Enrollment
142
Elementary
DISTRICT 252 · STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·POLK COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370372001511
Saluda Elementary School
214 E Main Street, Saluda, NC 28773 · (828) 894-1040 · Polk County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL142 STUDENTS
A+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 98% of North Carolina public elementary schools
- ATest 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
10.4:1
14 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.0:1 · STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
98%
139 students
DISTRICT 98% · 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 | 15 | 11% |
| Kindergarten | 35 | 25% |
| Grade 1 | 19 | 13% |
| Grade 2 | 18 | 13% |
| Grade 3 | 24 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 12 | 8% |
| Grade 5 | 19 | 13% |
This year's kindergarten class (35) is 84% larger than its 5th grade class (19).
Student demographics
22%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 41% · 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
Saluda Elementary School→Polk County Middle School
Based on grade levels within Polk County 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
79.6%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
90.7%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 80 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 91 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
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of NC schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
81.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
49.0%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+32.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 81% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 49% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 32 points, placing it in North Carolina's top 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 Saluda Elementary School
Saluda Elementary School's state test result (81.3% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saluda Elementary School this school | 142 | 97.9% | 81.3% |
| Martins Creek Elementary Murphy | 137 | 97.8% | 48.3% |
| Kings Creek Elementary Lenoir | 153 | 98.0% | 37.0% |
| Gouge Primary Bakersville | 144 | 97.9% | N/A |
| Hot Springs Elementary Hot Springs | 128 | 97.7% | 62.0% |
| Barnardsville Elementary Barnardsville | 125 | 97.6% | 72.5% |
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 Saluda Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 81.3% | #61 of 1,297 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 90.7% | #19 of 1,296 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 79.6% | #47 of 1,300 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 142 | #1,434 of 1,485 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 97.9% | #917 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
142
-6 (-4%) vs 2020
-21% since 1990-91, when it was 179
Student : Teacher
10.4:1
was 11.4:1
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 | 142 | 13.7 | 10.4:1 | 98% (139) |
| 2023-24 | 145 | 16 | 9.1:1 | 98% (142) |
| 2022-23 | 146 | 15 | 9.7:1 | 40% (58) |
| 2020-21 | 148 | 13 | 11.4:1 | 30% (45) |
| 2017-18 | 170 | 14.2 | 12.0:1 | 98% (167) |
| 2015-16 | 181 | 14 | 12.9:1 | 98% (177) |
| 2010-11 | 156 | 10 | 15.6:1 | 47% (74) |
| 2000-01 | 246 | 18 | 13.7:1 | 47% (116) |
| 1990-91 | 179 | 17 | 10.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Saluda Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 16% (170 to 142); teachers down 3% (14.2 to 13.7).
About Saluda Elementary School
Saluda Elementary School is an elementary school in Saluda, North Carolina, according to federal school records. The school offers pre-K through 5 and enrolls 142 students. On average, elementary schools in North Carolina enroll around 467, and this school is 70% below that mark.
Polk County Schools is the local district for Saluda Elementary School. It runs 7 schools with 2,110 students.
By race and ethnicity, Saluda Elementary School is 88% White. Next come 7% Hispanic and 3% multiracial. In Polk County overall, the White share is about 87%. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 22%.
Based on 13.7 full-time-equivalent teachers, Saluda Elementary School has a ratio of 10.4:1. The average for elementary schools in North Carolina, 14.9:1, is higher. Income data for the school show 98% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Public schools in Polk County average a similar 99%.
On the allk12 Grade, Saluda Elementary School lands at A+, ahead of 98% of North Carolina public elementary schools.
When test results are adjusted for free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, Saluda Elementary School ranks in the top 10% of North Carolina schools. It scores 81.3%; the prediction is 49.0%.
In the wider Polk County area, the median household earns about $67,758 a year, about 36% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 11% of residents are in poverty. Across Polk County, 7 public schools serve about 2,110 students.
Among nearby public schools, Upward Elementary is closest at about 4.9 miles. Saluda Elementary School is one of several public schools in the area, with at least 8 others within ten miles. The school's 81.3% average proficiency ranks 1st among 7 nearby schools.
The school is in rural territory close to an urban area, according to its NCES locale (Rural: Fringe).
Enrollment in 2024-25 stood at 142, compared with 148 in 2020-21. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio dropped to 10.4:1, from 11.4:1.
This page collects posts and questions about Saluda Elementary School, such as fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Polk County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
19,891
Census ACS
Median income
$67,758
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
7
2,110 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Polk County Schools
- Polk County High SchoolHigh · 596 students
- Polk County Middle SchoolMiddle · 454 students
- Polk Central Elementary SchoolElementary · 379 students
- Tryon Elementary SchoolElementary · 367 students
- Sunny View Elementary SchoolElementary · 120 students
- Polk County Early CollegeHigh · 52 students
Other Saluda Elementary schools
One other US public school is named Saluda Elementary. Saluda Elementary School is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Saluda ElementarySaluda, SC · 397 students
Nearby schools
- Upward Elementary4.9 mi · 389
- Hillandale Elementary5.3 mi · 483
- Flat Rock Middle5.4 mi · 748
- Tryon Elementary School5.9 mi · 367
- East Henderson High6.1 mi · 932
- Henderson County Early College6.4 mi · 197
Frequently asked questions
About Saluda Elementary SchoolHow many students attend Saluda Elementary School?
Saluda Elementary School enrolls approximately 142 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does Saluda Elementary School serve?
Saluda Elementary School serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at Saluda Elementary School?
Approximately 10.4:1 students per teacher at Saluda Elementary School.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Saluda Elementary School?
At Saluda Elementary School, the student body is approximately 88% White, 7% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees Saluda Elementary School?
Saluda Elementary School is overseen by Polk County Schools in Polk County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.