Cleveland County Schools operates 28 public schools serving 14,406 students, placing it in the mid-size range in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 18 other, 5 high, 4 middle, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 14,504 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Cleveland County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,545 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 21.4% local, 59.1% state, and 19.5% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $74,296 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 56/100, ranked #98 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 5 of 28 schools offering Advanced Placement (50 AP courses district-wide), a 356.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 28.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 55.3% White, 26.5% African American, 10.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Cleveland County Schools school enrollment varies 17× across entities
Cleveland County Schools school enrollment ranges from 76 students (lowest) to 1,305 students (highest), a spread of 1,229 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Cleveland County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 78.8% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Cleveland County Schools student-counselor ratio is 357:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Cleveland County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 28.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Cleveland County Schools is typically wider than the Cleveland County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Cleveland County Schools has 28 schools, including 5 high, 4 middle, 18 other, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 14,406 students.
How much does Cleveland County Schools spend per student?
Cleveland County Schools spends $12,545 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #98 in North Carolina.
What is the average teacher salary in Cleveland County Schools?
The average teacher salary in Cleveland County Schools is $74,296 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Cleveland County Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Cleveland County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Cleveland County Schools?
Cleveland County Schools students are 55.3% White, 26.5% African American, 10.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 28 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Cleveland County Schools?
Cleveland County Schools has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #98 out of 293 districts in North Carolina. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.