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What's the most underrated thing about Owen High that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
649
High
DISTRICT 707 · STATE 761
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BUNCOMBE COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370045000142
Owen High
99 Lake Eden Road, Black Mountain, NC 28711 · (828) 686-3852 · Buncombe County
GRADES 09–12HIGH41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL649 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 44% of North Carolina public high schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats 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 high schools
Student : Teacher
15.2:1
43 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.2:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
98%
636 students
DISTRICT 96% · STATE 82%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 187 | 29% |
| Grade 10 | 150 | 23% |
| Grade 11 | 149 | 23% |
| Grade 12 | 163 | 25% |
Student demographics
45%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
62.2%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
30.3%
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 30 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
43.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.9%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-6.0pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 43% 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 →
Schools most like Owen High
Owen High's state test result (43.0% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owen High this school | 649 | 98.0% | 43.0% |
| Polk County High School Columbus | 596 | 99.5% | 50.5% |
| Chase High School Forest City | 596 | 98.7% | 52.3% |
| Brevard High Brevard | 799 | 99.6% | 57.2% |
| West Stanly High Oakboro | 800 | 99.6% | 64.1% |
| Avery County High Newland | 542 | 99.3% | 31.5% |
Matched among North Carolina high 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 Owen High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 43.0% | #276 of 468 | #7 of 9 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 30.3% | #278 of 464 | #7 of 9 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 62.2% | #176 of 448 | #7 of 9 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 649 | #299 of 598 | #8 of 13 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.2:1 | #72 of 473 | #4 of 11 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 45.0% | #388 of 474 | #8 of 11 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 98.0% | #296 of 527 | #8 of 12 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -15.5% | #75 of 277 | #3 of 9 |
Ranked against other public high 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
649
-57 (-8%) vs 2020
-17% since 1990-91, when it was 784
Student : Teacher
15.2:1
was 14.1:1
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 | 649 | 42.8 | 15.2:1 | 98% (636) |
| 2023-24 | 683 | 43.8 | 15.6:1 | 100% (680) |
| 2022-23 | 689 | 46.1 | 14.9:1 | 48% (331) |
| 2020-21 | 706 | 50 | 14.1:1 | 33% (236) |
| 2017-18 | 768 | 53.4 | 14.4:1 | 47% (359) |
| 2015-16 | 774 | 51 | 15.2:1 | 49% (376) |
| 2010-11 | 891 | 54 | 16.5:1 | 43% (379) |
| 2000-01 | 906 | 68 | 13.3:1 | 17% (158) |
| 1990-91 | 784 | 65 | 12.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Owen High.
Since 2017-18: students down 15% (768 to 649); teachers down 20% (53.4 to 42.8).
About Owen High
Owen High is a medium-sized high school in Black Mountain, North Carolina. It serves 649 students in grades 9 through 12.
Enrollment across the 45 schools in Buncombe County Schools totals 22,452 students.
By race and ethnicity, Owen High is 72% White. Beyond that, enrollment is 17% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, and 4% Black. In Buncombe County overall, about 82% of residents are White. By the diversity index, Owen High comes in at 45%.
The teaching staff at Owen High is 42.8 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 15.2:1. The average ratio among high schools in North Carolina is 19.6:1, higher than at this school. About 98% of students, or 636, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The gap from the 88% average for public schools in Buncombe County is 10 points.
Measured against North Carolina public high schools, Owen High receives a C+. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
The allk12 BeatsExpectations score for Owen High is -6.0 points: 43.0% actual, 48.9% predicted.
Among Buncombe County residents, median household income is about $74,436, about 46% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 6% of residents are in poverty. Owen High is one of 61 public schools in Buncombe County, which together enroll about 29,908 students.
The closest other public school is Owen Middle, about 0.8 miles away. There are 6 other public schools within five miles. Nearby schools average 55.1% on proficiency, and Owen High is below that at 43.0%.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as Rural: Fringe, meaning it is in rural territory close to an urban area.
The student count in 2024-25 was 649, 8% below the 706 of 2020-21. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, the ratio rose from 14.1:1 to 15.2:1.
Questions about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week can be posted here. Questions from prospective families are welcome 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 Black Mountain
- Black Mountain PrimaryElementary · 351 students
- Black Mountain ElementaryElementary · 163 students
Nearby schools
- Owen Middle0.8 mi · 457
- Williams Elementary1.9 mi · 451
- Community High School2.0 mi · 127
- Black Mountain Primary3.1 mi · 351
- Black Mountain Elementary3.3 mi · 163
- ArtSpace Charter School3.5 mi · 402
Frequently asked questions
About Owen HighWhat is the total enrollment at Owen High?
Owen High enrolls approximately 649 students in grades 09-12.
Is Owen High an elementary, middle, or high school?
Owen High is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many teachers does Owen High have?
Owen High employs 43 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.2:1.
What is the student diversity at Owen High?
Student demographics at Owen High are roughly 72% White, 17% Hispanic, 4% Black, 1% Asian, 5% Two or more.
What district is Owen High in?
Owen High is part of Buncombe County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.