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
0/100100/10018/100
👥 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.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-159 students YoY

Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls shrank from 786 students in 2022-23 to 627 in 2023-24 (-20.2%).

Teacher FTE lost 32.2 → 19.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-159 students YoY 370046503523 · Wendell, NC Elementary · MID · CHARTER

567 enr · 17.7:1 · 37.8% lunch · RII 18

Nearest enrollment peer: Sonoran Sky Elementary School (567 students)

Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls shrank from 786 students in 2022-23 to 627 in 2023-24 (-20.2%). Teacher FTE lost 32.2 → 19.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Carolina schools → · Find another →

How Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls compares

Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs 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 methodology

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
$6,996
per pupil, district-wide - below North Carolina avg of $12,294
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.

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

District finance for Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls reports $6,996 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

Similar elementary schools in Wendell

1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

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. CCD year-over-year: 786 (2022-23) → 627 (2023-24), down 159.

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, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. 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.

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.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved