Enrollment
144
Elementary
DISTRICT 455 · STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 370234001001
Blue Ridge School
95 Bobcat Drive, Cashiers, NC 28717 · (828) 743-2646 · Jackson County
GRADES PK–06ELEMENTARY43-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL144 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 43% of North Carolina public elementary schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B-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
14.5:1
10 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.6:1 · STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
90%
130 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 17 | 12% |
| Kindergarten | 24 | 17% |
| Grade 1 | 23 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 12 | 8% |
| Grade 3 | 19 | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 9 | 6% |
| Grade 5 | 18 | 13% |
| Grade 6 | 22 | 15% |
This year's kindergarten class (24) is 9% larger than its 6th grade class (22).
Student demographics
54%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 55% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Blue Ridge School→Blue Ridge Early College
Based on grade levels within Jackson County Public Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
47.8%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
59.7%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 48 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 60 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
52.9%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
51.3%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+1.7pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 53% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 51% 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 Blue Ridge School
Blue Ridge School's state test result (52.9% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge School this school | 144 | 90.3% | 52.9% |
| Newland Elementary Newland | 214 | 96.7% | 43.3% |
| Southern Elementary Greensboro | 215 | 98.6% | 60.6% |
| Moncure School Moncure | 176 | 98.3% | 54.7% |
| Woodfin Elementary Asheville | 111 | 97.3% | 28.8% |
| Flat Rock Elementary Mount Airy | 217 | 98.6% | 42.2% |
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 Blue Ridge School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 52.9% | #733 of 1,297 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 59.7% | #618 of 1,296 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 47.8% | #696 of 1,300 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 144 | #1,432 of 1,485 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 90.3% | #1,080 of 1,414 |
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
144
-14 (-9%) vs 2020
-62% since 1990-91, when it was 376
Student : Teacher
14.5:1
was 11.3:1
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 | 144 | 9.9 | 14.5:1 | 90% (130) |
| 2023-24 | 149 | 11.4 | 13.1:1 | 98% (146) |
| 2022-23 | 165 | 11.3 | 14.6:1 | 79% (131) |
| 2020-21 | 158 | 14 | 11.3:1 | 53% (83) |
| 2017-18 | 195 | 13.6 | 14.3:1 | 98% (192) |
| 2015-16 | 161 | 12 | 13.4:1 | 98% (158) |
| 2010-11 | 182 | 14 | 13.0:1 | 79% (143) |
| 2000-01 | 275 | 33 | 8.3:1 | 36% (98) |
| 1990-91 | 376 | 28 | 13.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Blue Ridge School.
Since 2017-18: students down 26% (195 to 144); teachers down 27% (13.6 to 9.9).
About Blue Ridge School
As a very small elementary school, Blue Ridge School serves students in Cashiers, North Carolina. The school counted 144 students in 2024-25, covering pre-K through 6. That is 69% below the average of about 467 students for elementary schools in North Carolina.
The 9 schools of Jackson County Public Schools, including Blue Ridge School, enroll 3,444 students.
At Blue Ridge School, 54% of students are White. The remaining students are 40% Hispanic, 2% multiracial, and 2% Native American. Census figures show Jackson County is about 79% White. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 54%.
Based on 9.9 full-time-equivalent teachers, Blue Ridge School has a ratio of 14.5:1. The average ratio among elementary schools in North Carolina is similar, at 14.9:1. Eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch stands at 90%.
Blue Ridge School holds a C+ allk12 Grade, placing it above 43% of North Carolina public elementary schools.
Based on student poverty, the model expects 51.3% at Blue Ridge School; the school's average proficiency rate across its state test results is 52.9%.
American Community Survey estimates for Jackson County show that median household income comes to about $55,815, roughly 31% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 10%. The county's public schools total 11, with about 3,823 students.
Blue Ridge Early College is less than a tenth of a mile from Blue Ridge School, the shortest distance to any other public school. Counting only straight-line distance, 2 other public schools are within five miles. Among the 7 closest schools with test data, this one included, Blue Ridge School ranks 3rd on average proficiency.
For locale, NCES codes Blue Ridge School as Rural: Remote.
From 158 students in 2020-21, enrollment decreased to 144 by 2024-25. The school's ratio increased from 11.3:1 to 14.5:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
This community page is for conversations about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures. You can also rate the school on this page.
Jackson County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
43,771
Census ACS
Median income
$55,815
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
11
3,823 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Jackson County Public Schools
- Smoky Mountain High SchoolHigh · 881 students
- Fairview SchoolElementary · 797 students
- Cullowhee Valley SchoolElementary · 570 students
- Scotts Creek SchoolElementary · 422 students
- Smokey Mountain ElementaryElementary · 340 students
- Blue Ridge Early CollegeHigh · 127 students
Other schools in Cashiers
- Summit CharterCombined · 315 students
- Blue Ridge Early CollegeHigh · 127 students
Other Blue Ridge schools
One other US public school is named Blue Ridge. Blue Ridge School is the largest of the 2.
- Blue RidgeSouth Lake Tahoe, CA · 12 students
Nearby schools
- Blue Ridge Early College0.0 mi · 127
- Summit Charter2.1 mi · 315
- Highlands School7.1 mi · 344
- Cullowhee Valley School11.9 mi · 570
- Catamount School13.1 mi · 64
- T C Henderson13.2 mi · 133
Frequently asked questions
About Blue Ridge SchoolHow many students attend Blue Ridge School?
Blue Ridge School enrolls approximately 144 students in grades PK-06.
What grades does Blue Ridge School serve?
Blue Ridge School serves grades PK-06.
How many teachers does Blue Ridge School have?
Blue Ridge School employs 10 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 14.5:1.
What is the student diversity at Blue Ridge School?
Student demographics at Blue Ridge School are roughly 54% White, 40% Hispanic, 1% Black, 2% Two or more.
Is Blue Ridge School public or private?
Blue Ridge School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Jackson County Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.