Enrollment
542
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cornelius, NC
Cornelius Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cornelius Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370297001205
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cornelius Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Cornelius · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 24.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cornelius Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cornelius Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Cornelius, NC.
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370297001205 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cornelius Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cornelius Elementary
Cornelius Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Cornelius, North Carolina, enrolling 542 students.
At 15.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.3% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the North Carolina average.
With 542 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 237 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #63.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 271 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Cornelius's elementary schools, it stands alongside J.V. Washam Elementary (818 students): Cornelius Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.1:1 vs 15.7:1).
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students) and Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students) alongside Cornelius Elementary.
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 Cornelius Elementary compares
Cornelius Elementary 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 | 15.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.3% | ▼ 63% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 542 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
542
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 50% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.8%
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
$11,853
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 271 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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
White 68.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
African American 8.9%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 3.5%
Largest group: White at 68.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.4, Cornelius Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which includes Cornelius Elementary.
$11,853
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 52.1%
Federal 15.6%
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.
How Cornelius Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myers Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ardrey Kell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William Amos Hough High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cornelius Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,225
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,036
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,534
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,518
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Cornelius
2 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 (~542 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cornelius Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cornelius Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools'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 Cornelius Elementary
How many students attend Cornelius Elementary?
Cornelius Elementary has 542 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cornelius, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cornelius Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cornelius Elementary is 15.1:1, which is 4% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 4% 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 Cornelius Elementary?
24.3% of students at Cornelius Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cornelius Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cornelius Elementary is White at 68.8% of enrollment, in Cornelius, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cornelius Elementary?
Cornelius Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Cornelius Elementary rank among elementary schools in Cornelius?
By Resource Investment Index, Cornelius Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Cornelius, 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 Cornelius on the city page.
Is Cornelius Elementary a good school?
Cornelius Elementary earns 50/100 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 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
Besides Cornelius Elementary, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students), Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students), and South Mecklenburg High School (2,534 students). See the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district page for the complete list.
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.