Avery County Schools

Avery County Schools is a school district that serves prekindergarten students all the way to high school seniors with eight schools in Avery County, North Carolina. They are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and had approximately 2200 students as of the 2011 school year. However, it is expected that that number has grown considerably. They are one of the largest employers in Avery County, North Carolina, with 165 teachers and approximately 200 other staff members. Some of the open positions at Avery County schools may include substitute bus monitors, JROTC instructors, substitute bus drivers and speech language pathologists.

There is not a great deal of information available about Avery County schools’ history, but it is known that Avery County was created in 1911 and at the time education was handled by three other counties that included Caldwell, Mitchell and Watauga. These three counties were consolidated into Avery County and the Avery County school district was born. Some of their founding principles include lifelong learning, children being the greatest resource and key to the future, everyone having the right to learn in a safe and nurturing environment and the education is responsive to the changing culture and community.

There are eight schools that are part of the Avery County School District. There is just one high school called Avery High School which is located in Newland. There are two middle schools; the Avery Middle School in Newland in the Cranbury Middle School in Cranberry. There are also five elementary schools that include the Banner Elk Elementary School, The Crossmore Elementary School, The Freedom Trail Elementary School In Elk Park, The Newland Elementary School in Newland and The Riverside Elementary School which is also in Newland. The most recent figures on the district budget was $24,845,000.