 1990-91 | 431 | 29 | 14.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Bell Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 23% (290 to 224); teachers down 15% (21.4 to 18.1).
About Bell Elementary
Bell Elementary is a small elementary school. Its address is in Asheville, North Carolina. The school enrolls 224 students in pre-K through 5. Across elementary schools in North Carolina, the average enrollment is about 467.
Buncombe County Schools oversees Bell Elementary and 44 other schools, with 22,452 students in total.
The share of White students at Bell Elementary is 67%, a majority. The remaining students are 11% Hispanic, 10% Black, and 10% multiracial. Census figures show Buncombe County is about 82% White. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 51%.
Bell Elementary reported 18.1 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, a ratio of 12.4:1. Elementary schools in North Carolina have an average ratio of 14.9:1. Roughly 96% of students at Bell Elementary can receive free or reduced-price lunch. For comparison, public schools in Buncombe County average 88%.
Among North Carolina public elementary schools, Bell Elementary outscored 79%, which works out to an A- on the allk12 Grade.
Test results at Bell Elementary are 15.4 points above what its free or reduced-price lunch share predicts (65.0% actual, 49.5% predicted).
Looking at the county, Buncombe County, the median household earns about $74,436 a year, 46% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 6% of people live in poverty. Buncombe County has 61 public schools with about 29,908 students, including Bell Elementary.
Straight-line distance to the nearest public school, Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy, is about 0.8 miles. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. On state test proficiency, Bell Elementary ranks 3rd in a group of 6 nearby schools.
The federal government classifies Bell Elementary's location as City: Small.
From 239 students in 2020-21, enrollment decreased to 224 by 2024-25.
This page collects posts and questions about Bell Elementary, such as athletics, class schedules, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Buncombe County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
274,360
Census ACS
Median income
$74,436
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
46%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
61
29,908 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Buncombe County Schools
- Roberson HighHigh · 1,479 students
- Reynolds HighHigh · 1,169 students
- Enka HighHigh · 1,051 students
- Erwin HighHigh · 1,013 students
- North Buncombe HighHigh · 896 students
- Estes ElementaryElementary · 754 students
Other schools in Asheville
- Roberson HighHigh · 1,479 students
- IC ImagineCombined · 1,239 students
- Asheville HighHigh · 1,221 students
- Reynolds HighHigh · 1,169 students
- Erwin HighHigh · 1,013 students
- Estes ElementaryElementary · 754 students
Other Bell Elementary schools
9 other US public schools in 9 states are named Bell Elementary. Bell Elementary is the 9th largest of the 10.
- Bell Elementary SchoolChicago, IL · 902 students
- BELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLBELL, FL · 656 students
- Bell Elementary SchoolTYLER, TX · 540 students
- Bell Elementary SchoolHOUSTON, TX · 539 students
- BELL ELEMENTARYPAPILLION, NE · 488 students
Nearby schools
- Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy0.8 mi · 296
- Haw Creek Elementary0.8 mi · 402
- Evergreen Community Charter1.0 mi · 430
- Oakley Elementary2.1 mi · 502
- Reynolds Middle2.9 mi · 490
- Reynolds High3.1 mi · 1,169
Frequently asked questions
About Bell ElementaryWhat is the total enrollment at Bell Elementary?
Bell Elementary enrolls approximately 224 students in grades PK-05.
Is Bell Elementary an elementary, middle, or high school?
Bell Elementary is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many teachers does Bell Elementary have?
Bell Elementary employs 18 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.4:1.
How diverse is Bell Elementary?
Bell Elementary reports a student body of 67% White, 11% Hispanic, 10% Black, 1% Asian, 10% Two or more.
Who oversees Bell Elementary?
Bell Elementary is overseen by Buncombe County Schools in Buncombe County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.