SILSA, 419 McDowell St.: grades 9-12, 328 students in 2024-25, a B (83) state grade.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: the school’s website; Asheville City Schools’ enrollment and calendar pages; Buncombe County’s school district mapping tool; the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2024-25 report card data and 2025-26 school assessment workbook; and the federal NCES school directory.

School of Inquiry and Life Sciences at Asheville is an Asheville City Schools high school at 419 McDowell St., Asheville. SILSA is a Cooperative Innovative High School on the Asheville High campus. It partners with Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College so students can graduate with a high school diploma and up to an associate degree at no cost, according to its enrollment page. Its about page describes an integrated curriculum built around a life-sciences theme and project-based learning.

Who to call
Address 419 McDowell St., Asheville, NC 28803
Phone 828-350-2700
Grades 9 to 12
District Asheville City Schools
State school code 111700

Principal

Principal April Dockery, according to the school’s website.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: an average daily membership of 328 students in the 2024-25 school year, down from 347 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
  • Federal count: 352 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 25 students per teacher.

State report card

North Carolina grades every public school A to F. The grade is based 80% on student achievement and 20% on academic growth, according to the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report. For a high school, achievement includes end-of-course tests, the ACT or WorkKeys, NC Math 3 and the four-year graduation rate.

School year Grade and score Growth
2024-25 B (83) Met
2023-24 B (78) Met

The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data. From the state’s 2025-26 school assessment workbook:

  • At grade level or above, all end-of-course tests: 72.5% (statewide, all tests: 59.2%)
  • College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 52.5%
  • Growth in 2025-26: met expected growth
  • By course, at grade level or above: English II 86.2%; Biology 69.4%; NC Math 1 47.5%; NC Math 3 76.7%
  • ACT composite of 17 or higher, 11th graders: 81% (statewide: 54.5%)
  • Four-year graduation rate: above 95% (statewide: 89%); the state masks figures above 95%

The full report card, with class sizes, teacher data and school safety figures, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.

Attendance zone

Asheville City Schools does not draw attendance zones inside the district. It offers school choice at every grade level to families who live in the district, assigning students to their school of choice within board policy, school capacity and a 1991 federal desegregation order, according to its enrollment office. The elementary schools are magnet schools, and families may pick any of them where space allows and racial balance is kept, according to the district’s magnet program page.

The line that matters is the district boundary, which does not match the city limits: by our measurement of the county’s map, the district covers about 37% of Asheville’s land area, and Buncombe County Schools serves the rest. Check an address with the county’s school district mapping tool, which the district links from its enrollment process page.

How to enroll: students already at Asheville Middle fill out SILSA’s request-to-enroll form. Students from outside the district complete the district’s enrollment first, choosing SILSA for high school, then the SILSA form, according to the school’s enrollment page. The form asks about the student’s interests and, for outside applicants, recent English, math and science grades. The school says it puts first students who would be the first in their family to go to college, students at risk of dropping out and those seeking acceleration.

Students from outside the district may apply for discretionary admission. They pay annual tuition, get no bus service and must be released by their zoned school, according to the enrollment process page.

We found no rezoning or boundary change approved by the Asheville City Board of Education that affects the school.

Calendar and bell times

Coming dates on the Asheville City Schools 2026-27 6-12 calendar (PDF):

  • Wednesday, Oct. 28: end of the first quarter
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: no school for students (teacher workday)
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: holiday
  • Wednesday, Nov. 18: late start
  • Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Wednesday, Dec. 16: late start
  • Friday, Dec. 18: early release
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break
  • March 22-26, 2027: spring break
  • Friday, June 4, 2027: last day of school, early release

Bell times: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for middle and high schools, according to the 2026-27 calendar. The district’s enrollment FAQ puts the earliest drop-off for secondary students at 7:45 a.m.

Sports and activities

SILSA is not listed as a separate member school in the NCHSAA’s 2025-29 realignment. The athletics link on SILSA’s website goes to Asheville High’s athletics page.

Fall schedules and results are in our Friday night football guide and on our scoreboard.

Dual enrollment and AP courses begin in 10th grade at SILSA, a year earlier than at Asheville High, according to the district’s enrollment FAQ.

More

Frequently asked questions

What grades does SILSA serve?

SILSA serves ninth through 12th grade.

What is SILSA’s school grade?

SILSA earned a B, with a score of 83, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 72.5% of its state tests were at grade level or above and it met its growth target.

What time does SILSA start?

The middle and high school day runs 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to the Asheville City Schools 2026-27 calendar.