Francine Delany New School

www.fdnsc.net

Charter School 178 Students

Elementary School K - 8th

School Overview

The Francine Delany New School (FDNS), located in Asheville, North Carolina, is a tuition-free public charter school that serves students in grades K–8. Founded on the principles of progressive education, the school emphasizes a holistic approach that balances rigorous academic instruction with social-emotional development. Its curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking, creativity, and a sense of community responsibility, moving beyond traditional rote learning to encourage students to become active participants in their own education.

A defining characteristic of FDNS is its small-school environment, which prioritizes strong relationships between students, teachers, and families. The school utilizes multi-age classrooms and project-based learning to meet the unique needs of each child, allowing students to progress at their own pace. By integrating the arts, hands-on experiences, and a focus on democratic participation, the Francine Delany New School aims to cultivate lifelong learners who are not only academically prepared but also empathetic, engaged, and thoughtful citizens.

178

Total Students

15.2

Full-Time Teachers

11.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Francine Delany New School
Demographic	Student Count
White	96
Hispanic	12
Black	43
Asian	3
Two or More	23
American Indian	1

White
96 (53.9 %)
Black
43 (24.2 %)
Two or More
23 (12.9 %)
Hispanic
12 (6.7 %)
Asian
3 (1.7 %)
American Indian
1 (0.6 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Francine Delany New School
Phone:	(828)236-9441
Website:	http://www.fdnsc.net
Grade Range:	K - 8th
Total Students:	178
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	15.2
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	11.7
NSLP Participation:¹	No
Qualified Free Lunch:	N/A
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	N/A

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 20

Grade 1 19

Grade 2 20

Grade 3 21

Grade 4 20

Grade 5 20

Grade 6 19

Grade 7 21

Grade 8 18