The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Science. The lowest is 48% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Francine Delany New School
Francine Delany New School is a small K-8 charter located in Asheville on Brevard Road, serving roughly the total enrollment across nine grades in nearly balanced cohorts of about the same size at each level. The school's student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful share of Black students, smaller numbers of students who identify as multiracial, Hispanic, or Asian, and very few in other categories. Data on students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and on special populations including English learners and students with IEPs was not available.
On state end-of-grade assessments in 2024-25, the school's proficiency results for grades 3 through 8 showed mixed performance. In English language arts, a majority of tested students reached proficiency. In mathematics, the proficiency rate was lower and sits below the midpoint. In science, proficiency was higher, though fewer students took that test because not all grades are assessed in science. Relative to other districts in Buncombe County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among county districts, a measure computed across the tested subjects and grades the school reports.
The school does not report a graduation rate because it serves only through eighth grade. Data on chronic absenteeism was not available. No information about staffing, discipline, course access, or attendance rates appeared in the available records.
Asheville itself is a mid-sized mountain city with a dense, walkable downtown anchored by retail, restaurants, breweries, galleries, and hotels, surrounded by distinct neighborhoods including Montford, Grove Park, Kenilworth, West Asheville, and the River Arts District. The economy is rooted in healthcare, with Mission Health as the largest regional employer, alongside advanced manufacturing, higher education at UNC Asheville and A-B Tech, and hospitality and tourism. Housing demand has intensified sharply: the city is projected to grow substantially by 2050, and Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024 accelerated both housing pressure and recovery investment, with the federal government allocating resources to both single-family rebuilding and multi-family affordable development.
Francine Delany is a single-campus charter, which means that a family's experience of the school rests entirely on one location and facility. That facility sustained damage from Helene, including to the roof and playground. Recovery work extended well into 2026, with new grass laid in March 2026 to replace muddy ground that persisted for more than a year after the storm, and the school was still fundraising to restore landscaping. A parent visiting the school in 2025 or early 2026 would have encountered a physical environment still in recovery mode. By now that work may have advanced further, but the impact on daily operations and the outdoor learning environment was material during the academic year a family might have been deciding whether to enroll.
The school's blend of top-quartile proficiency against lower performance in mathematics, a white-majority student body with notable Black representation, and a small, stable enrollment across all grade levels offers a particular fit. The charter's location in Asheville connects it to a city experiencing rapid growth, strong job markets, and acute housing pressure. A parent weighing Francine Delany should understand both the solid overall proficiency standing and the below-midpoint math results, and should ask the school directly about the current state of facility recovery and any ongoing impacts to routines or programming.
See more original research from School Decision →