Enrollment
421
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Harrisburg, NC
A.C.E. Academy
Federal NCES profile for A.C.E. Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370037203324Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
A.C.E. Academy earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Harrisburg · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.5:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 57.0%
- free-lunch eligible
A.C.E. Academy has class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, A.C.E. Academy ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Harrisburg, NC.
School address
District: A.C.E. Academy · North Carolina
NCES ID 370037203324 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How A.C.E. Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at A.C.E. Academy
A.C.E. Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Harrisburg, North Carolina, enrolling 421 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.0% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 421 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 439 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #397, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 421 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 20 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Harrisburg's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hickory Ridge Elementary (927 students): A.C.E. Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.5:1 vs 14.5:1).
A.C.E. Academy is a single-school charter district, so A.C.E. Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How A.C.E. Academy compares
A.C.E. Academy on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.0% | ▼ 14% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 77% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,351
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 421 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 20 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 76.7%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
Two or More 3.1%
White 2.1%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 76.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.4, A.C.E. Academy is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for A.C.E. Academy, which includes A.C.E. Academy.
$12,351
Per student
+3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 56.3%
Federal 17.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Similar elementary schools in Harrisburg
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~421 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on A.C.E. Academy's federal record.
- Compare A.C.E. Academy against another school. Compare schools
- A.C.E. Academy's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about A.C.E. Academy
How many students attend A.C.E. Academy?
A.C.E. Academy has 421 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Harrisburg, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at A.C.E. Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at A.C.E. Academy is 17.5:1, which is 11% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at A.C.E. Academy?
57.0% of students at A.C.E. Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of A.C.E. Academy?
The largest demographic group at A.C.E. Academy is African American at 76.7% of enrollment, in Harrisburg, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for A.C.E. Academy?
A.C.E. Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does A.C.E. Academy rank among public schools in Harrisburg?
By Resource Investment Index, A.C.E. Academy ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Harrisburg, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Harrisburg on the city page.
Is A.C.E. Academy a good school?
A.C.E. Academy earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in A.C.E. Academy?
None; A.C.E. Academy is a single-school charter district, and A.C.E. Academy is its only campus.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.