Enrollment
381
Elementary
DISTRICT 390 · STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BUNCOMBE COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370045000140
Candler Elementary
121 Candler School Road, Candler, NC 28715 · (828) 670-5018 · Buncombe County
GRADES PK–04ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL381 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
28 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.1:1 · STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
378 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 | 13 | 3% |
| Kindergarten | 95 | 25% |
| Grade 1 | 62 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 77 | 20% |
| Grade 3 | 65 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 69 | 18% |
Student demographics
47%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
55.9%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
64.7%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 56 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 65 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
60.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.5%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+11.7pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 60% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% 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 →
Where Candler Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 60.3% | #491 of 1,297 | #12 of 27 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 64.7% | #479 of 1,296 | #7 of 27 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 55.9% | #435 of 1,300 | #14 of 27 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 381 | #960 of 1,485 | #17 of 33 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.8:1 | #421 of 1,377 | #13 of 26 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 47.5% | #1,040 of 1,379 | #16 of 26 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 99.2% | #489 of 1,414 | #5 of 29 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -12.4% | #494 of 937 | #10 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.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
381
-14 (-4%) vs 2020
-42% since 1990-91, when it was 654
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
was 15.2:1
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 | 381 | 27.6 | 13.8:1 | 99% (378) |
| 2023-24 | 365 | 28.7 | 12.7:1 | 99% (362) |
| 2022-23 | 361 | 27.9 | 12.9:1 | 72% (261) |
| 2020-21 | 395 | 26 | 15.2:1 | 99% (392) |
| 2017-18 | 435 | 30.8 | 14.1:1 | 67% (292) |
| 2015-16 | 547 | 33 | 16.6:1 | 67% (364) |
| 2010-11 | 626 | 36 | 17.4:1 | 65% (406) |
| 2000-01 | 534 | 49 | 10.9:1 | 55% (295) |
| 1990-91 | 654 | 43 | 15.2:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Candler Elementary.
About Candler Elementary
Candler Elementary is listed by the National Center for Education Statistics as an elementary school in Candler, North Carolina. The school covers pre-K through 4 and reported 381 students in 2024-25.
Buncombe County Schools has 22,452 students in 45 schools, and Candler Elementary is one of those schools.
At Candler Elementary, 68% of students are White. After that, the student body is 24% Hispanic, 5% Black, and 3% multiracial. Census figures show Buncombe County is about 82% White. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, Candler Elementary scores 47%.
There are 27.6 full-time-equivalent teachers at Candler Elementary, giving a ratio of 13.8:1. The school's 13.8:1 compares with an average of 14.9:1 for elementary schools in North Carolina. By family income, 99% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That is 11 points above the 88% average for public schools in Buncombe County.
Given its share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, Candler Elementary would be expected to post about 48.5%. Its actual average proficiency rate across its state test results is 60.3%.
Buncombe County is the school's county. There, the median household earns about $74,436 a year, roughly 46% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 6%. Candler Elementary shares Buncombe County with 60 other public schools.
About 2.0 miles separate Candler Elementary from the closest public school, Enka High. The five-mile area around Candler Elementary holds at least 8 other public schools. Candler Elementary's average proficiency of 60.3% compares with 49.6% for its nearest scored neighbors.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as Suburb: Large, meaning it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Since 2020-21, enrollment has fallen 4%, from 395 to 381. By 2024-25, the school had 13.8 students per teacher, compared with 15.2 in 2020-21.
Candler Elementary has a community page on allk12 for topics such as pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
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 Candler
- Enka HighHigh · 1,051 students
- Enka MiddleMiddle · 588 students
- Enka IntermediateMiddle · 585 students
- Hominy Valley ElementaryElementary · 399 students
- Pisgah ElementaryElementary · 162 students
Nearby schools
- Enka High2.0 mi · 1,051
- Hominy Valley Elementary2.0 mi · 399
- Enka Middle2.2 mi · 588
- Pisgah Elementary3.0 mi · 162
- Enka Intermediate3.6 mi · 585
- Sand Hill-Venable Elem3.6 mi · 590
Frequently asked questions
About Candler ElementaryHow large is Candler Elementary?
Candler Elementary enrolls approximately 381 students in grades PK-04.
What age range does Candler Elementary serve?
Candler Elementary serves students from grade PK through grade 04.
How many students per teacher at Candler Elementary?
Approximately 13.8:1 students per teacher at Candler Elementary.
How diverse is Candler Elementary?
Candler Elementary reports a student body of 68% White, 24% Hispanic, 5% Black, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees Candler Elementary?
Candler 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.