Enrollment
567
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Wendell, NC
Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls
Federal NCES profile for Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370046503523Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Wendell · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 37.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls has class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Wendell, NC.
School address
District: Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls · North Carolina
NCES ID 370046503523 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls
Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Wendell, North Carolina, enrolling 567 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 567 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 395 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #394, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (33%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 567 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls spends $7,251 per pupil, 40% below the North Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Wendell's elementary schools, it stands alongside Wendell Elementary (458 students): Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.7:1 vs 12.4:1).
Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls is a single-school charter district, so Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls 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 Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls compares
Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls 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 | 17.7:1 | ▲ 12% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.8% | ▼ 43% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 567 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
567
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 78% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.6%
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
$7,251
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 567 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 32.6%
Hispanic or Latino 30.2%
White 25.7%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 2.3%
Largest group: African American at 32.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.7, Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls, which includes Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls.
$7,251
Per student
-40%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-56%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.0%
State 61.8%
Federal 11.2%
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 Wendell
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 (~567 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls's federal record.
- Compare Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls against another school. Compare schools
- Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls'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 Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls
How many students attend Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls?
Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls has 567 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Wendell, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls?
The student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls is 17.7:1, which is 12% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls?
37.8% of students at Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls?
The largest demographic group at Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls is African American at 32.6% of enrollment, in Wendell, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls?
Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls rank among public schools in Wendell?
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Wendell, 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 Wendell on the city page.
Is Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls a good school?
Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls?
None; Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls is a single-school charter district, and Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls is its only campus.
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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.