Enrollment
584
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cary, NC
Cardinal Charter Academy
Federal NCES profile for Cardinal Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370035803325Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cardinal Charter Academy earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Cary · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 34.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Cardinal Charter Academy has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Charter Academy ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Cary, NC.
School address
District: Cardinal Charter · North Carolina
NCES ID 370035803325 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cardinal Charter Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cardinal Charter Academy
Cardinal Charter Academy is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Cary, North Carolina, enrolling 584 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 584 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 346 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #65.
Its student body is led by African American (34%) and White (26%) (diversity index 76/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 584 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Cardinal Charter spends $7,990 per pupil, 34% below the North Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Cary's elementary schools, it stands alongside Davis Drive Elementary (794 students): Cardinal Charter Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.9:1 vs 13.7:1).
Cardinal Charter is a single-school charter district, so Cardinal Charter 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 Cardinal Charter Academy compares
Cardinal Charter 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 12% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.4% | ▼ 48% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 584 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
584
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 34% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$7,990
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 584 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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 33.9%
White 26.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.5%
Asian 11.6%
Two or More 7.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 33.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.6, Cardinal Charter Academy is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cardinal Charter, which includes Cardinal Charter Academy.
$7,990
Per student
-34%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-52%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 64.3%
Federal 9.3%
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 Cary
3 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 (~584 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cardinal Charter Academy's federal record.
- Compare Cardinal Charter Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Cardinal Charter'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 Academy
How many students attend Cardinal Charter Academy?
Cardinal Charter Academy has 584 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cary, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Charter Academy is 13.9:1, which is 12% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cardinal Charter Academy?
34.4% of students at Cardinal Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cardinal Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Cardinal Charter Academy is African American at 33.9% of enrollment, in Cary, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cardinal Charter Academy?
Cardinal Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Academy rank among elementary schools in Cary?
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Charter Academy ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Cary, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Cary on the city page.
Is Cardinal Charter Academy a good school?
Cardinal Charter Academy earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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?
None; Cardinal Charter is a single-school charter district, and Cardinal Charter 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.